# Convert auto function unclear

**URL:** <https://discourse.beets.io/t/convert-auto-function-unclear/614>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [February 8, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/convert-auto-function-unclear/614 "2019-02-08T22:37:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JKolman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@JKolman](https://discourse.beets.io/u/JKolman)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/convert-auto-function-unclear/614/1 "2019-02-08T22:37:28Z")

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Hello all,

I’ve only been using beets for a couple of days now, but I haven’t been able to figure out quite how the auto function of the convert plugin works.

What I want: I want the convert plugin to automatically convert all newly imported music files to the mp3 format, as per the plugin’s default. However, I then want it to delete the originals.  
(The originals will always be flac, I’ll make sure of that in the query, and I want them gone to save on disk space.)

However, the docs currently don’t mention what happens to the original files.  
Are they stored in a location of my choosing? (If so, I can make the originals be “stored” in the recycle bin.)  
Or are they kept in the same location as the newly converted files?

Is there a way to add -k to the auto convert commandline?

I’ve been trying a bunch of workarounds but no luck thus far. All thoughts are appreciated. 🙂

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**Author:** ![adrian](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.beets.io/adrian/32/4_2.png) [@adrian](https://discourse.beets.io/u/adrian)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/convert-auto-function-unclear/614/2 "2019-02-09T01:55:58Z")

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Hi! The option does the conversion and puts the newly-converted files in your library. Your original files are untouched.

This thread is about doing what you want instead:

> [@Convert and delete source file(s)](https://discourse.beets.io/t/convert-and-delete-source-file-s/407/3):
>
> I like that, but I should expand a bit more. I’m running the import over my /music directory on a schedule to tag any new music. Sometimes flac files end up next to the converted mp3 files. I’ve got beets running in a container with the cron job scheduled at the host so I figure tying it to the import process is ‘safer’ convert: command: ffmpeg -i $source -y -vn -aq 2 $dest && $dest extension: mp3

In particular, check out this feature request, which would let you change the import config to delete the originals:

> <https://github.com/beetbox/beets/issues/2947>
>
> The relevant parts of my config:
> \`\`\`
> import:
> move: yes
> 
> plugins: conver…t
> 
> convert:
> auto: yes
> max\_bitrate: 192
> format: mp3
> \`\`\`
> If the imported mp3 file has a bitrate under 192 it gets moved unconverted as desired.
> If it's higher than that the old file remains inside the source folder after the successful conversion and the new file get's copied to the destination folder. It acts like the copy flag. The output shows:
> 
> \> convert: Encoding D:\\Test\\Test.mp3
> \> convert: Finished encoding D:\\Test\\Test.mp3