car said:
Hi Dolly,
if you have mp3s/(other format music files) residing in a folder that isnt the i-tunes default folder. AFAIR, in iTunes, click file and "Add folder to library". iTunes will then include those files in its library without having to move them.
That clear it up?
The option is called "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library". When this option is checked, adding files or folders to your iTunes music library (using the technique which
car describes above) will physically move the folders.
With the "Copy Files to iTunes Music Folder" option checked, if you have a folder called MP3 with a subfolder "Arctic Monkeys", "Editors", "New Order" etc., and you choose Add Folder to Library, then select either the parent MP3 folder and click Ok, it will MOVE the folders into your iTunes folder (usually under My Music\iTunes Music Folder). If you also have "Keep iTunes Music Folder Organised" checked (the default), you may find it rearranges the folders a little. For example, if you had a bunch of New Order MP3 files from different sources in the one folder, you may find that they become arranged into subfolders per album, so you get folders "Best Of", "Very Best Of", "Substance Disk 1" etc. in your iTunes music folder which may not be exactly the same directory structure as you had it arranged. This is because the ordering / hierarchy it is based on the
tags in the MP3 files, not the file names themselves.
If you already have a very well organised file and folder structure, or perhaps want to keep the music files on an external hard drive or on other locations on a home network or whatever, then you would uncheck the "Copy Files to iTunes Music Folder" option.
Check out the
Apple iPod 101 and other sources on teh Net e.g. this article
Steps for coalescing your music collection on a roomier hard drive.