Help Converting MP3 Bitrate in iTunes

I wanted to convert all my MP3's in iTunes to 160kbps.

Is it a good idea to convert a 192kbps song to 160kbps, and/or a 96kbps song to 160kbps?

Or do I loose song quality by converting it up or down?

And is there anyway to select multiple songs at a time in itunes instead of holding down the command key and click each song individually?

Thank you all.

Spaceman said:

I wanted to convert all my MP3's in iTunes to 160kbps.

Is it a good idea to convert a 192kbps song to 160kbps, and/or a 96kbps song to 160kbps?

Or do I loose song quality by converting it up or down?

Click to expand...

You lose quality whenever you go down and you can't make a low bitrate higher quality. 160 is okay, 192 is probably the better option.

And is there anyway to select multiple songs at a time in itunes instead of holding down the command key and click each song individually?

Click to expand...

Yes, SHIFT + Click

sursuciofla said:

You lose quality whenever you go down and you can't make a low bitrate higher quality. 160 is okay, 192 is probably the better option.


Yes, SHIFT + Click

Click to expand...

Thanks for the SHIFT + Click TIP! But when in iTunes I go to ADVANCED and click on 'Convert Selection to MP3' and when I do that for a song that's 112kbps it converts it to 160kbps. But you say you can't make a low bitrate song higher. So my question is, how is this possible then?

Spaceman said:

Thanks for the SHIFT + Click TIP! But when in iTunes I go to ADVANCED and click on 'Convert Selection to MP3' and when I do that for a song that's 112kbps it converts it to 160kbps. But you say you can't make a low bitrate song higher. So my question is, how is this possible then?

Click to expand...

It may say that but it doesn't mean it happened. Just like I can go into photoshop and change 72 dpi to 300 dpi.....but it it still 72 dpi no matter what number I change. You can't make low quality into high quality. Higher quality can be compressed to lower quality just because the info is there.

sursuciofla said:

It may say that but it doesn't mean it happened. Just like I can go into photoshop and change 72 dpi to 300 dpi.....but it it still 72 dpi no matter what number I change. You can't make low quality into high quality. Higher quality can be compressed to lower quality just because the info is there.

Click to expand...

Ok... So even though the song goes from 112kbps to 160 kbps and changes from 3.1MB to 4.4MB, it does not improve the song quality? It only makes the song a larger file? Thanks again.

Spaceman said:

Ok... So even though the song goes from 112kbps to 160 kbps and changes from 3.1MB to 4.4MB, it does not improve the song quality? It only makes the song a larger file? Thanks again.

Click to expand...

Yup, just a bigger file. A whole lotta nothin'.

sursuciofla said:

Yup, just a bigger file. A whole lotta nothin'.

Click to expand...

Cool, thanks for the help. I will go ahead and downgrade anything over 160kbps to 160kbps. 160kbps is quality enough and anything over that I don't really need. I need to make room so I can fit more MP3's on my nano.