Burning MP3 disks with iTunes

[Dusty1]

I've loaded this topic up at the Euro Mondeo site too, as I am desperate for a solution.

I've recently discovered the joy of the MP3 disk. I was never that into it previously thanks to the iPod and an iTrip. However, with 6 CD changer it's possible to not worry about the iPod going flat, or getting stolen from my car.

I am burning the MP3 CDs in iTunes. I make up a playlist, and then press the 'Burn MP3 disk button to burn the CD. I have even made the point of re-importing the CDs I want to burn into iTunes as MP3s, instead of AAC or whatever the file is that iTunes uses.

When I put the CD into the car stereo to play it, it comes up with 'ROOT' and then the song name. I have to press DSP to see who the artist is and press it for other details as well.

I've managed to burn one CD previously that instead of showing 'ROOT' actually shows the artist and then the song title, on the next line in the stereo display. But only once, as I've burnt the CD a couple of times and can't get this to work again. The tracks on the CD that I've burnt since (and on the new playlist burns) seem to come up numbered 1 - 146, but on the only one that shows the artist name and then the track name, they come up as individual CDs with a number from (say) 1 - 12. So it seemed to burn the disk as individual CDs and not as a whole file.

I know this is a bit long winded, but I can't figure out what I've done between one CD that shows the artist name on one line on the head unit and the track name on the second, instead of displaying 'ROOT' where artist name should be and the track name where the track name is on the other CD.

It seems like a minor thing, I know, but it annoys me no end, and I am also going through a few CDs as I do multiple burns in Record Now and iTunes trying to find out what I've done wrong since th one CD I've managed to burn that shows Artist name on on line and Track name on the second line (what a large sentence).

I know someone out there has the answer. It shouldn't be this hard and have caused me this much grief.

[monkeyboy666]

In this case 'root' is referring to the top 'directory' of the CD, all your music files are stored in sub-directories underneath that, so its giving you what it thinks is the album name. Mine says root as well, at least the ones I burned with itunes do. . AS a test put the 'correct' CD into your computer CD drive and open in explorer. Are there subsequent sub-folders (artist/album name) which you have to open before you get to the songs? Or are the songs listed directly in that window?

I've also got Nero which I haven't used to burn an MP3 disk yet, but I HAVE used to copy a 'normal' CD (purely for backup purposes of course!) and the resulting disk actually displays the song title when played in the car stereo - something that the 'original' shop bought CD doesn't do! What exciting days we live in.

It might be possible to fiddle around with some of the things in itunes, for instance:

http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?t=131317

Its just a pity that you have to burn a CD each time to try it -for the sake of practising does itunes let you use RW CD'S ? I've burned a few podcasts (Roy and HG) onto a RW CD using the software that came with my Sony mp3 player and the car stereo plays the disk ok (well it has 7 times out of 10...) though I must admit that I haven't noticed what the display says.

[jared79]

Yes you can burn onto CD-RW. Haven't played MP3's in the Deck as I just use the AUX and my iPod. I guess I will try it one day.

[Dusty1]

I've had some interest in this topic. Which is good.

What I think I have to do is burn the CDs onto the disk in soemthing other than iTunes, so that they all show up as individual folders, not as a block of songs, which iTunes seems to do.

I have no idea why the first one worked and every other one hasn't. I've got a Toshiba burning programme on my laptop at home, so I'll just use that.

I uploaded a reply previously, but it didn't show up, and was deleted. I didn't swear, but it mustn't have liked me. All done now.

Thanks for all you help and interest.

[Dusty1]

Originally Posted by monkeyboy666

In this case 'root' is referring to the top 'directory' of the CD, all your music files are stored in sub-directories underneath that, so its giving you what it thinks is the album name. Mine says root as well, at least the ones I burned with itunes do. . AS a test put the 'correct' CD into your computer CD drive and open in explorer. Are there subsequent sub-folders (artist/album name) which you have to open before you get to the songs? Or are the songs listed directly in that window?

I've also got Nero which I haven't used to burn an MP3 disk yet, but I HAVE used to copy a 'normal' CD (purely for backup purposes of course!) and the resulting disk actually displays the song title when played in the car stereo - something that the 'original' shop bought CD doesn't do! What exciting days we live in.

The one CD that works has them all in folders. The subsequent ones that I've burnt shows them up as a series of mp3 files. Not in folders. This is killing me!

[monkeyboy666]

I was playing with my phone just now (Nokia with a 1mb card and an inbuilt mp3 player) and discovered the mp3 players 'play via bluetooth' setting, so I'm off to load some music onto the phone and see if it comes out the cars speakers - may no longer need the CD player at all....

[scribbly]

Well what do you know... my Motorola does the same. Cool.

[Dusty1]

What's been said is right. iTunes is bollocks for burning these disks. You need to open up your burning software,
* Create a new folder and call it the name of the band (i.e. Portishead)
* Use the burning software to locate the folder containing the CD you want to burn (i.e. Third). I do this by locating the folder in my iTunes music folder
add that folder to the one you created earlier named after the artist
* Repeat the process for all the CDs you want to burn as MP3s
* Burn the copied folder of artist/CD folder with songs in it as you would with a normal disk.

When you put it in your head unit (hopefully it will work first time around), it will display the CD name as a folder on the disk, and when you press 'cd info' it will scroll through, artist name, song title, and CD name.

I've put 10 CDs onto the one, which makes it a lot easier than having to keep my CDs in the car. I've also got an iPod, but with nearly 7000 songs on it it can be a bit tricky to scroll through to get a good one, or to know who it is playing. Plus my missus cracks it when I look at the iPod when driving. The MP3 disks are, for me, the way to go.

I also tend to buy CDs in bulk (10 at a time) from a store in America and I now just burn them all onto the one CD and put that in my car. A lot less stuffing about than with my iPod.

[XtRmn8]

Without reading all the replies. ROOT is referring to the folder level that you are in, ROOT means that your current track is not in a sub folder but in the root directory of the disc (no folder).

Easy way around this would be to put all your music in folders based on artist and then when you play a song it will show you the parent folder name rather then ROOT.

In your case now you have:
ROOT/
Song 1
Song 2
Song 3
Song 4
Song 5

You need to do something like this:
ROOT/
Artist 1/
Song 1
Song 2
Song 3
Artist 2/
Song 1
Song 2
Song 3
Artist 3/
Song 1
Song 2
Song 3

Hope this helps.

[monkeyboy666]

Not having an ipod myself (but might get one if the following works..) I was wondering if it would be possible to get one of those ipod bluetooth adapters (ie little bluetooth attachment that clips onto your ipod) and play it through the car stereo via the cars' bluetooth (assuming your car has it...)?

Maybe one of you bluetooth owning ipod people could research this for me!

[scribbly]

Not an iPod but my Motorola phone has that 'play through bluetooth' function and would not work on my Mondeo. :(

[Dusty1]

Originally Posted by XtRmn8

Artist 3/
Song 1
Song 2
Song 3

Hope this helps.

The issue here is that iTunes doesn't let you do that. Well, it did once, but never again. It seems that in a playlist, it just morphs the CDs I've chosen into one big file. That's why "ROOT' comes up. As I've indicated, I've burnt the CD in Nero and it works fine. It must be iTunes that is doing it to me. If anyone can tell me how to burn folders onto a CD in iTunes, I'd be most interested.

[bovva66]

I had the same problem with my old EL Falcon that had a mp3 player.

When setting up you playlist on itunes, it is necessary to click on the 'album' header. This seems to put the albums in separate folders. The way to check is to burn a mp3 disc and check on PC in cd drive, once you have burnt cd that it has the separate folders not just the tracks listed with no folders

[Dusty1]

Thanks for that. I figured out an easier way, I simply just use another program and it does it fine.

I'll give it a go. A couple of the disks I have in there went in in Jan 08, and are still there - I don't change them that often.

[Zippy7]

Don't burn you CD with a ROOT folder.

Choose the folder structure you want - eg. if you have 6 albums, just burn 6 folders.