Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / February 2005

As on most other computer applications, an "import" function is
just that. An "import" function. It is designed to bring a
specific set of file types into the application's domain. If you
were to try an import, say, on an MP3 file, the application is
ONLY going to look for MP3 files. Everything else will typically
be greyed out.

In order to achieve what you want, you should import the AIFF
files into iTunes. After you get them in, iTunes has a feature
that allows you to convert them into the other formats that I
think you want.

After you have imported your AIFF files, go to the
preferences/import panel and set the type of formate you want
your file to convert into (say, MP3). Then go to iTunes, select
the files you want converted, and then under the advanced menu
select "Convert to ***" where "***" is the format type that you
set tin the preference/import panel.

This mechanism *is* a little screwy since it implies that you are
importing a file that is already imported :-) but I think it was
just the developer's method of avoiding having to create another
file format settings dialog with all the same identical
capabilities as that in the import panel so for the purposes of
converting file formats, they use the import panel for settings
just as a convenience.

You can find a bit of a description by selecting Help in iTunes
and then doing a search on "convert format".

- Jeff

That menu command is a different meaning of "import".  It's not for
importing songs, it's for importing an XML file which had been created by
the File->Export Library or File->Export Song List menu commands.

What you want is File->Add to Library (command-O).

And iTunes will only import audio files as is, it won't convert them.  
Imported songs are only converted if you're importing them direct from an
audio CD.

If you want to import AIFF files as MP3 or AAC, you must (1) add them to
your Library; (2) select them and use the Advanced->Convert Selection menu
command; and (3) delete the original AIFF songs from your Library.