# itunes smart playlist 'limit to'. Actual size is gigabytes less than the limit. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493 "2010-03-15T00:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493/1 "2010-03-15T00:54:13Z")
I have an ipod touch 64gb. Its primary use is the obvious: Music. I decided I want 55gb of the useable space (just under 60gb) to be music and the rest free for apps and videos. So I create a smart playlist in itunes (that picks random songs from a library of about 70gb) and limit it to 55gb. But it never gets larger than about 50gb, so there’s about 5gb of available space ignored by the smart playlist’s rules. To get around this I’m changing the limit to 60gb (theoretically leaving no room for anything else, but in actuality this ‘ignore the last 5gb’ ‘feature’ will counteract that) But I am curious as to why this is the case with the smart playlists? ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493/2 "2010-03-15T02:34:48Z")
For the record, after formatting, system, cache and so forth the 64 GB iPod has about 59 GB available. I’m butting up against that one, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493/3 "2010-03-15T02:45:12Z")
That’s the result of advertising disk space using a base10 numbering when it is calculated by the system in base2. Not to mention stuff like some space being used for system files. A total guess on my part is that itunes intentionally leaves a buffer on the smart playlists to accommodate this allocation. If a customer sets the smart playlist to the advertised capacity of the ipod, everything works out. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493/4 "2010-03-15T03:03:31Z")
> [@BigNik](#): > > **For the record, after formatting, system, cache and so forth the 64 GB iPod has about 59 GB available.** I’m butting up against that one, myself. Not sure if you’re pointing that out for my benefit. I acknowledged that with this bit - “of the useable space (just under 60gb)” (Just saying 🙂 ) **Palooka** , But surely the numbering is irrelivant if both the smart playlist option screen and the ipod’s space reporting graph are using the same numbering to advertise the space. Upon upping the limit to 60gb I got the music to take up about 53gb. (So about 3 more gb than before) No matter. I can just keep adjusting it if I want more music. I’ve got the free space down to about 2 gb. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493/5 "2010-03-15T03:46:44Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > That’s the result of advertising disk space using a base10 numbering when it is calculated by the system in base2. Not to mention stuff like some space being used for system files. You are not wrong. 59 GB is the formatted size for at 64GB iPod You notice the same thing about 1TB drives. Once you format them they are 931GB HDD makers measure storage in decimal, computers (and such) do it in binary. You will note at 1.44Mb floppy shows only as 1.38Mb ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493/6 "2010-03-15T03:56:51Z")
I just realized that **Palooka** was replying to **BigNik** not me. Doh. ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-smart-playlist-limit-to-actual-size-is-gigabytes-less-than-the-limit-why/532493/7 "2010-03-16T01:14:34Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Not sure if you’re pointing that out for my benefit. I acknowledged that with this bit - “of the useable space (just under 60gb)” (Just saying 🙂 ) Just for clarity. I saw your acknowledgement, but was just adding a specific in case it helped someone with a meaningful response. I’m having a similar issue myself, so while I can’t add anything, I’m curious to see the responses.