Converting iTunes music from Stereo to mono

[stickball]

Hi -

I'm new to this site but not to Mac. Here's my problem:

I lost the hearing in my right ear and can't fully enjoy stereo music on my iPhone using earbuds. I'd like to convert all of my existing iTunes music library from stereo to mono and then transfer to the iPhone. Can anyone offer any guidance, please? Thanks.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

First off, sorry to know of your hearing loss. I also suffer from hearing loss, but it isn't total. I spent way too many years around loud music and industrial machinery, and have approximately 40% loss in my right ear, and 20% in my left ear. Thankfully, it only affects certain frequency ranges, but if I could go back and protect my hearing...

Good news - you don't need to convert you music. Your iPhone has a "hidden" feature that will save you all that trouble. Go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Hearing and enable Mono Audio. It will then playback all audio in mono. There is also a slider that works as a balance control between the left and right outputs.

Let me know if that works for you.

C

 

[stickball]

Cory, thanks for writing and for commiserating. My 86% hearing loss in my right ear just happened in the middle of the night one night several years ago. Apparently it's nerve damage. Hearing aids have no effect. So anyway...

By accident, I think I stumbled across the fix. What you suggested is a great idea, but I don't think the mono signal would then transfer over to my iPhone. What apparently works is that I inadvertently deleted all my music!! Yikes!!! Fortunately, I had everything backed up, so I attached my backup drive, went into iTunes and set all incoming music to "mono", imported my backed-up music, and now it's all in mono. I'm about to transfer some over to my iPhone and be smiling again...

Thanks again!

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries.

What I suggested will transfer to the iPhone. You simply leave your music in iTunes the way it is (in stereo), transfer it to your iPhone, then follow those steps. The iPhone then plays all audio in mono, without need for conversion.

C

 

[stickball]

YES!! You, sir, are absolutely correct!! Thanks so much for the help... I fretted or nothing. Thank you.