anonym1

Q: Mismatching Phone and Itunes Library?

So recently I got a new macbook and transferred some of my music onto itunes but not all of it, assuming when I synced my phone it would transfer all my music over. As you can guess, that was not the case. My library on itunes only has the limited amount of music while my phone has all of it. The old computer is extremely slow and failed to transfer that itunes library onto a disk to move it. Is there a way to get my itunes and phone library to display the SAME music? Not happy with all the new itunes updates, bring back the straightforward stuff!

iPhone 5s

Posted on Dec 2, 2015 6:37 PM

Close

Q: Mismatching Phone and Itunes Library?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by pedro d,

    pedro d pedro d Dec 4, 2015 6:35 AM in response to anonym1
    Community Specialists
    Dec 4, 2015 6:35 AM in response to anonym1

    Hello there, anonym1.

     

    It sounds like you are wanting to get the iTunes Library from your old computer to your new MacBook. The following Knowledge Base article offers up some thorough information on ways to accomplish that:

     

    How to move your iTunes library to a new computer

     

    Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

     

    Kind Regards.

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Dec 4, 2015 6:50 AM in response to anonym1
    Level 9 (54,543 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 4, 2015 6:50 AM in response to anonym1

    Unless you buy all your music from Apple and/or you subscribe to iTunes Match your library will not automagically be transferred when you start to use a new computer. You have to be proactive.  The best way to do this is to copy the entire library yourself.  If you cannot do this there are other much more laborious and more costly methods but I am not going to include them unless you need them.

     

    Moving a library: Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its sub-folders and files) intact to the other drive, hold down the option/alt key while starting iTunes, and when requested to select a library select the iTunes Library.itl file in the copied folder. 

     

    When this is to a new computer put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music  (or Home > Music) then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there.  (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)  Remember to authorize the computer in iTunes to your Apple ID if you use this to sync to Apple mobile devices or play DRM protected media (e.g., movies).

     

    Certain items used in iTunes related activities are not stored in the iTunes library folder but in special folders.  If you are moving a library to a different computer you may wish to copy these too:

     

    - Apple Music cache files: http://dougscripts.com/itunes/2015/09/new-flush-apple-music-cache-files/

     

    - iOS device backups, various preferences files: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3285925

     

     

    Windows users see tip at: https://discussions.apple.com/message/18879381#18879381

     

    Consider moving everything from your Windows PC to your Mac in a single move, including your iTunes library: About Windows Migration Assistant - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4796 - Learn about how to use Windows Migration Assistant to migrate your files from a Windows PC to a Mac.  Additional tip by ChrisCA 05/2014 - https://discussions.apple.com/message/28178940#28178940