diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 0e2a15ae2..e0af65e7e 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -741,23 +741,6 @@ class TerminalImportSession(importer.ImportSession):
                 assert isinstance(choice, autotag.TrackMatch)
                 return choice
 
-    def summarize_items(self,items):
-        summary_text = ""
-        summary_text += "%d items. " % len(items)
-        format_counts = {}
-        for item in items:
-            format_counts[item[1]] = format_counts.get(item[1],0) + 1;
-        
-        for format, count in format_counts.iteritems():
-            summary_text += '{count} {format}. '.format(format=format, count=count)
-
-        average_bitrate = sum([item[2] for item in items]) / len(items)
-        total_duration = sum([item[3] for item in items])
-        summary_text += '{bitrate} average bitrate. '.format(bitrate=average_bitrate)
-        summary_text += '{length}s total length. '.format(length=int(total_duration))
-
-        return summary_text
-
     def resolve_duplicate(self, task):
         """Decide what to do when a new album or item seems similar to one
         that's already in the library.
@@ -771,12 +754,11 @@ class TerminalImportSession(importer.ImportSession):
             sel = 's'
         else:
             # print some detail about the existing and new items so it can be an informed decision
-
             for duplicate in task.found_duplicates:
                 old_items = [(item.path, item.format, item.bitrate, item.length) for item in duplicate.items()]
-                print("OLD: " + self.summarize_items(old_items))
+                print("OLD: " + util.summarize_items(old_items))
             new_items = [(item.path, item.format, item.bitrate, item.length) for item in task.items]
-            print("NEW: " + self.summarize_items(new_items))
+            print("NEW: " + util.summarize_items(new_items))
 
             sel = ui.input_options(
                 ('Skip new', 'Keep both', 'Remove old')
diff --git a/beets/util/__init__.py b/beets/util/__init__.py
index 428de312a..c66831c30 100644
--- a/beets/util/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/util/__init__.py
@@ -658,3 +658,30 @@ def max_filename_length(path, limit=MAX_FILENAME_LENGTH):
         return min(res[9], limit)
     else:
         return limit
+
+def summarize_items(items):
+    """Produces a brief summary line for manually resolving duplicates during import.
+    Accepts a list of tuples, one per item containing:
+    (path, format, bitrate, duration)
+    """
+
+    summary_text = ""
+    summary_text += "%d items. " % len(items)
+    format_counts = {}
+    for item in items:
+        format_counts[item[1]] = format_counts.get(item[1],0) + 1;
+
+    for format, count in format_counts.iteritems():
+        summary_text += '{count} {format}. '.format(format=format, count=count)
+
+    average_bitrate = sum([item[2] for item in items]) / len(items)
+    total_duration = sum([item[3] for item in items])
+    summary_text += '{bitrate}K average bitrate. '.format(bitrate=int(average_bitrate/1000))
+    summary_text += '{length}s total length. '.format(length=int(total_duration))
+
+    return summary_text
+
+
+
+
+