I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

[HarryO]

Years ago, I ripped my CDs into FLAC and copied them into the NAS drive. As I have bought more albums (via I tunes mostly) I have burned them onto CD-r (s) which I then ripped, via dBpoweramp, for subsequent copying to the NAS. Net result - lots of CDs which I never then use. I wonder if there is an obvious alternative to CD ripping I have missed, please?

[mville]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Why burn the iTunes files to CD-R, when you can simply copy the files to the NAS?

[HarryO]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Why burn the iTunes files to CD-R, when you can simply copy the files to the NAS?

Thank you very much. That might be it but to answer your question, perhaps in my ignorance I thought that I would use dBpoweramp to get the files to FLAC standard. That said I don’t know in what format they are held by I-tunes!

[garym]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Thank you very much. That might be it but to answer your question, perhaps in my ignorance I thought that I would use dBpoweramp to get the files to FLAC standard. That said I don&*8217;t know in what format they are held by I-tunes!

From iTunes they were lossy m4a files. Converting them to FLAC just made the file size way larger but does NOT magically turn them into lossless FLAC files. They are just the same audio in a larger file container. That said, it does not hurt anything to use them as FLAC. But it does nothing but take up more space, and confuse someone in the future when they do not realize these are converted lossy files.

[GBrown]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Thank you very much. That might be it but to answer your question, perhaps in my ignorance I thought that I would use dBpoweramp to get the files to FLAC standard. That said I don’t know in what format they are held by I-tunes!

As long as whatever player you are using can handle both FLAC and mp4 files from the NAS, you can leave all of those iTunes downloads in their native format. As @garym mentioned, there is no benefit in burning them to a disc, nor converting those discs to FLAC. If the files were already lossy (from Apple) then there is no gain converting these back to lossless and the file size will simply increase for no beneficially reason.

[HarryO]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Wow, I didnt know realise that I wasnt gaining anything by using dbpa for ITunes downloads in that way. So thanks to mville, for asking what I now see is the logical question, and to both garym and GBrown for explaining why ;ve been doing it wrong for years. At a risk of asking a final silly question, is there no way to end up with genuine lossless files on the NAS?

[garym]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Not with the iTunes purchases you currently have. You can buy lossless downloads elsewhere or buy the CDs and rip them to FLAC. if it makes you feel better, it is rare for anyone to actually detect the sound difference between a lossless file and a good lossy, such as iTunes purchase. Rip a cd to FLAC and then convert it to 192 or 256 lossy m4a or mp3 file. Then listen to both, preferably in a blind test. Likelihood of telling the difference is tiny and non existent for most people.

[HarryO]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Many, many thanks. I have clearly been deceiving myself over the years. At my age, I am fairly sure that I wouldnt be able to tell the difference between m4a and FLAC.

[HarryO]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Just as a postscript. The plan failed, I think because Apple doesnt seem to want to let me copy the album from I-Tunes to my PC Drive. I suspect that they want me to pay extra for this, even though I reckon that I've paid for the music. Forgive the Cynicism!

[garym]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Just as a postscript. The plan failed, I think because Apple doesnt seem to want to let me copy the album from I-Tunes to my PC Drive. I suspect that they want me to pay extra for this, even though I reckon that I've paid for the music. Forgive the Cynicism!

something is wrong if these are purchased iTunes songs. You should be able to copy and move these to your hearts content. And by purchased, I don&*8217;t mean available via itunes/Apple Music match, etc.

[GBrown]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Just as a postscript. The plan failed, I think because Apple doesnt seem to want to let me copy the album from I-Tunes to my PC Drive. I suspect that they want me to pay extra for this, even though I reckon that I've paid for the music. Forgive the Cynicism!

If you purchased the tracks individually or by album, they are yours to move as you choose. If you have an Apple Music streaming service account, you don't have this option.

If you have purchased the tracks, check to make sure you have downloaded them locally first. You can tell this by a small cloud logo beside the tracks in iTunes. You can right click on any or all of these tracks and select download there.

[HarryO]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Sorry for being so thick. I did buy this album outright and it sits there in the album library, from where I can see that some have the cloud logo that you explained. Others don't, although I have been able to burn all to disk. But you are of course correct in that a right click on only those with the cloud does carry a download option. It seems as though I have inconsistently missed a step in the past without realising it. But what that step is remains a mystery to me. I really appreciate your help but I don't want to burden you with question after question so please feel free to ignore!

[HarryO]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

The something wrong might be me! It may be that I have deluded myself, if as I infer from what you say, that I may not actually own the albums but simply the right to download and play and not to move elsewhere (other than by burning a disk - which I've done up to now). I didn't realise that it could be so complicated. Many thanks

[GBrown]

Re: I suspect that I’m missing a trick in using CDs

Sorry for being so thick. I did buy this album outright and it sits there in the album library, from where I can see that some have the cloud logo that you explained. Others don't, although I have been able to burn all to disk. But you are of course correct in that a right click on only those with the cloud does carry a download option. It seems as though I have inconsistently missed a step in the past without realising it. But what that step is remains a mystery to me. I really appreciate your help but I don't want to burden you with question after question so please feel free to ignore!

You can sort your iTunes library by that column with the cloud, just click on the top of the column. Select all of the songs with the cloud, and select download. That will bring all of these tracks into your local library on your hard drive. From there you can move or copy them anywhere else you want them. You can view them in the explorer window at that point.