re: Mastered for iTunes (MfiT). Apple does not require any particular sample rate for MfiT masters - they must be 24 Bit, and meet the MfiT production guidelines, but Apple will accept any sample rate from 44.1 to 192k. Apples's AAC software - used to create the 256k AAC files sold on iTunes - includes a sample rate converter: any files not at 44.1 are src-ed to 44.1 prior to AAC encoding. Some labels supply iTunes with high sample rate 24 Bit files; others prefer to send iTunes 44.1 MfiT files so they have control over the src step.
David Glasser
Chief Engineer
Airshow
3063 E Sterling Circle #3
Boulder, CO 80301
303-247-9035
David Glasser
Chief Engineer
Airshow
3063 E Sterling Circle #3
Boulder, CO 80301
303-247-9035
[log in to unmask]
On May 18, 2015, at 4:04 PM, Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Lou:
>
> You are correct!
>
> For the Mercury Living Presence material I remaster, I send Abbey Road Studios my final 96/24 master files, which they then grind through some sort of Apple-approved and/or Apple-made software to render Mastered for iTunes (MFIT) files, which are then uploaded to Apple's servers. Furthermore, Apple demands 96/24 master files for all MFIT submissions, meaning they are building up an incredible store of high-resolution audio should they choose at some point to squash all the little niche audiophile download stores.
>
> I don't like any lossy format for highly dynamic classical music, but I'm told that iTunes downloads do account for a decent slice of the MLP revenue pie. And, to Apple's credit, when they upgraded the default iTunes format to 256kbps AAC, they went back and re-ripped from CDs or re-converted from CD-resolution PCM files, so what is sold as 256kbps really did start lossy life that way.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lou Judson" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2015 4:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Is it time to rethink FLAC ?
>
>
>> Reviewing this thread so I can see what to delete, I just want to point out that “Mastered for iTunes” is a real thing (ar least a copyrighted process perhaps?), which optimizes a musical recording to sound better in compressed form.
>>
>> Mastering IN iTunes is a convenient fiction and is not any kind of normal practice anywhere.
>> <L>
>> Lou Judson
>> Intuitive Audio
>> 415-883-2689
>>
>> On May 17, 2015, at 5:17 PM, Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> As for mastering in iTunes, I would be very careful about that and do bit-level comparisons with the master files and resulting CD. I suspect iTunes converts to some interim format and then burns the CD.
>>>
>>> -- Tom Fine
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Haley" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2015 5:19 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Is it time to rethink FLAC ?
>>>
>>>
>>>> I can't imagine any audio professional who masters audio in iTunes. I
>>>> can't get a grip on that as a concept.
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>> John Hale
>>
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