iTunes question

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:25 am

Does anyone here know how to get iTunes to stop categorizing a particular album as a compilation?? It's making me bonkers. Often I'll go looking for a record I *know* I've already ripped, and it's nowhere to be found, and then later I realize it's in the compilations section, often for no good reason whatsoever. E.g., I just ripped Lloyd Cole & the Commotions' MAINSTREAM only to find it dumped into the Compilations group rather than under L-for-Lloyd. Grrrr.......

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:01 am

I noticed that in my iTunes library as well. I think it happens when the "Part of Compilation" box is incorrectly checked when you import an album (a problem wwith CBBD I think). To make sure this doesn't happen, select all tracks once you have the CD inserted, then from the Edit menu click on Get Info and uncheck that "Compilation" box if it is checked. I don't know any way to fix this problem retroactively other than dragging the folders out of the compilation folder (that may create problems with iTunes locating the music). I've just accepted it as a quirk of iTunes and decided not to mess with it.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:04 am

Okay... I just figured this out after some digging and will post the procedure here in case any one cares (???).

1. Select all tunes in the record
2. Under the FILE dropdown menu, select GET INFO
3. It may give you a prompt asking if you really want to perform this operation on multiple tracks. Yes, you do.
4. Uncheck the box marked "Part of a compilation?" from Yes to No.

Voila.

Damn I wish I'd found that part of iTunes earlier-- lots of stuff you can customize from album to album, such as turning the volume up on those early CDs that sound really quiet.

Sometimes I forget that important features can be buried on a Mac just they way they so often are in Windows....

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:04 am

HA! Posted at the same time. Sam, you're a mensch for answering... it does seem to work retroactively for me btw-- you just have to do it from within the FILE menu.

I just went in and converted 12 albums that shouldn't have been comps so that they're now properly listed by artist. Ahhhh... the archivist in me is happy.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:05 am

Mechanical Grace wrote:Sam, you're a mensch for answering me...

Stop with the compliments already. Oy vey!

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 3:59 pm

I had over 7000 songs in my itunes library. One day i went there and there was less than 1000. total wank!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 4:59 pm

It was telling you to not be so greedy!

I don't get your compilations issue. I've never seen this feature, never seen the word 'compilation' anywhere in it. You import a CD or your AIFF/WAV files, you create and album if you want, it's all incredibly easy. How come we're different?

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 5:17 pm

Well, with iTunes open you have 3 (or more) columns in the window: Source, Artist, Album. In the Artist column, the first entry is ALL, the second is COMPILATIONS, then PODCASTS, and then the alphabet kicks in (Adrian Belew if you're me). If you rip a film soundtrack or other record credited to various artists, iTunes will rightly place it in the COMPILATIONS category. Problem is, sometimes even if the artist is the same way all the way through, it sometimes places it in compilations anyway, and NOT under the artist's (first) name. So I would look under L for Lloyd, and there would be most of the records I'd ripped to iTunes, but one was missing; sure enough it was hiding in compilations. This had happened to me with various records-- by him, Joy Div, TMBG, Aimee Mann, Blind Boys of Alabama, etc.-- all for no reason apart from the fact that they'd been incorrectly coded in some way. So I'd ripped about 15 records that I couldn't seem to find in iTunes.

Not sure why I am bothering to explain this. But if you highlight COMPILATIONS you may see a list of records to the right that you wouldn't be able to find otherwise.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:12 pm

What weird kinda version of iTunes are you using? Mine's 6 something, but I don't recall it ever being like that! Do you mean in the Source col rather than Artist? First is Library, second is Podcasts, then Videos, then Party Shuffle (which is crap as it only ever seems to draw from a small pool), etc. No compilations! Nor under artist, which starts with 'Abba Metal'! Maybe mine's a superior UK version!

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:20 pm

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Maybe mine's a superior UK version!

Or maybe I have a superior collection on iTunes!

I.e., maybe you haven't downloaded any albums that are compilations (real or so-categorized) or podcasts, so neither category appears (yes under artists btw, not source). Is your first listing under Artists (before Abba Metal) 'All'?

And what the foo has happened to all the formatting functions on this board??

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:29 pm

PS-- You may not be seeing compilations because you don't have the "group compilations when browsing" box checked off in preferences. Despite my complaint, the compilations function is very important, because otherwise TRUE compilations-- e.g., a film soundtrack with lots of artists-- can't be played as such without making a separate playlist for them.

Oh never mind...

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 4:28 pm

Mechanical Grace wrote:In the Artist column, the first entry is ALL, the second is COMPILATIONS, then PODCASTS, and then the alphabet kicks in (Adrian Belew if you're me).

You don't have any !!! ?

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:35 pm

miss buenos aires wrote: You don't have any !!! ?

Love their early work.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:47 pm

Mechanical Grace wrote:PS-- You may not be seeing compilations because you don't have the "group compilations when browsing" box checked off in preferences. Despite my complaint, the compilations function is very important, because otherwise TRUE compilations-- e.g., a film soundtrack with lots of artists-- can't be played as such without making a separate playlist for them.

Oh never mind...

You're right, it ain't checked. didn't know it existed, and it sounds like a royal arsepain. Why is it useful? If I store a CD in iTunes, which I tend to only do now if I'm burning it after downloading and then I ditch it, I always make a new playlist for it. How else would I write the CD?

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:49 pm

Well that makes perfect sense if your main use of iTunes is to burn CDs, but if it's to listen them (e.g. on an iPod) it's a whole nuther story.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:51 pm

Why? Once you've imported the CD, you just create a new playlist of it, which it automatically titles the same as the original CD. Couldn't be easier. Don't understand why you'd do it any other way.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:54 pm

Jesus! Okay, okay! Your arsepain (making a fucking playlist everytime you rip a CD) vs. mine (occasionally have to uncheck a box) take your pick.

Sorry this is just way too annoying to explain, but I don't want to access all my music via playlists; I'd rather have them filed separately by artist name and album title. On an iPod that gives you more power to use the menus to find stuff-- that's why they set it up that way!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:59 pm

You just highlight your track and do shift/apple/N. Less work then checking boxes! So easy. Why wouldn't you organise your library this way?

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:01 pm

YOu know what? I am very sorry I asked this question.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:03 pm

Not as sorry as you should be for misuse of iTunes all these months...

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:20 pm

How could I have forgotten that you're the expert when it comes to pains-in-the-ass?

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:33 pm

Itunes is the worst and most irritating music program in the market. It's evil, it dosn't let you have any power over your computer and your ipod. YOU MUST use Itunes for the ipod, YOU must buy videos (unless you do it my way) and the music store always has it's silly "recommendations".

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:46 pm

Evil I tell you! Evil!

I love iTunes

alexv · Post by **alexv** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:57 pm

Extreme, you can use RealPlayer songs in the IPod. It's not just limited to ITunes.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 1:20 pm

Also, despite the very small quirk that prompted this thread, I must strongly disagree with EH (there's a surprise!). I had an Archos Jukebox for years and iTunes kicks Music Match's (or any other PC-based service I used) ass.

Someone emailed me a music file last night. I double clicked on the attachment, and the file was instantaneously added to iTunes under the artist name. I don't think it can get much easier.