Need iTunes help

[Sapphire Silk]

Hope some resident Mac whiz can help me out here . . . .

I've got a MacBook and an iPhone. Recently, some of the songs in my playlists won't sync over to my iPhone when I sync it. I can't figure out what's going on.

The song shows up in the playlist on the iPhone, but nothing plays and it just skips over to the next song in the playlist.

Any clues? I tried posting this on the Apple Discussion boards, but I've noticed more and more threads go unanswered over there.

[MadMike]

I don't have an iPhone, but I have come across a similar problem with my iPod. In my case, the problem was with the audio tracks. They'd play on my computer just fine, but I couldn't get them to transfer to my iPod. Apparently there was something screwed up with the files.

I got around it by using a file conversion tool to convert it from an mp3 into another mp3. I used a free program called Super to do this. I'm not too crazy about how their site is set up -- the download link is kind of buried -- but the program does its job well.

[Salesmonkey]

I use the Windows version of iTunes, so this may not work for you. Depending on your CD import settings, if you have aac as the CD import setting, I think you can convert mp3 tunes to aac format. They may play better on your iPod.

[telecom_goddess]

Since we are the topic of ITunes is it possible to have it setup with a library and auto sync with MY Ipod but share it with my bf's Ipod and not have it sync up automatically so it doesn't screw up MY library?

[Aethian]

Yes, there I's a way to share between computers so that you van share music. Also you can turn off auto sync in the tools folder.

[EvilEmpryss]

Pan, check your iTunes playlist again... I'm betting that the songs that aren't playing on your iPod will show an exclamation point next to their titles in iTunes. iTunes has lost track of the song and you'll need to find them again.

[Sapphire Silk]

Pan, check your iTunes playlist again... I'm betting that the songs that aren't playing on your iPod will show an exclamation point next to their titles in iTunes. iTunes has lost track of the song and you'll need to find them again.

I have had this issue before, but that's not the case with these particular files. I do note that the files that aren't playing are all from the same album. I ripped them quite some time ago, and six versions of iTunes ago. I think perhaps I'll try ripping them again, and resync and see if that works.

[fma_fanatic]

I've run into this issue a few times and found that manually putting it into the library then manually putting it onto your touch helps. It's a pain if it's several songs, but if it's one or two, then it's an easy fix.

[Sapphire Silk]

Now this is really weird.

I re-imported the songs in question into iTunes, and resynced my iPhone. Still no luck.

I can see the album artwork. The songs are listed in the playlist. But when I try to play them, they skip to the next song without playing. Still.

So, the next day I synced my iPod simply because it had been quite awhile since I'd done so. Curious, I check the playlist that I'm having trouble with.

The songs I'm having trouble playing on the iPhone play just fine on the iPod.

Now I'm really puzzled. It makes no sense. I'm going to try taking my laptop and my iPhone to the Apple Store and see what they can suggest.

[Argus]

One other thing I would try first: Actually remove those songs from the iPhone (perhaps by removing them from the sync list) and then sync them to the iPhone again.

[Sapphire Silk]

One other thing I would try first: Actually remove those songs from the iPhone (perhaps by removing them from the sync list) and then sync them to the iPhone again.

Tried that, too . . . by accident. Didn't work.

I went to the Apple Store today, but it was really busy so I made an appointment to see a Genius on Monday.

The salesman was really nice when I explained the problem to him. He was puzzled as well, and was nice enough to ask one of the Geniuses if he had a quick idea. The only idea he had on the fly was maybe there was a problem with my using an odd file format.

However, I use a MacBook and the AAC format native to Apple so it's not a formatting issue (we think).

[Sapphire Silk]

Update:

The Apple Genius fixed the problem in less than five minutes.

He went into the Music Library, unchecked the troublesome songs, resynced to delete them, then went back into the Library, rechecked them and synced again. Voila, they are now working fine.

What I had tried was deselecting and then reselecting the albums in the Sync menues. He went through the actual music library. He thinks that when I tried the original sync that the songs were corrupted on the iPhone while the database with the listing and the album covers were fine. His process removed the actual songs, then put them back in.

I don't get it. But it worked, and he was really nice about it.

I love the Genius Bar.

[EvilEmpryss]

Good for you! Now go find out if that extended warranty of yours is still good... just in case.

[Sapphire Silk]

Good for you! Now go find out if that extended warranty of yours is still good... just in case.

It's not. Expired last May