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How do I export MP3 files from iTunes?

How do I get MP3 format files out of my iTunes player on my Macintosh? I want to know because I have a new Sony PSP unit and really want to copy some songs from my computer onto my PSP unit. Thanks!

Dave's Answer:

This isn't quite as simple as you may wish, because what I'd love to see is that you could highlight a set of songs or albums, then choose "Export" and there'd be a folder created on your desktop with perfectly named MP3 files, neatly tucked into folders. Alas, that's not to be.

Instead, you need to do some of this yourself. Here's the fastest and easiest way to do this:

First, open up your iTunes player and select a sample track that you'd like to copy onto your Sony PSP. Now, with that track selected, choose File -> Show Song File. You'll be shown the folder that contains that track and all the other tracks from that particular album. It looks like this:

Here you can see that I've highlighted the brilliant Louis Jordan rendition of "Five Guys Named Moe". Notice here that it's in MP3 format, though the filename isn't particularly friendly. I'll fix that in a moment.

Plug your Sony PSP device into your computer, then make sure that the PSP is in "USB Connect" mode (see my article Copying photos and music to Sony PSP for details of how to get your PSP plugged in and working in USB mode). You'll see the PSP appear on your desktop: open up a Finder window and navigate to where you can see the "MUSIC" folder within the "PSP" top-level folder.

Now go back to the iTunes Finder window and hold down the Option key while dragging the icon for the desired song into the MUSIC folder on your Sony PSP device itself.

Now, if you're so inclined, rename the music file to something more logical like "Five Guys Named Moe.MP3".

That's basically all you need to do. To copy a bunch of files, just select them all then Option-drag them en masse onto your Sony PSP device.

If you have a Windows PC you should find a similar feature in the PC version of iTunes that'll let you identify the source MP3 songs.

It's also worth noting that there are some nice freeware and shareware music management applications that you can download from a site like VersionTracker, Mac or PC, that'll make this process even easier.

Hope that helps you out!

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Categorized: Mac OS X Help , Sony PSP, MP3 Players, Etc. (Article 4203)
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Comments

DEAR DAVE

I HAVE A PSP AND HAVE READ YOU INFO ON HOW TO DOWN LOAD MOVIES ON TO IT, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS WITH MOST OF MY MOVIES, BUT I HAVE GOT A DISK AND WHEN I DOWN LOAD IT, ITS ON THE PSP, AS I CAN SEE IT WHEN IM CONECTED TO THE LAP TOP, IT IS DEFFENTLEY ON THERE BECASUE IT SHOWS THE MEMORY HAS BEEN TAKEN

BUT I CANT FIND IT ANY WHERE ON MY PSP ANY IDERS

PLEASE HELP IVE 2 LITTLE BOYS SAYING IM DOING IT ALL WRONG, DOES THIS MEAN THE PSP CANT READ THIS FILE ITS THE SAME FORMAT AS THE OTHERS IVE DOWN LOADED.

PLEASE HELP DESPERATE MUM XXX

Posted by: Diane Brook s at September 26, 2005 10:11 AM

Okay so this helpes a ton!! But when i do show song files it shows me, but instead of saying MP3 like yours it says MPEG4

Ugh i was soo close now i have no idea what to do HELP PLEASE !!

Posted by: SABRINA at February 17, 2006 12:31 PM

This will only work if you have configured iTunes to import as MP3. It doesn't seem to be the default setting. If you look in Preferences and find the Importing tab, you can choose what type of file you want iTunes to import the song as.

I'm having trouble finding a decent tool to convert those .m4a files to MP3s. Any advice on that, because it's most likely what folks will need.

Who doesn't love proprietary DRM lock-in? Go Apple!

Thanks for the help, there is a possible solution at least.

Posted by: Grant at February 28, 2006 10:52 AM

Um, that's an awful lot of rigamarole to pull that off. Any particular reason not to just drag from the iTunes playlist to the PSP's Finder window? Unless a PSP is special, that should result in copies of the files that the playlist entries point to on the PSP--it's certainly what happens with any other storage device you can mount on the desktop.

Posted by: Nat at March 6, 2006 1:41 PM

Please tell me how to add my songs from my ipod (through my laptop with itunes) to my new motorola slvr phone.

Posted by: Jodee Adkins at April 11, 2006 9:52 AM

i opend up itunes but when i did the shwo song file bit it came up differntly to wha your pic lloks like plz help ! tyvm

Posted by: harry at April 13, 2006 12:09 PM

Im trying to put mp3 ringtones into my Motorola v265 phone to do that how do i export songs from itunes? What is a option key? how do i turn .mp3 to .mid?

Posted by: Omar at July 23, 2006 2:26 AM

i can't get on songs onto my PSP still

i have iTunes

i did everything on this page

including

impoting iTunes as MP3

but it doesn't work!

also when i click show file as

it doesn't show all the songs on the album

Jennifer

p.s. i have windows xp

Posted by: Jennifer at November 29, 2006 6:25 PM

ffmpeg is useful and free for converting individual tracks to mp3 from mpeg4.

Music Man also has a very useful batch converter which ffmpeg never had, to convert loads of tracks in one go to mp3, though it's 15-days shareware.

Posted by: Robert at December 17, 2006 12:53 PM

Use Switch - shareware or freeware. It is a very powerful and easy to use tool to switch different media formats..

Posted by: M at April 26, 2009 12:35 PM

Okay I have a psp I just broke my ipod nano and i'm trying to get everythinq on here all my itunes music and stuff . but my computer wont recognize it? can you please help before this weekend !!! Thank you, I really need help!

Posted by: Katelyn at June 16, 2009 5:40 PM

If you want to export music from iTunes, try this application ... it is written for adobe AIR than you need to install this one first if you don't have it.

http://code.google.com/p/ihandler/

Works perfectly ... it can export albums, artists, music and everything is well organised ... works on Windows as well as on Mac.

Posted by: Ondrej at August 14, 2009 6:48 AM

I'm going back to Winamp. F*ing useless Apple.

Posted by: Lewis Dexter Litanzios at January 9, 2010 9:55 AM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!