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iTunes Library and Playlists

So, a few weeks ago my Dell laptop (provided by my employer) needed to be wiped and reloaded. So, before hand, I saved my 15,000 plus songs to an external hard drive.

I got my computer back, and now I am trying to copy those songs back to my iTunes library for easy access, but the playlists aren't showing up. I create playlists for my children, students (I am a teacher), etc. And no matter what I do, I can't see those playlists within iTunes. Can someone help me with crazy CLEAR directions?

Posted on Apr 17, 2019 12:48 PM

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turingtest2

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Posted on Apr 17, 2019 12:56 PM

Did you copy off the entire iTunes folder? If so copy it back into your user's music folder, don't import it into an empty library. See Move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Community. If you're missing the original database do you have these playlists on any device?

tt2

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DrTracyWood Author

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May 6, 2019 11:53 AM in response to turingtest2

Alright, so final question- I think, how do I change things over, so that all of the music is on my external harddrive?

And, once I do that, before I rip a disc or want to update my phone's music, etc. I just have to have my external plugged in and it will work naturally?

Thank you so far!

turingtest2

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May 6, 2019 12:04 PM in response to DrTracyWood

Alright, so final question- I think, how do I change things over, so that all of the music is on my external harddrive?

Covered in Make a split library portable - Apple Community. If you want specific advice I need to know the path to the active iTunes Library.itl file, the path to the media folder (see Edit > Preferences > Advanced), an approximate size for the library, and the free space on the external drive. (In some cases consolidating to a new media folder will be easier than manipulating the existing one into a new location.)

And, once I do that, before I rip a disc or want to update my phone's music, etc. I just have to have my external plugged in and it will work naturally?

Yes, plug in the drive before you run iTunes. If you forget there will be an error message. Cancel, connect drive, run iTunes as normal.

tt2

DrTracyWood Author

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Apr 18, 2019 8:57 AM in response to turingtest2

My "folders" just don't look like that:

When I click on iTunes>iTunes Media>music all of my music IS there, but it is not showing up in iTunes when I open it off my desktop.

DrTracyWood Author

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Apr 18, 2019 11:28 AM in response to turingtest2

This is a list of folders with all artists, of music I own. These aren't just purchased music songs, it is music I owned and burned onto my hard drive. But I can't find my playlists or anything.

DrTracyWood Author

Level 1

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Apr 19, 2019 3:29 PM in response to DrTracyWood

Follow up, some of the playlists/albums aren't even there. For example, all of my U2 library shows up, except for Songs of Innocence, which I KNOW I burned on to this computer a few months ago??

DrTracyWood Author

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Apr 23, 2019 12:22 PM in response to turingtest2

It isn't purchased music for sure. It is music I have burned on to my harddrive. Here is a screen shot of one that is says can't be found:

DrTracyWood Author

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Apr 23, 2019 1:15 PM in response to turingtest2

Ok, so my iTunes now found all of the files except for 53, for some weird reason.

Is there an easy way to find those 53, easily? It is one album, and then I can't find any other ! songs anywhere...

DrTracyWood Author

Level 1

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May 15, 2019 11:44 AM in response to turingtest2

Regarding the path to the active iTunes library.itl file, is this it? If not, please tell me exactly how to find it for you (much you like you did below).

Here is the path to the Media Folder:

turingtest2

Level 10

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May 15, 2019 2:22 PM in response to DrTracyWood

Use the script http://samsoft.org.uk/iTunes/scripts.asp#iTunesITLPath. It is probably C:\Users\woodtracy\Music\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl.

tt2

DrTracyWood Author

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Apr 19, 2019 3:17 PM in response to turingtest2

Ok, tt2, you have been a HUGE help, but it is still not perfect. All of my playlists are there, so that is a great step! And I am appreciative! But, when I click on a song in a playlist it says this:

And then when I click locate, it takes me to some folders, and I can find that artist, and the album, so I click yes. Then it asks me:

if I want to let iTunes find the rest of the files, and I click yes. Now, I have the entire album, yay, HOWEVER isn't there a way for me to locate all files in all playlists? Instead of me going from playlist to playlist doing this? That seems exhausting...

turingtest2

Level 10

278,079 points

Apr 23, 2019 12:33 PM in response to DrTracyWood

Great, now can you find a file called 01 Born Country.m4a anywhere on your computer? If so, where? I'm assuming it isn't at C:\Users\woodtracy\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Alabama\Ultimate Alabama_ 20 #1 Hits\01 Born Country.m4a or iTunes ought to be able to play it.

tt2

turingtest2

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Apr 25, 2019 11:22 AM in response to DrTracyWood

You mean rip a disc. Burning is copying data to an optical disc rather than from it. If your library is in the ideal portable on an external drive then it needs to be connected before you can run iTunes. As before you don't have to have it on a external drive, but what you should avoid is having the library on one drive, the media folder on another, and media added to the library which isn't placed inside or copied to the media folder. That way there is just one folder (and all its subfolders) that needs to be backed up, and the backup will work on another computer, or if accessed directly after an issue with the primary copy.

Again, the drives where the library and data live need to be connected for iTunes to work with them and update any device. If your library is in the portable shape on an external drive and you accidental try to launch iTunes while the drive isn't connected iTunes will complain that it cannot find the library. Cancel, connect the drive, and restart iTunes. In contrast when there is a split library and the drive with the media folder is offline iTunes will silently reset the media folder to an iTunes Media folder inside the iTunes folder on the main drive, leading to future confusion about what is stored where.

tt2

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iTunes Library and Playlists