iTunes help

Originally Posted by Void

The iPod I got holds 2GB, yet I have about 50GB of music. It's such a PAIN to add music using iTunes because it simply lists all my music, which isnt' organized in terms of filenames. But all of my music is organized into folders in Windows Explorer, and in the past I just dragged and dropped my music into my Rio mp3 player.

Not Apple's fault your music isn't tagged well. It's a well known fact that the iPod does not have folder-based navigation, but instead uses the ID3 tags in your music to create a metadata database. This allows for more flexibility (and, once you get used to it, the same functionality as a folder based system + more) but requires your music be well tagged. There are many programs to accomplish this.

If you didn't know that was the case... well, you should've done your research. It's pretty common knowledge.

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How can I drag and drop on the iPod?

Unless you want to fuck around with the Rockbox firmware, you can't. And no, that's not "stupid," it's different than what you've been doing, and not necessarily worse.

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Another method I thought up of was to create one folder for my iPod library, and just drag and drop my music files into that folder. But my iPod library is automatically set to all of my songs, wtf. How can I change my iPod library to a specific folder, and not have it sense all of the music on my computer?

Okay, you're confusing the issue.

There is one "library," which is in iTunes. iTunes is a music management app. It interfaces with the iPod to sync your music back and forth. If you have more music than space on your iPod, iTunes can sync from a playlist you create (which has a subset of your total music collection) or allow you to move songs manually on and off the iPod, within the iTunes application.

None of this is folder based. It is metadata based, hence the need for the iTunes application.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Dayvon

I didn't know you can sync your iPod based on a playlist. That's freaking sweet! I was wondering how that works when I have over 30GB of music and want to get a 30GB iPod.

Yep, I've been doing that ever since my collection outgrew my 20GB 3rd gen iPod... which wasn't too long after I got it, interestingly enough.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Void

"Professional Mac-head"

I guess I offended you. Whoops!

Hey, you want to read an "offended" tone into my first post, that's your business. I'm not seeing it. Now THIS POST, on the other hand...

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The fact that most of my music is uhh... not purchased off iTunes and is filled with nonsensical tags really sucks. But that's not what I'm worried about, since no mp3 player has a folder system. Not one I've ever owned atleast, since all of my Rios in the past used the same system.

Wait, what? Most of my music isn't purchased off iTunes either. That has nothing to do with whether it's tagged or not. Hint: it is, because I'm an organized motherfucker. Hint number 2: My music was well tagged long before iTunes ever existed.

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I'm not asking about that. I'm asking how can I simply drag and drop .mp3/etc files into my iPod, using Windows Explorer. I've realized that I can, and creating playlists I can organize things nicely.

And I'm here to tell you that, unless you've installed the alternative Rockbox firmware on your iPod, no amount of dragging and dropping files from your computer onto your iPod in Windows Explorer is going to yield files you can play on the iPod. The end.

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My other question was how can I create a folder for my library, that way it will only sense the files on one folder and not the entire computer. I still don't know the answer to that though.

I don't understand what you're asking. iTunes only searches your computer for music once, when you first install it, and you can tell it not to. After that, you can add stuff to your iTunes library at your leisure, using File > Add to Library. iTunes doesn't "sense" anything, it doesn't have an auto-add "folder watch" type feature. You add stuff to it, or you don't.

I'm assuming you don't want your music duplicated, so make sure you set iTunes not to copy files to the library when adding them.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Void

When I first install iTunes, it automatically searches my computer for music. I didn't know you could tell it not to. But what I am asking is if I can have iTunes search confined to a single folder. That way I can make a folder, say, titled "iPod nano music" and drag and drop files onto that folder using windows explorer, then I'll have the iTunes library ONLY be that folder, titled, "iPod nano music.

Well, like I said, iTunes doesn't "search" ever again, it simply doesn't have the "hot-folder" sort of functionality you seem to be asking for. It merely stores stuff which you add in its library database. And that's not necessarily related at all to where files are on your drive.

The first thing I'd figure out if I were you is: when you breezed through setup without carefully reading, did you have iTunes search for all the music on your comp and add it to the library? If that's the case, it MAY have also COPIED all that same music to its iTunes Music Folder, as defined in its preferences, meaning it duplicated all your stuff. You can figure that out by selecting anything in your library and right-clicking and choosing Show Song File. If it's where you usually store your music, you're in good shape. If it's somewhere else (like your user folder\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\whatever), you'll want to make sure your music still exists where you used to keep it and delete the stuff iTunes duplicated (probably everything in the library).

If the stuff got duplicated, select everything in iTunes (Ctrl+A) and delete it. When it asks if you also want to move the files to the recycle bin, say yes. If it DID NOT duplicate all your music, select everything in iTunes and delete it. It will either NOT ask if you want to move the files to the recycle bin, or if it does ask, say no. Otherwise you'll be (obviously) deleting all your music.

Next, go into iTunes' prefs and go to the Advanced pane. Set the iTunes Music Folder to wherever you want ("iPod nano music" for instance). You can also turn off "keep music organized" and "copy to iTunes music folder" at your discretion. It sounds like that's what you want to do.

Now, drag anything you want in iTunes (which is to say, anything you want on your iPod) from Windows Explorer to the Library icon in iTunes. This will add references to those files to your library, but leave them right where they are on your drive. Now whenever you sync your iPod, it'll sync with whatever's in the iTunes library.

PERSONALLY, I think the easier option would be to just put everything in the iTunes library (and not let it copy things, just reference files) and sync from a playlist or go to manual mode, all within iTunes, as I talked about earlier.

Keep in mind also that the quality of your music's tagging DIRECTLY AFFECTS the quality of your experience on the iPod. If stuff has good tags, you'll be able to easily browse your iPod and find it in several different ways. If it has no tags at all, you'll likely have a REALLY hard time finding it on the iPod. That's because browsing the iPod isn't browsing the folders of music you have on your hard drive—it's browsing the database iTunes creates for it when it syncs, and that database is generated from your music's tags.

I'm not saying you HAVE TO tag your music well (though I think you should), but if it isn't tagged well, you'll have a harder time with the iPod than you would otherwise.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?