May 3, 2010

How to Get More Music on Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod

If you select your iPhone, iPad, or iPod in the Devices list when you sync with iTunes 9.1, you'll see a choice in Options that lets you "Convert higher bit rate songs to 128kbps AAC." Don't let the words put you off. The underlying reason for the option is pretty straightforward, and it's easy to turn it on and off to fit your personal experience or needs. The short version of the "why" is that bit rate measures how much of the sound information on the original source is captured when the tracks are created. And the one indisputable fact in all the discussions about bit rate and audio quality is that the higher the bit rate the more space the track will take up.

The bit rate for iTunes Plus (which is the format used for all music from the iTunes Store) is 256kbps (kilobits per second), and that's also the default for the Import Settings used when you rip CDs. It provides excellent sound quality through most any playback system. However, for many people 128 kbps provides very, very good quality itself and may be acceptable for most situations. Your ear, taste, and how and where you listen to the music matter at least as much as the bit rate. If you're feeling squeezed for space on one of your devices, select this option to fit in twice as many iTunes Plus songs. The music on your computer won't be altered in any way and you can always switch back to 256kbps (or higher if you've ripped music at a custom bit rate) by unchecking the option the next time you sync.