ipod - importing cd's without saving to PC

[PantyBuncher]

i have a bunch of cds i'd like to import to my ipod, but i don't have the space to keep the files on my PC.

it seems that right now, the physical compressed files exist both on the ipod and the PC.

what i'd like the behavior to be is for the CD's to import to the PC, and then when the sync happens, the music is transferred to the ipod and deleted from the PC. i still would like to be able to make playlists, etc, of the music, so itunes should still know about the tracks, but i don't want itunes keeping the files physically on the PC.


how can i make this happen and still maintain an easy sync ?

i tried deleting particular files from the library using itunes, but then when the auto sync happened, it also removed the files from the ipod.

[Sane_Man]

You can sync your music, by telling your software that you want to keep the files from your iPod, to the PC. That way, you can delete the files from the PC, but when you sync your music the files will be copied to the PC. This is the opposite of what you have now, and there should be a checkbox or radio button to do this.

Your only other option is to drag the music files to your iPod and create your playlist on the unit.

[PantyBuncher]

so what you are saying is that regardless of how it happens, there will always be two copies of the music after the sync ?

i hate this tech crap.

[paroxysm]

Go to the preferences and tell iTunes you want to "manually manage the iPod" (or something like that). Once there, you can drag and drop everything to your iPod like you want, then erase it from the PC. Next time you hook up your iPod to your PC it wont start automatically updating, until you drop more songs onto it.

[Sane_Man]

Originally posted by PantyBuncher
so what you are saying is that regardless of how it happens, there will always be two copies of the music after the sync ?

i hate this tech crap.

Yep, Sync is synchronization, which means there are at least two devices with duplicate entries.

I had this exact same issue with movies I was syncing between her laptop and video MP3 player, so I bought her a new one with more disk space. :nerd

[PantyBuncher]

yeah, i know what sync means. i really want itunes to simply be a queue, a bridge to the ipod. and i don't really want to have to manually manage every file transfer. what a PITA that would be.

i wonder what would happen if i just manually delete the files from the harddisk, and leave the itunes library alone ? would itunes pick up on the missing files, remove them from the library, and then remove thrm from the ipod.

this has got to be a very common issue. i can't belive they really expect to just maintain two copies.

[coupt_ed]

PBuncher,

your idea of manually deleting the files for the hard disk will work-I use that technique when using my laptop to load songs. So unless you you choose another place other than the "iTunes Music" for your songs to be stored on your computer, to remove the ripped files from the HDD after your burning session**, just go to the music folder to delete the whole album.

This will not remove the album/song from being listed in the the iTunes library BUT you will have a symbol (exclaimation mark in circle) reminding you that the song is missing from the music folder on the HDD. I just ignore them since I do not use the laptop to listen to music-just

And yes use the "manually manage iPod" option (preferences>ipod) otherwise the laptop and iPod will sync.

** note when you "RIP" a CD to itunes it DOES NOT to to your iPod automatically -- you need to drag the album to the mounted iPod (a disadvantage to not allwoing them to synch)

The Bottom Line: you DO NOT need to maintain two copies -though by not having the files on your HDD will preclude you from easily reinstalling the songs to your iPod (if something goes awry-it happened to me) therefore you will require you to re-import each CD again.

now that I think of it....and after I wrote all that. apple says it well: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61148

latuh

[RS250 Chester]

You would save yourself the headache if you just buy a larger hard drive.

They are so cheap these days.....just bought a 250GB for $60.

[creech]

um, you're boned.

-Creech

[Cali]

I'm still learning all this too. Had to go through and delete my doubled music files so I don't have two of everything. At least it should all get easier as I figure it out.

[Sane_Man]

Originally posted by RS250 Chester
You would save yourself the headache if you just buy a larger hard drive.

They are so cheap these days.....just bought a 250GB for $60.

+256 * 8 :nerd


If you have an excess of disk space, you won't know or care how much disk space you are using. As previously stated, drives are so cheap you are doing yourself a disservice if you are worrying more about how much file space you have left, rather then enjoying your system.

In fact, if your free disk space is so low you are worrying about some music fies, you are probably having performance issues with your PC.