Posted by Adrian on 04/26/06 16:52

fan <fan@fan.com> wrote:

> My system is a WinXP computer, and my friend has a Mac system. I have
> a website and post mp3's onto a page for him, but for some reason they
> won't play on his iPod. These are just ordinary mp3's downloaded off
> the internet, and they all play fine on my PC's WinAmp player.
>
> Why won't my mp3's play on his ipod?


I'm pretty certain I have the answer.

It has just dawned on me what the problem will be. As several of us have
already said, there should be no problem but I have discovered a
circumstance which can affect iTunes on the Mac. (However, it's not
actually been caused by the fact that you are using XP and your friend
is using a Mac.)

(Skip the next paragraph if you really don't give a shxx about the Mac
tech background, move onto the solution in the one after!)

Mac OS X uses 2 different methods to identify file types. The file
ending .mp3 (or whatever) is only one of them. In most circumstances
this is "good news" becase it means that Mac applications can usually
identify and open files properly even when they don't have a .xxx
suffix. However, the hidden method of file identification which the Mac
uses to achieve this little piece of magic depends on the internal file
flag having the correct description. This flag (if that's the correct
term) can sometimes be unhelpfully set/reset at the time of the download
or the file's first launch on the Mac. Because it's hidden you may not
even know this until it doesn't work as expected. I have known a
downloaded mp3 (especially when played in the browser with the Quicktime
plug-in and then saved rather than just direct download) to acquire a
hidden flag which indicates that it is a movie file rather than an audio
file. Such a file will play in iTunes (because iTunes plays movies as
well as audio files anyway) but when attempting to transfer to an iPod
the iPod baulks because it can't play a movie (even a video iPod) in
this particular format ... the iPod has been fooled. I know this can
happen ... I saw it today!

Somehow the mp3 files have acquired a wrong (hidden) file identifier
which is causing the iPod to think it can't play them (read above if you
want more info). This can be changed by the Mac user using a freeware
utility such as TypeShuffler, available from:
http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/
Your friend needs to drop the mp3 file(s) in question onto Typeshuffler
and ensure that the file type is listed as MP3 Audio File as well as the
file extension being mp3 ... click Change ... that's it.

If you or your friend can post detail about exactly how he is
downloading the files I might be able to spot if the issue is actually
being caused, inadvertently, by himself.




--
Adrian

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