Problems copying music cd's to flash drive

[RGW]

I am running Sonoma on my iMac. I wanted to copy music from a bunch of cd's I have onto a flash drive so I can listen while driving. I searched for help in a number of different places and cannot find the directions I need to accomplish the task. Most of the help I encountered was very dated or they want you to buy a program to do what I want. I can load the tunes in Apple Music and convert them into mp3 but I can't move them from the Music list to the flash drive. Any adivice would be most appreciated. Very frustrating . Also, drag and drop doesn't work for me with the tunes.

 

[RadDave]

Hi RGW - for starters please give us some more information: 1) What iMac do you own (I assume a newer one since Sonoma is compatible and one w/o a built-in CD drive); 2) Thus, assume you are using an external CD/DVD drive to rip your CDs; 3) On ripping, are your saving your MP3 files to the drive of your iMac or directly importing the files into your Music app; 4) Why do you want the MP3s on a USB drive vs 'say' a phone with bluetooth to your car's audio system; and 5) What playback options are in your car. Thanks - will help. Dave

 

[RGW]

My Mac is several years old. I’m using an external cd drive that I purchased when my last Mac didn’t have an internal CD drive. I have 32 GB of RAM. When downloading the music I have the tunes converted to MP3 because the CD’s are in a different format. I download the tunes into Music but cannot seem to use the drag and drop function to add them to the thumb drive. I contacted Apple help and they couldn’t really help with the problem. They sent me a link to a help page that I already had. I have a 2020 Honda Ridgeline that will play MP3 tunes. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[pm-r]

Any advice would be appreciated.

Have you got another CD drive you can try and use or borrow one? Maybe the old driver isn't compatible with your new Mac.

And have you tried this method:?

Simple Ways to Copy Music from CD to USB (with Pictures)

Import songs from CDs to your flash drive for easier listening If you don't have a CD player in your home or car, you might have a whole collection of CDs just taking up space. Fortunately, it's easy to copy music from audio CDs and save...

www.wikihow.com

- Patrick
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[RGW]

The cd drive is fine. I can import the songs but get stopped when I try to move the tunes to the flash drive.The method you suggested is dated because I was unable to open the tunes in Finder. Tearing my hair out now due to frustration.

 

[RadDave]

My Mac is several years old. I’m using an external cd drive that I purchased when my last Mac didn’t have an internal CD drive. I have 32 GB of RAM. When downloading the music I have the tunes converted to MP3 because the CD’s are in a different format. I download the tunes into Music but cannot seem to use the drag and drop function to add them to the thumb drive. I contacted Apple help and they couldn’t really help with the problem. They sent me a link to a help page that I already had. I have a 2020 Honda Ridgeline that will play MP3 tunes. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi again RGW - Patrick has already given you a link that should help; but I've spent some time ripping a CD to my Music app (Sonoma on a M2 MBAir using Apple's external Super Drive) - these are likely the steps you have used. First, ripping the CD in the Music app using the import MP3 settings (shown in first pic below); Second image shows the album listing. NOW, to find the files (see third image) - the path is long (lengthy blue box at the bottom - I've eliminated my user name) - open the new downloaded folders and the 'songs' - you should be able to now 'drag & drop' to an attached USB drive. Assume your Honda accepts that device? Good luck - Dave

.

 

[RGW]

I really appreciate your advice but following the above steps didn't work for me. I'm 80 years old and semi-literate with computers. Apple does not make working with Music easy and I've tried a lot of methods but I'm getting nowhere. I can import the tunes (converted to MP3) but cannot drag and drop the tunes onto the flash drive. Patrick's suggestion is dated because I couldn't show the tunes in Finder following the steps in the link he attached.. Getting fed up with the complications (not your fault).

 

[RadDave]

Sorry RGW - did you get to your iTunes library (still called that in Sonoma Finder), i.e. iTunes > iTunes Media > Music - open the music folders desired and the 'songs' should show up - I just drag a half dozen or so to a USB drive, as shown below - Dave
.

 

[RGW]

I don't have iTunes, I have Music.

 

[RadDave]

I don't have iTunes, I have Music.

Please look in your Music folder in Finder, Apple still uses the name 'iTunes' for a sub folder despite the app now being called Music. Dave

 

[ferrarr]

Please look in your Music folder in Finder, Apple still uses the name 'iTunes' for a sub folder despite the app now being called Music. Dave

I don't have an iTunes folder, either. You would only have an iTunes folder if you upgraded from iTunes, and never started with a fresh, clean drive or macOS install (not upgrade).

 

[RGW]

I don't have an iTunes folder, either. You would only have an iTunes folder if you upgraded from iTunes, and never started with a fresh, clean drive or macOS install (not upgrade).

I couldn’t find it either.

 

[pm-r]

Patrick's suggestion is dated because I couldn't show the tunes in Finder following the steps in the link he attached.. Getting fed up with the complications (not your fault).

I will also add if I may that my posted "older method" also used to work, at least with older Mac and possibly older Mac OS versions and it seems that Apple has changed their methods of doing so which they often do can cause many such as yourself a lot of unnecessary frustration.

I haven't moved to manipulated music files for years, but even back then it was sometimes debatable if they would work if they weren't ripped properly or whatever the phrase is supposed to be to get them to work.

I guess there's some new method you'll have to check into and I cannot help as I'm still using an old OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan version, but obviously your old method isn't working with your newer Mac and it's newer operating system. Sorry for your frustration but I would agree it is certainly annoying.



- Patrick
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[RadDave]

Thanks Guys for the comments - I migrated to my Sonoma M2 MBAir from a 2012 MBPro and the file hierarchy in the Music folder of Finder was likely preserved - as the pic below shows my current Music App files are stored in a folder called 'iTunes' (the next level down is 'iTunes Media') - I suspect that Apple has stored these files in differently named folders - Dave

 

[pm-r]

I couldn’t find it either.

There must be a nice simple way to accomplish what you want and I can't imagine Apple has abandoned the process so I guess I would head for a Google search using your subject and maybe add some additional information to restrict the search to your particular situation of Mac models and operating system versions:

Google Search

There must be a solution somewhere out there.



- Patrick
=======

 

[Jimmysb]

Baffled by this problem, I have opened music highlighted a track and clicked copy



Then on my desk top clicked paste item:



There it is

 

[IWT]

Yes, Jim B, I've done that many times. I think the OP's difficulty is more complicated. I've not posted before because I can't get my head around the actual problem. I don't want to confuse the issue.

Ian

 

[Jimmysb]

Yes, Jim B, I've done that many times. I think the OP's difficulty is more complicated. I've not posted before because I can't get my head around the actual problem. I don't want to confuse the issue.

Ian

Yes, I had read this a few times, and my understanding is:
1). Rip the CD to MP3 via Music.
2). Copy ripped CD to a USB thumb drive.

Or am I over simplifying it.

 

[IWT]

@RGW

I think that Jim B's suggestion is the right way. In the meantime, I've come across this linked article - worth a read:

Simple Ways to Copy Music from CD to USB (with Pictures)

Import songs from CDs to your flash drive for easier listening If you don't have a CD player in your home or car, you might have a whole collection of CDs just taking up space. Fortunately, it's easy to copy music from audio CDs and save...

www.wikihow.com

Do scroll down to near the bottom as the first section deals with Windows and the 2nd section with a Mac.

Ian

 

[RadDave]

Guys - way back in post #8, I already found where my Music files where on my SSD (apparently not the same folder name for everyone) and dragged a half dozen to an attached USB - so the issue is to find your files made in the Music app. Dave