Converting a large ripped music library to AAC in Apple Music

ADDITIONAL INFO: !!!

By posting this question I refined the question and asked the default google AI and was provided with this response:

hese are results for Apple Music macos seeking the simplest workflow for converting low bit rate rips i made myself and have added to my synced library

Show original results

AI Overview

To upgrade your low-bitrate personal rips using Apple Music’s cloud matching system, the simplest workflow is to identify the "Matched" tracks via a Smart Playlist, delete your local low-res copies, and then cloud-download the official Apple high-res version. 

Because your library is synced, Apple has already cross-referenced your files. If Apple found a match in its catalog, it assigns it a "Matched" or "Purchased" status, allowing you to swap your local low-bitrate file for a pristine 256kbps AAC (or Apple Lossless) track from their servers without losing your play counts, playlists, or metadata. 

Follow these steps to batch-convert your tracks efficiently:

Step 1: Create an "Upgrade Needed" Smart Playlist

1. Open the Music app on your Mac.
2. 
   
3. Go to the top menu and select File > New > Smart Playlist.
4. 
   
5. Set the rules exactly like this:

• • Match all of the following rules:
  • Bit Rate is less than 256 kbps
  • Media Kind is Music [1]

1. Click the small + icon on the far right while holding the Option key. This creates a nested "Any" rule block. Set it to:

• • Match any of the following rules:
  • iCloud Status is Matched
  • iCloud Status is Purchased [1, 2]

1. Click OK. Name your playlist something like Upgradable Tracks.

Note: Any tracks marked as "Uploaded" cannot be upgraded this way because Apple could not find a match in its store catalog. [1, 2]

Step 2: Delete the Low-Res Files (Crucial Step)

1. Open your newly created Upgradable Tracks playlist.
2. 
   
3. Select all the songs you want to upgrade (use Cmd + A to select all). [1]
4. 
   
5. Hold down the Option key on your keyboard and press Delete. [1]
6. 
   
7. When prompted, select Delete Songs / Move to Trash.

• • ⚠️ CRUCIAL: Ensure you do not check any box that says "Delete from iCloud" or "Delete from Synced Library". You want to remove the physical low-res files from your Mac's drive, but keep the placeholders in your cloud library. [1, 2]

Step 3: Cloud-Download the New High-Res Versions

1. Your playlist will now show all those same tracks, but they will feature a Cloud Download icon (a cloud with a downward arrow) next to them.
2. 
   
3. Select all the tracks again (Cmd + A).
4. 
   
5. Right-click and choose Download, or click the cloud icon at the top of the column to pull them all down simultaneously. [1, 2]

Apple Music will stream or download the official high-quality track directly to your local drive, permanently upgrading your personal music collection. [1, 2]

Isn't that simply amazing?! I will try the process in a day or two and post a report here. Any comments or suggestion will be welcomed but **** it's AI and as we know it can hallucinate so I will test things out before I comment any further. Thank you for your consideration.

Hi,

If you have subscribed to Apple Music, your existing library would have either been matched of uploaded to Apple Music.

Matched music can deleted and downloaded as Matched AAC. This music should be playable elsewhere as there is no DRM. Make sure that the download settings are set to high quality AAC. There is an option to download as lossless or hi-res but such downloads are DRM protected and will be unplayable after your Apple subscription expires.

You have not indicated the format or bit rate of your library but if they some are lossless, I would suggest that you do not convert them and keep original version.

As always make sure you have made a backup of your original library.

Jim

I could be mistaken, but I believe that if you stop subscribing to Apple Music, all "Sync Library" copies of songs either get deleted or stop working.

How to cancel Apple Music – Apple Support

"After your subscription to Apple Music expires, you'll no longer be able to play songs from the Apple Music catalog. Any playlists added from the Apple Music catalog or created using music from the Apple Music catalog will also no longer be available. If you use Sync Library, it will turn off when your subscription expires. Any music and playlists you had on your device before you subscribed to Apple Music will still be available."

If that's the case, deleting all of your original copies of music from CDs, in hopes of getting "Sync Library" copies, might be a way of ending up with no music at all.

Thanks. I concur that your technical description is accurate although I remain a bit clouded (no pun) by the iCloud status of my songs (uploaded, matched, duplicate, error, waiting and ineligible) while any Apple Music songs I expect will disappear when my subscription becomes inactive.

Are 'matched' songs the only songs that will be downloaded as ACC files? Can I effect more songs to Matched? And what about waiting? Who is waiting for what to happen? Etc...

Simply put, I am looking for the workflow that will allow me to get those ACC's for as many songs as possible in the simplest manner. I.E: I could make a playlist of all songs designated as Matched and convert those from the menubar after selecting them. They then make a new file but can I have them overwrite the originals on my local drive? The files created have a different filetype so I want to define the best automated workflow. ETC.

A recommended workflow would help clear the clouds in my mind. Thank-you!

Thanks for the reply You do describe (as I understand things) how music that I have downloaded from Apple Music is handled but my objective is to convert as many songs which were ripped by myself at low bit rate to the higher 256 ACC's. These files are not DRM protected so they won't be erased. I have very few (less than 50) songs that are from Apple Music and expect to loose them excepting any I have purchased or were given to me by Apple or? Which I believe to be none. I believe JIMZGOLDFINCH describes things more completely in his response although I came looking for the most efficient overall workflow to use in the conversion.

Jim Needham wrote:

Thanks for the reply You do describe (as I understand things) how music that I have downloaded from Apple Music is handled but my objective is to convert as many songs which were ripped by myself at low bit rate to the higher 256 ACC's. These files are not DRM protected so they won't be erased.

MacWorld – What happens when you cancel your iTunes Match subscription?

"Apple Music also matches music, but its matched songs are locked when downloaded, and will be unplayable when you cancel your Apple Music subscription, although your original file that was matched remains intact."

Granted, this article dates from 2018, and things may have changed since then.