iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, 2nd Edition

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5.4 Importing Other Music Files into MusicMatch

Not all sound files come directly from the CDs. If you've had a PC for longer than about two days, odds are you already have some audio files stored on the hard drive: MP3s downloaded from the Internet or ripped in another program like WinAmp, WAV files featuring snippets of dialogue from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, sample songs that came with other multimedia software, and so on.

If you're so inclined, you can add these audio files to your growing MusicMatch Jukebox Plus library in any of three ways.

• For a hands-on approach, just drag the icons of your music files right off the desktop (or out of your folder windows) into the MusicMatch Jukebox window.

• For an automated approach, choose FileAdd New Music Track(s) to Library. (Alternatively, click Add above your list of songs in the library window, visible in Figure 5-1.)

  A dialog box asks you to find the files you want. If you're in a hurry, feeling lazy, or busy watching the hockey game on the TV, you can have the program do a sweep of your main drive and add any MusicMatch-friendly file formats to the library. Just select your entire hard drive as the directory for MusicMatch Jukebox to search (or choose OptionsMusic LibrarySearch and Add Tracks From All Drives. You may wind up with a lot of sonic debris washing up in your library, but you can't beat the convenience.

  If you want to be more selective, you can navigate to folders where you have stored your music files. Click Add when you've found what you're looking for and are ready to add the new songs to the library (Figure 5-8).

  Figure 5-8. You can add many different types of music files to MusicMatch Jukebox, but remember that Windows Media Audio (WMA) and mp3PRO files are not iPod-friendly. Stick with WAV and MP3 if you want to take those songs on the road. To add the songs in this window, click Select All and then click Add.

  
  
  

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