iTunes: How to choose import options

Choosing import options

You can choose the encoding format (AAC, MP3, AIFF, Apple Lossless, or WAV) and other settings that iTunes uses to import songs. Your choices affect the audio quality and size of the song file (the higher the quality, the larger the file size).

AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) encoding is only available if you have QuickTime 6.2 or later installed. (iTunes supports MPEG-4 AAC files, not older versions of AAC.)

1. In iTunes, open Preferences.
   • If you have a Windows PC: On the Edit menu, click Preferences.
   • If you have a Mac: From the iTunes menu (Edit menu in Windows), choose Preferences.
2. Click the Advanced button at the top of the window.
3. Click the Importing tab.
4. From the Import Using pop-up menu, choose an encoder (AAC, MP3, AIFF, Apple Lossless, or WAV).
5. You can listen to songs encoded in AAC and MP3 format in iTunes and on your iPod. If you plan to listen to your music using a different program or MP3 player, choose MP3 Encoder. If you plan to burn high-quality audio CDs with the songs you're importing, use AIFF or Apple Lossless.
6. If you'll be playing your songs on a computer that does not have MP3 software, use WAV.
7. From the Setting pop-up menu, choose a bit rate. In most cases, the default selection should work well.

If you chose MP3 Encoder and plan to create your own audio CDs, or listen to your music with high-quality stereo speakers, choose the Higher Quality setting from the Setting pop-up menu. If you play music in a noisy environment, choose the High Quality setting. For portable MP3 players with limited storage capacity, use the Good Quality setting to fit more songs on the device. The High Quality setting creates files that are about 1 MB in size per minute of music.

If you want greater control over the file size and sound quality, from the Setting pop-up menu, choose Custom and make your choices in the window that appears.

For more information about custom import options or tradeoffs between the import setting you choose and the hard disk space used, search the Knowledge Base or iTunes Help.