# Track Numbers are lost when importing into iTunes
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [April 5, 2021, 12:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680 "2021-04-05T12:36:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jacobacci](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jacobacci)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2021, 12:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/1 "2021-04-05T12:36:57Z")
I am struggling to import a number of m4a files into iTunes. I have converted the files from FLAC to m4a. I checked the metadata of the converted files using mp3Tag and the track and disc numbers look ok:
I then put the files into the "Add automatically to iTunes" folder to import them into iTunes. This worked. However in iTunes the tracks are sorted alphabetically and to not show any track numbers:
!
Looking at the files with mp3Tag again, they still seem to have their disc and track numbers:
I would be grateful for any pointers how I might get the track numbers across into iTunes intact.
Thanks a lot
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### Author:  [@jacobacci](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jacobacci)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2021, 1:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/2 "2021-04-05T13:06:08Z")
I have looked at some files that came from the iTunes store and those have TOTALDISCS and TOTALTRACKS tags. My converted m4a files only have TRACK and DISCNUMBER tags. Could that be the reason iTunes does not read the track and discnumber tags?
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### Author:  [@jacobacci](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jacobacci)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2021, 1:49pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/3 "2021-04-05T13:49:54Z")
The lack of TOTALDISCS and TOTALTRACKS Tags seems to have been the cause for the faulty import into iTunes. I added these tags to a test album and that one imported ok.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/4 "2021-04-05T13:52:56Z")
Something worth noting is also, that the track numbers in your original screenshot have leading zeros. MP4 files usually don't have leading zeros (except if it's part of your column definition).
So it also can be the case, that the conversion somehow writes non-standard track fields which are converted to standard ones upon re-saving with Mp3tag.
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### Author:  [@jacobacci](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jacobacci)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2021, 2:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/5 "2021-04-05T14:10:03Z")
I had actually "fixed" the discnumber format to have leading zeroes. I will leave that out in the future.
I also found out that mp3 files are imported into iTunes without issues, even if they do not have a TOTALTRACKS and TOTALDISCS Tag.
I guess now I need to do some work with the auto track numbering wizard of mp3 to fix my files.
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/6 "2021-04-05T14:32:58Z")
@jacobacci:
Do I understand it right: Your issue with the iTunes-Import was caused by the leading (discnumber and/or track) zero and not with the TOTALTRACKS and TOTALDISCS Tag?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2022, 7:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/7 "2022-12-24T07:24:42Z")
2 posts were split to a new topic: [Tracknumbers with following space after import](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tracknumbers-with-following-space-after-import/59500)
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 7:25am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/track-numbers-are-lost-when-importing-into-itunes/52680/8 "2023-01-23T07:25:00Z")
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