[Ringfinger]

I have some files that were FLAC and I converted to ALAC (M4A). I then go to iTunes and go to File>Add file to Library. By doing this am I converting the ALAC (M4A) file that I have again by doing this thus coverting 2x? I have my import settings to import (like from CD's) as ALAC (M4A). Should I just drag and drop the M4A files into iTunes instead of doing this?

I am slightly confused, can anyone help?

[Karenkcoulter]

Dragging and dropping into iTunes and File -> Import do the same thing…create an entry in the iTunes library file noting the location of the actual music file (optionally creating a copying in the iTunes media location if you have that option checked in the preferences).

[Ringfinger]

Thanks, I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing and not re-converting files that are already ALAC. I do have that option checked so it is copying to my media location.

As a side note, I am applying all that we discussed and ran into an interesting quirk. I did a shift>doubleclick to open iTunes. I created a new library called travel. When I did, iTunes opened and I had artwork for everything (well lets just say it stuck out how many album covers I saw which surprised me.) So, then I turned on iTunes match and viola, all that newly seen artwork reverted to blank covers, in other words, all the new ones disappeared and the albums that did have artwork now don't. So, basically once I turned on match, it screwed up the artwork for that "cloud access" we have been talking about. What gives? Shows that obviously match is screwing up my artwork because before I activated it, all looked fine. It did surprise me however that if I "theoretically" was not pointing to my library on my NAS, how did iTunes have all my library up there in front of my face before I enabled iTunes match?

Now, I haven't tried all we discussed about deleting and adding artwork and all that, however, it seems that I do have the artwork, somewhere, and once I enable cloud, I don't. Explain that!! ;-)

[Karenkcoulter]

Not entirely sure. But iTunes 11, even without iTunes Match, it will show you music and videos that you have purchased from iTunes. Maybe that is what you saw?

[Ringfinger]

Yeah, not sure of that. All I can tell you is when i hit shift>opened iTunes, created a new library, the first screen I saw was the album cover page with everything filled in. It was still logged into my iTunes account I would suppose. Then, when I went to turn on match and logged into that, the artwork was gone. You could be right, it could be music I downloaded but that just doesn't seem right, I wish I had looked at what it was but my gut says a lot of it was ripped from my personal CD's, thus my question. Ugh!