How to Use iTunes to Create MP3s, AACs, and More

If you’ve ever stared at iTunes (or the Apple Music app on a Mac) and wondered, “Why is converting a simple song file harder than making a five-course meal?”, you’re not alone. The good news: once you understand how iTunes handles audio formats like MP3, AAC, AIFF, and Apple Lossless, it becomes a powerful little conversion factory right on your desktop. In this guide, we’ll walk through, step by step, how to use iTunes to create MP3s, AACs, and morewithout breaking your playlist, your brain, or your speakers.

We’ll focus mainly on iTunes for Windows and touch on Apple Music on Mac, since Apple retired the classic iTunes app on newer macOS versions. But if you can click menus and change a few settings, you can turn your music library into pretty much any format you need.

Understanding Audio Formats in iTunes

Before you start clicking every menu that says “Convert,” it helps to understand what kind of audio files you’re actually dealing with. iTunes/Apple Music supports several major formats, each with its own pros, cons, and best use cases.

AAC vs. MP3: What’s the Difference?

AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is Apple’s default compressed format. It’s designed to deliver better sound quality than MP3 at the same bit rate. This is why songs you purchase from the iTunes Store usually come as AAC (.m4a) files. AAC is great if you mostly listen on Apple devices or any modern player that supports it.

MP3, on the other hand, is the classic, universally compatible audio format. Nearly every device under the sun knows how to play an MP3: old car stereos, budget MP3 players, smart TVs, game consoles, and more. If you’re sending tracks to someone and you’re not sure what device they’ll use, MP3 is the safest bet.

Other Formats: AIFF, WAV, and Apple Lossless

iTunes also lets you work with higher-quality or uncompressed formats:

• AIFF and WAV are uncompressed formats. They sound great but take up a lot of space. They’re popular in audio editing and professional workflows.
• Apple Lossless (ALAC) gives you CD-quality sound without throwing away any audio data, but with some compression to save space. Files are still larger than MP3 or AAC but smaller than WAV/AIFF.

In most everyday situations, you’ll convert to MP3 or AAC. But knowing the options helps you pick the right format for archiving, editing, or serious listening.

Step 1: Set Your Import and Conversion Settings

iTunes doesn’t guess what format you wantit follows whatever you choose in its import settings. This is the secret sauce behind commands like “Create MP3 Version” or “Create AAC Version.”

On iTunes for Windows

1. Open iTunes for Windows.
2. In the menu bar, choose Edit > Preferences.
3. On the General tab, click Import Settings….
4. Next to Import Using, choose the format you want, such as:
   • MP3 Encoder (for MP3 files)
   • AAC Encoder (for AAC files)
   • AIFF Encoder, WAV Encoder, or Apple Lossless Encoder for higher-quality options
5. Use the Setting menu to pick a quality level (for example, High Quality 192 kbps for MP3 or AAC).
6. Click OK, then OK again to save your changes.

From this point on, whenever you ask iTunes to create a new version of a song, it will use the format and quality you chose here.

On Apple Music (Mac)

If you’re on a modern Mac, you’ll use the Apple Music app instead of iTunes, but the concept is the same:

1. Open the Music app.
2. In the menu bar, choose Music > Settings (or Preferences on some versions).
3. Click the Files tab, then click Import Settings….
4. Choose your format under Import Using, such as MP3 Encoder or AAC Encoder.
5. Adjust the quality settings if needed, then click OK.

These import settings control both how new music is imported and how conversions are handled later.

Step 2: Convert Existing Songs to MP3, AAC, or Other Formats

Once your import settings are dialed in, converting songs in your library is surprisingly simple. You don’t have to re-rip CDs or re-download songsyou can convert right from your existing library, as long as the track isn’t DRM-protected (for example, some older or subscription-based tracks).

Converting Songs to a New Format in iTunes (Windows)

1. In iTunes, select one or more songs in your Library.
2. In the menu bar, go to File > Convert.
3. Choose Create [Format] Versionfor example:
   • Create MP3 Version
   • Create AAC Version
   • Create Apple Lossless Version
4. iTunes will create new copies of those songs in the chosen format and keep them next to the original versions in your library.

You’ll see duplicates in your listone in the original format, one in the new format. You can right-click a track and choose Song Info (or Get Info) to see its Kind, which tells you whether it’s MP3, AAC, etc.

Converting Songs in the Music App (Mac)

1. In the Music app, make sure you’ve set your Import Using preferences to the format you want.
2. Select the song or songs you’d like to convert.
3. From the menu bar, hold down the Option key and choose File > Convert > Convert to [import preference].
4. Music creates new copies of the tracks in your chosen format, again leaving the originals untouched.

This is especially handy if you need an MP3 for a non-Apple device but still want to keep a high-quality Apple Lossless file for your main library.

Step 3: Import and Convert CDs or Folders at the Same Time

iTunes can also import and convert music on the fly. If you’re ripping a CD or importing a folder of audio files, iTunes can automatically encode them into your chosen format during the import process.

Importing a CD to Create MP3s or AACs

1. Insert the CD into your computer’s drive.
2. iTunes should recognize the disc and display it in the sidebar.
3. Make sure your Import Settings are set to the format you want (MP3, AAC, etc.).
4. Click Import CD.
5. Choose whether to use the import settings you just configured and confirm.

When the import finishes, you’ll have brand-new MP3s, AACs, or other chosen formats from your CD tracks, right in your library.

Converting a Folder of Files Using Import Preferences

You can also feed iTunes a folder of audio files and have it convert them during import:

1. Set your desired format under Import Settings.
2. Go to File > Add File to Library or Add Folder to Library (on Windows), or File > Import in Music on Mac.
3. Select the files or folder you want to import.
4. iTunes/Music will add them to your library and, depending on your settings and source files, may convert them to the chosen format.

For bulk jobslike standardizing dozens of random tracks from old backupsthis workflow saves a lot of clicking.

Where Do My New MP3s, AACs, and Other Files Go?

Once you’ve created new versions, the next big question is, “Where did iTunes put them?”

Finding Converted Files on Your Computer

By default, iTunes stores your music inside an organized media folder. To see where that folder lives:

• In iTunes on Windows: Go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced, and check the iTunes Media folder location.
• In Music on Mac: Go to Music > Settings > Files and look at the Music Media folder location.

To jump directly to a specific file, right-click the song in your library and choose Show in Windows Explorer (Windows) or Show in Finder (Mac). This is the quickest way to grab new MP3s for a USB drive, email attachment, DJ software, or any other destination.

Managing Duplicate Versions

Because conversions create extra copies, it’s easy to end up with both an AAC and an MP3 of the same song. If you’re tight on storage, you might delete the versions you don’t need:

• Sort your library by Kind to group similar formats together.
• Decide which format you want to keep (for example, MP3 only).
• Carefully delete the other versions, making sure you don’t remove the wrong copy.

A quick tip: keep lossless files (like Apple Lossless) as your “masters” and make MP3 or AAC copies only when you need portable versions. That way, you always have a high-quality source if you want to re-encode later.

Limitations and Gotchas to Know

iTunes might be flexible, but it’s not magic. There are a few important limitations and “gotchas” to keep in mind when creating MP3s, AACs, and other formats.

DRM-Protected and Subscription Tracks

Some older iTunes Store purchases and many streaming or subscription-based tracks are protected with DRM (Digital Rights Management). These songs often can’t be converted or played outside Apple’s ecosystem in the same way normal files can. Even if you see the file in your library, the Convert or Create MP3 Version options may not work or may be unavailable.

Converting Lossy to Lossy: Why Quality Won’t Improve

Converting an existing compressed file (like AAC or MP3) into another compressed format won’t improve its quality. In fact, each conversion can slightly degrade it, because both formats throw away some audio information. If sound quality matters, convert from a lossless or uncompressed source whenever possiblelike a CD, Apple Lossless, WAV, or AIFF file.

Bit Rates and File Sizes

Higher bit rates usually mean better sound and larger file sizes. For most listeners:

• 128 kbps is the bare minimum and may sound a bit flat on good headphones.
• 192 kbps or 256 kbps is a sweet spot for general listening.
• 320 kbps offers even higher quality but larger files.

If you’re converting to MP3 for a car stereo or portable player, 192–256 kbps is usually perfect. For serious listening on nice speakers, consider keeping a lossless version in addition to your MP3 or AAC.

Practical Examples: When to Use Each Format

Still not sure what to pick? Here are some real-world examples to make things easier:

• Sending a playlist to a friend with an older car stereo: Convert your songs to MP3 at 192–256 kbps.
• Creating ringtones: Use AAC and trim the track in iTunes, then export the file and change the extension if needed, depending on your ringtone workflow.
• Archiving CDs: Rip your discs to Apple Lossless so you always have full-quality copies. Make MP3 or AAC versions only when needed.
• Editing audio in production software: Convert to WAV or AIFF for better compatibility and editing headroom.

Think of iTunes as your conversion hub: one clean library and multiple output formats depending on where your music needs to go.

Experience-Based Tips for Using iTunes to Create MP3s, AACs, and More

Once you’ve used iTunes or Apple Music as a file converter a few times, patterns start to emerge. Here are some hands-on, experience-based tips that can save you time, frustration, and a few “Where did my files go?” moments.

1. Set It and Forget ItUntil You Need Something Different

Most people don’t need to switch formats every day. A smart approach is to choose a “default” format that fits 80% of your needssay, AAC at 256 kbps or MP3 at 256 kbpsand leave the import settings there. Then, if you occasionally need something different (like a WAV file for a specific project), temporarily change the settings, do your conversion, and switch back afterward.

This reduces the chances of accidentally ripping a whole CD in a format you didn’t intend, or converting a batch of songs to a lower bit rate without realizing it.

2. Use Playlists as Workspaces

When you’re preparing files to convert, create a temporary playlist and drag all the tracks you plan to process into it. That playlist becomes your “workbench.” You can:

• Sort by Kind to see what formats you’re starting with.
• Convert everything at once, then quickly spot the newly created versions.
• Delete the temporary playlist when you’re done, without affecting your main library organization.

It’s a much calmer experience than hunting for individual tracks scattered across a giant library.

3. Watch the “Kind” Field Like a Hawk

One of the easiest ways to stay sane is to enable and monitor the Kind column in your library. It tells you exactly what each file is: “MPEG audio file” for MP3, “AAC audio file,” “Apple Lossless audio file,” and so on.

Before you delete anything, double-check the Kind field so you don’t accidentally remove your only lossless copy when you meant to clean up MP3 duplicates. A quick sort by Kind can reveal a surprising amount of hidden clutter.

4. Respect the Source: Don’t Over-Convert

If you’ve ever converted an MP3 to AAC, then later to another MP3, you may have noticed the sound start to feel dull or slightly “swishy.” That’s the downside of repeated lossy conversions. A good “experience rule” is this: convert from the best available source you’ve got.

If the track came from a CD, keep an Apple Lossless or WAV copy as your master and create compressed versions only when necessary. If your only copy is a 128 kbps MP3 from 2006, converting it to 320 kbps MP3 won’t improve itjust accept its vintage charm and avoid re-encoding it multiple times.

5. Use iTunes as a Bridge Between Devices and Services

Many people use iTunes as a “bridge” between old and new worlds of music. Maybe you have CDs, old MP3s, and a modern Apple Music subscription. By pulling everything into one library and using the conversion tools, you can create compatible files for:

• USB drives for your car or home stereo
• DJ software that prefers MP3 or WAV
• Non-Apple devices that don’t understand Apple Lossless or AAC

Instead of trying to manage multiple scattered collections, you let iTunes do the heavy lifting and keep your digital life a bit more organized.

6. Keep an Eye on Storage Space

High-quality audio adds up quickly, especially if you’re storing both lossless master files and compressed copies. A surprisingly common experience is realizing that your music folder has quietly grown to tens or hundreds of gigabytes.

Every few months, it’s worth sorting your library by Kind and file size, then cleaning up anything you no longer needlike temporary exports, test conversions, or old duplicates. Back up the important stuff first, then prune with care. Your hard drive (and future self) will thank you.

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

Finally, the best teacher is your own ears. Try converting a song to different formats and bit rates, then listen on your usual headphones or speakers. For some people, 192 kbps AAC sounds indistinguishable from lossless. Others swear they can hear a difference at 320 kbps.

Using iTunes to create MP3s, AACs, and more is not just about following menusit’s about dialing in what works for your devices, your ears, and your storage limits. Once you’ve done a few test runs, you’ll feel a lot more confident every time you hit “Create MP3 Version.”

With a little practice, iTunes stops being “that old program Apple used to use” and becomes a handy Swiss Army knife for your entire digital music collection.