Feeling Far Better Now 'Bout the Music Consolidation Process

[mlerules]

Okay, I think I know what to do - and how to do it - now after re-reading this article for the umpteenth time (thx so much for the turn-on, lightfoote) and talking s'more tech stuff w/my ex-hubby (who knows better than anyone how to explain this sorta tech stuff to me - and a couple of decades of teaching has improved his explaining skills).

I seem to be missing some necessary cables so cannot do it all now, but soon (likely after a visit to the Apple store o'morrow) I'll consolidate all my music into one place: from the olde external hard drive & olde laptop & desktop (olde) into current laptop's iTunes (list/database) & new external hard drive (music files themselves). Then I only (!) have to download my CDs into the system, haul 'em all upstairs (getting 'em outta the living room & making more room for books 'n' art), and start the FUN process of creating more playlists fka compilations. (Davey & I will also work on exporting/importing playlists, as his're FAB and I'd love to snag 'em and not have to re-invent wheels for chunks of this stuff.)

After all that's done I'll work on consolidating the digital photos currently scattered in all these same places (and elsewhere?).

Yeah, this is part of my process: thrash about a lot, flail and flap, beat myself up some (not TOO much though!), then figure sh!t out and DO IT. Phew for being up and over the learning curve on this!

Comments

[suddenlynaked.livejournal.com]

Just be careful about DRM - I don't know if merely using iTunes to encode your cds will put DRM on them or not, but I know there are versions that come from the Apple store that limit how many times you can move an mp3 between drives.

Windows does it if you encode as .wma files too. Best to have an unlocked mp3 file that you can play anywhere. Have I said how much I hate DRM?

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

Thx for the tip. Concerns 'bout this sorta nonsense is one of the reasons I've NEVER purchased a song on-line (via iTunes/Apple Store/Amazon/&c.) Sounds like it's not so much of an issue w/purchased music these days, anyway according to this article (http://www.macworld.com/article/138000/2009/01/drm_faq.html). I don't think that burning my CDs'll restrict stuff - and I always have the original CDs for re-burning if need be - it hasn't so far (as far as I can tell).

Hopefully it'll also help that I don't encode/rip/burn/whatever music as mp3 or .wma, sticking purely to Apple Lossless (dunno the ending magic code for that type/mode/version of file). Mebbe they become mp3's or something when I sync 'em w/my iPod (my recently acquired 1st one of this type of device - previously I just burned compilation CDs of what I wanted to listen to other than the actual original CDs themselves), but I'm just figuring out this whole process.

[vismaya-viewer.livejournal.com]

Wow. You go. That's a major project. I think we have a similar process. ;o)