How to Keep iTunes Library as WAV While iPod as MP3
- 1). We will be creating duplicate files for some or all of your iTunes Library, so ensure you have enough free disk space to accommodate the additional song files.
When importing music into iTunes, in the preferences, have your Import Settings of audio format set to WAV. This will be the initial setting for importing the full resolution from the CD. - 2). After you have successfully converted the CD you will need to go back into the Preferences and change from WAV to MP3. It is obviously more efficient to convert everything to WAV first than convert again to MP3. Otherwise, you will be going back and forth into the Preferences.
After changing the setting, return to the Library, select all the music you wish to convert. Right-click and you will see an option to convert to the current format that is selected in Preferences. Select Convert to MP3 and iTunes will create new files in the new format. - 3). You will now have duplicate copies of the songs: one in WAV and the other in MP3. In order to distinguish between the two, create a new Playlist within iTunes. You may choose to place the duplicate MP3s in this folder. Name this Playlist: "Temporary MP3" (or something equally identifiable).
- 4). Drag the newly converted MP3s into the "MP3" Playlist. Given that all the music will have digitally encoded album information, you will still be able to search for music on the iPod as usual.
- 5). Now plug in your iPod and wait for iTunes to acknowledge and mount it. Once mounted, drag the new Playlist from your iTunes Library into your iPod Library.
In order to make more space available on your iPod you may wish to remove any original WAV files in favor of the MP3s.
Source...