why cant i copy/paste mps's into i-tunes folder?

[maskedman72]

i have a bunch of mp3's on my computer and i want to put them on my ipod.

i tried to copy the folders of the albums and paste them into the i-tunes folder with the rest of the albums that are on my ipod but the folders i past into itunes dont show up.

do i have to import the songs into itunes in order to get them to show up? this means i would have to burn a million cds and import them. there must be a better method.

[Protools Guy]

Are you on a mac or pc?

[maskedman72]

pc windows xp with original 20 gb ipod

[maskedman72]

please tell me i dont have to burn each cd and import them one by one. that will take a lifetime.

[tonerowlabs]

Have you tried dragging the folder into the music Library in the iTunes application window? iTunes won't show any files that haven't been indexed, and this is the easiest way to do this. Also, be sure to decide in iTunes Preferences if you want the files to COPY into the organized iTunes library (which will create duplicate files), or if you want it to stay where it is and save the disk space.

Keep in mind that the current Apple direction in UI is to aggressively steer users away from folders and directories in general. The idea is, their system of app based organization and lightning-fast search is much faster, more intuitive and painless than traditional folder/subfolder systems, which is true, but they forget that this prevents us from satisfying our deep need to organize ourselves. Short story, using folders in iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, Garagaband, etc. is very frustrating and ultimately kind of fruitless.

[maskedman72]

Originally Posted by tonerowlabs

Have you tried dragging the folder into the music Library in the iTunes application window? iTunes won't show any files that haven't been indexed, and this is the easiest way to do this. Also, be sure to decide in iTunes Preferences if you want the files to COPY into the organized iTunes library (which will create duplicate files), or if you want it to stay where it is and save the disk space.

Keep in mind that the current Apple direction in UI is to aggressively steer users away from folders and directories in general. The idea is, their system of app based organization and lightning-fast search is much faster, more intuitive and painless than traditional folder/subfolder systems, which is true, but they forget that this prevents us from satisfying our deep need to organize ourselves. Short story, using folders in iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, Garagaband, etc. is very frustrating and ultimately kind of fruitless.

dragging the folder does put it into the itunes music library like you said and it will show up in itunes, but the folder does not appear in the itunes library directory folder with all of the other albums where i want it to go. instead it stays on the drive it was on when i dragged it into the library and once i delete that folder, the songs in itunes will be greyd out and no longer available.

now if i were to drag an album into the library and burn it to cd and than import it, itunes would put it right where i want it in the 1st place.

how do i do the above without burning the cd and than importing it?

[tonerowlabs]

iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > General

check "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library."

re-drag 'n drop.

[maskedman72]

Originally Posted by tonerowlabs

iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > General

check "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library."

re-drag 'n drop.

if it is that simple and it works, where do i send the check and who should i make it payable to?

[maskedman72]

Originally Posted by tonerowlabs

iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > General

check "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library."

re-drag 'n drop.

wonderfull! this just saved me well over a million hours. thx!

it was right under my dam nose. i had gone through the options and missed that one somehow.

next question; can i drag and drop multiple folders into the itunes library at once?

and if yes, will it make seperate folders for each band/album or will it throw them all togther in 1 huge folder?

[tonerowlabs]

You can put as many folders in it as you want. As long as you don't copy the files to your iTunes Library, it will just index them so that iTunes knows where they are, and it will otherwise not touch them. If you choose to copy the files, yes, it will created it's own folder system out of them. Handy little program, that there iTunes.

No money, just send gear!