iTunes Reporting Incorrect Track Times

irontree · Jun 23rd, 2008, 02:58 PM

I have quite a few tracks where iTunes is showing incorrect track times.
For example I have a 5 minute track and it's showing as 40 minutes in length. The tracks play fine and finish when they are supposed to and switch to the next track accordingly.
Anybody know how to correct these files?

kb244 · Jun 23rd, 2008, 04:09 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by irontree
	I have quite a few tracks where iTunes is showing incorrect track times. For example I have a 5 minute track and it's showing as 40 minutes in length. The tracks play fine and finish when they are supposed to and switch to the next track accordingly. Anybody know how to correct these files?

Perhaps the actual tracks in question have corrupted indexes? What format are they and were they CD rips or something else?

irontree · Jun 23rd, 2008, 04:43 PM

CD Rips, mp3. If they have corrupted indexes I wonder how they can be fixed

kb244 · Jun 23rd, 2008, 04:52 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by irontree
	CD Rips, mp3. If they have corrupted indexes I wonder how they can be fixed

Have you tried to select said files and have them converted to AAC (itune's prefered format), to see if the correction becomes visible there.

Also were the Mp3 ripped with itunes or another program.

irontree · Jun 23rd, 2008, 05:02 PM

Not originally ripped with iTunes. I went to convert one of the files to AAC but when it indicated that it would take 4 mins at 12X's I hit cancel... it was converting for the whole length... maybe I should just go through the while process for a laugh and see what happens.
Also on a side note... same file shows correct length in WIndows Media Player running under Parallels

kb244 · Jun 23rd, 2008, 05:04 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by irontree
	Not originally ripped with iTunes. I went to convert one of the files to AAC but when it indicated that it would take 4 mins at 12X's I hit cancel... it was converting for the whole length... maybe I should just go through the while process for a laugh and see what happens. Also on a side note... same file shows correct length in WIndows Media Player running under Parallels

at 12X? (normally I don't see iTunes giving me the rate speed). But 4 minutes isn't too bad, though you should just let one run its course and see if it stops at where the song actually stops.

Any chance you can re-ripp the cd but via itunes instead?

irontree · Jun 23rd, 2008, 05:09 PM

Wow it worked! I converted it to a 256kbps AAC and it ended prematurely with the creation of a track with the correct time. Going to playback the new file and see if it's intact. I don't like converting at the risk of degrading the sound quality even further. Not sure what bitrate they were originally because iTunes was also reporting incorrect values here as well. In my google searches I've heard that this anomaly occurs with VBR's

kb244 · Jun 23rd, 2008, 05:14 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by irontree
	Wow it worked! I converted it to a 256kbps AAC and it ended prematurely with the creation of a track with the correct time. Going to playback the new file and see if it's intact. I don't like converting at the risk of degrading the sound quality even further. Not sure what bitrate they were originally because iTunes was also reporting incorrect values here as well. In my google searches I've heard that this anomaly occurs with VBR's

You should be able to see the original bit rate of the MP3/AAC by right clicking the track and clicking Get Info in iTunes. The first page of that window will have the bit rate listed. Regardless of the bit rate however conversion of any kind will usually have 'some loss' even if not noticible to you. If the songs were already above 256kbit mp3, I doubt you'd notice if you started converting them all to 160 or 192kbit AAC files.

Ideally the best thing to do is probably re rip the CD.

irontree · Jun 23rd, 2008, 05:34 PM

Yeah I know how to view what bitrate is in iTunes, I always have it turned on in views section but it was reporting incorrectly. 32kbps? yeah right. Didn't think to check what Windows Media Player said. Ideally a re-rip would be nice.