iTunes question

[Hardbopjazz]

I use to be able to copy my CDs to iTunes and also copy the cover art. Now I can't copy the cover art. It asks for me to sign-on to the iTunes store and it still doesn't let me copy the cover art. Any know why? I am also copying my CDs as WAV files.

[mjzee]

It might be that the album isn't carried in the iTunes store; if it isn't, they don't have the artwork. It's pretty simple to find and copy the artwork from Google Images.

[Hardbopjazz]

It might be that the album isn't carried in the iTunes store; if it isn't, they don't have the artwork. It's pretty simple to find and copy the artwork from Google Images.

I have the images. In older version you can select add art work. Now it is Get art work and it doesn't let you add any art work that you may already have.

[Hardbopjazz]

What sucks even more, if you want to add the art work you need to log into the iTunes store. It also now asks for a credit card to keep on file. Fuck that, I don't want to give a credit card when I'm not buying anything.

[Jim R]

No offense, but if I had a nickel for every time somebody incorrectly stated that "iTunes doesn't allow you to ____", well... I'd have a lot of nickels.

Anyway, what changed? Did you recently upgrade to a newer version? If so, there may be a new/different way to do what you've always done. I'd try to help with specifics, but I'm running version 10.7, which I restored awhile back, after I had blindly accepted the 11.0 upgrade (just didn't like it).

[mjzee]

It might be that the album isn't carried in the iTunes store; if it isn't, they don't have the artwork. It's pretty simple to find and copy the artwork from Google Images.

I have the images. In older version you can select add art work. Now it is Get art work and it doesn't let you add any art work that you may already have.

I don't think that's correct. Here's how to add artwork (I have a Mac):

1) Right-click on the album in iTunes and select "Get Info." A window, "Multiple Item Information," opens. One field is square, and is labeled "Artwork."

2) Find a jpg of the album cover; you can use Google Images, Amazon, iTunes, Organissimo, or wherever. You can even scan your own artwork.

3) Drag the jpg to the "Artwork" field, then hit OK.

[etherbored]

that's how i do it. however, is this method correct for the latest whack version of itunes...?

[John L]

The other possibility is to copy the image and paste it into the artwork window on iTunes. That works for me on the new iTunes.

I have another problem regarding artwork. Is there any way to get iTunes to store the artwork in the same place as the music files? Recently, my hard drive crashed. I had my iTunes library backed up. I assumed that backing up the music files also backs up the artwork. But no. So now the artwork for all my albums has disappeared. I wouldn't even know how to back up the artwork so that iTunes would start to recognize it again as the artwork that goes with specific music files.

[mjzee]

The other possibility is to copy the image and paste it into the artwork window on iTunes. That works for me on the new iTunes.

I have another problem regarding artwork. Is there any way to get iTunes to store the artwork in the same place as the music files? Recently, my hard drive crashed. I had my iTunes library backed up. I assumed that backing up the music files also backs up the artwork. But no. So now the artwork for all my albums has disappeared. I wouldn't even know how to back up the artwork so that iTunes would start to recognize it again as the artwork that goes with specific music files.

Yeah, unfortunately, you also need to back up the (your computer name)/Music/iTunes folder. That's the folder which contains your artwork and other song data.

[Hardbopjazz]

I tired what everyone suggested, but still no luck. I am running version 11.0.5.5 I've attached an image. I went and started to create a iTunes account and it asks for a credit card to keep on file. I don't want to do that.

Second screen shot

Edited August 22, 2013 by Hardbopjazz

[Hardbopjazz]

I went as far as uninstalling 11.0.5.5. I had a download file of 10.6 and installed that one and now it works.

[mjzee]

Sorry to hear you're having troubles. I use 11.0.5.5 on my Mac and it works fine. I have given Apple my credit card #, though. I've seen no unauthorized purchases.

[Jim R]

I tired what everyone suggested, but still no luck. I am running version 11.0.5.5 I've attached an image. I went and started to create a iTunes account and it asks for a credit card to keep on file. I don't want to do that.

Second screen shot

As mjzee pointed out above, you should have been selecting "Get Info" from that dropdown list. I always use the keyboard shortcut "Command - i", which brings up the same window. If you click on "Command - i" after you've selected/highlighted all the tracks from an album, you can change any field (artwork, album title, artist, etc) for all of those tracks at once. I never use the "Get album artwork" feature. I like to choose my own scans from searching the web (usually original LP covers located from google image searches).

Also, I almost never drag images. Too tedious. Just copy and paste (command-C, command-V) is much easier.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Jim R

[David Ayers]

I hardly use itunes but maintain it for someone else. It really is bonkers. I think what I hate most is that the so-called 'Album View' has a separate image for every artist on the compilation CDs which we have loaded. Did I say every? Not sure it's that systematic. Just some. Don't they know what an 'album' is?

[king ubu]

yep, totally stopped using iTunes ... the moving of files onto an iPod was indeed pretty fast and convenient, but now that I'm using my smartphone for that purpose and gave away the ipod, there's really no point. I have it all in folders on an external drive and there's so much in there that having categories and jpgs visible on first glance won't help me keep an overview, so I can just as well do it all in windows explorer, move folders manually etc. (But copying to the memory card in the phone is pretty slow.)

I guess if I still had an ipod, I wouldn't bother to keep my "library" clean, I'd just purge it, move in what I want to add to the ipod, copy those files and purge the library again.

Editing file tags was indeed pretty convenient in older versions of iTunes, but I've got a small programme that works just as well, in some respects even better (iTunes had a very limited amout of words/letters allowed in the comments field).

Also what is good about the smartphone is, if you have the cover images and info (usually a small txt-file in my case) in the same folder (and I make it a point to always do that) and copy the entire folder to the phone, you can always access scans and info as well there ... my old iPod wouldn't allow me to access txt-files or even jpgs that weren't in its own "gallery" ... no idea if later versions allow any or all of that, but I thought it sucked.

Edited August 22, 2013 by king ubu

[mjzee]

I hardly use itunes but maintain it for someone else. It really is bonkers. I think what I hate most is that the so-called 'Album View' has a separate image for every artist on the compilation CDs which we have loaded. Did I say every? Not sure it's that systematic. Just some. Don't they know what an 'album' is?

A compilation CD will appear in Album View as a compilation as long as "Part of a Compilation?" is checked in that album's info. The artist name that appears is "Various Artists." If this field is not checked, then every artist on that compilation will appear separately.

[David Ayers]

I hardly use itunes but maintain it for someone else. It really is bonkers. I think what I hate most is that the so-called 'Album View' has a separate image for every artist on the compilation CDs which we have loaded. Did I say every? Not sure it's that systematic. Just some. Don't they know what an 'album' is?

A compilation CD will appear in Album View as a compilation as long as "Part of a Compilation?" is checked in that album's info. The artist name that appears is "Various Artists." If this field is not checked, then every artist on that compilation will appear separately.

OK thanks - still means it all has to be reset manually, what a bore. In fact I just did it by setting Album Artist to 'various artists' - where Album Artist is not set - which did not happen with many of the CDs we loaded, the stuff is all over the place.

Edited August 22, 2013 by David Ayers

[mjzee]

That issue (compilation field not checked) is from the CDDB database, not an Apple issue.

[Bluesnik]

I still use Itunes, though old "freezed" version 10.1 because I don't like newer version 11 and its features. But I have heard from a lot of audio guys that Itunes handles everything so strangely that it sucks. It is not a very standardised program. I know many people that hate it and use Foobar2000 and the likes instead.

[John L]

Version 11 has advantages and disadvantages. For large collections, the scrolling function is MUCH improved. I can now scroll through my entire collections very quickly, as opposed to the limited speed and constant freezing that I experienced with Version 10. On the other hand, the search function is now terrible for large collections. The new search pop-up feature is useless, takes up time, and causes freezing. Even worse, when you type in something to search for, it does a complete search for each successive letter that you type. That is OK for small collections. But if I type something that starts with "R," for example, iTunes will freeze for at least 30 seconds while it brings in everything in my collection that starts with "R." The same for the next letter and so on...

[Jim R]

I still use Itunes, though old "freezed" version 10.1 because I don't like newer version 11 and its features. But I have heard from a lot of audio guys that Itunes handles everything so strangely that it sucks. It is not a very standardised program. I know many people that hate it and use Foobar2000 and the likes instead.

I always question whether a lot of the iTunes critics just don't know how to use the program effectively. I see it over and over again, where people make specific complaints which make it obvious that they are overlooking simple solutions which are part of the iTunes design.

Version 11 has advantages and disadvantages. For large collections, the scrolling function is MUCH improved. I can now scroll through my entire collections very quickly, as opposed to the limited speed and constant freezing that I experienced with Version 10. On the other hand, the search function is now terrible for large collections. The new search pop-up feature is useless, takes up time, and causes freezing. Even worse, when you type in something to search for, it does a complete search for each successive letter that you type. That is OK for small collections. But if I type something that starts with "R," for example, iTunes will freeze for at least 30 seconds while it brings in everything in my collection that starts with "R." The same for the next letter and so on...

I tried version 11, and disliked it so much that I spent a lot of time and effort figuring out how to uninstall it and reinstall version 10.7.

Odd about the freezing problems you've had. I have well over 300 GB of files, and I've never had any issues with freezes or slow scrolling or searching.

[John L]

My ITunes library is 1.2 TB.

[Jim R]

My ITunes library is 1.2 TB.

And I thought I was sick.

[xybert]

I like iTunes but it's what i've always used and have never felt a need to try anything else. Running on a macbook, haven't upgraded to 11. Apple Lossless is an excellent audio codec IMO. I don't bother with the iTunes store or any of the extraneous stuff. Actually it is kind of annoying that it keeps prompting 11 as an auto update even though i don't have the recommended minimum requirements (Mac OS X version blah blah or later). It should just recognise that i don't have the minimum requirements and let it go... if i was half asleep one day and accidentally updated to 11 and it ran crappily due to my version of OS X i'd be pissed.

[sonnymax]

Have you tried turning off the auto update feature?