Can’t download iTunes movies

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Level 8

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Can’t download iTunes movies

I’m not able to download my purchased movies from iTunes onto my MacBook Air 2019.

I’ve tried signing out of iTunes, restarting the Mac, signed back in. I have the disk space since it’s new. macOS is up to date. 10.14.6. System Status page indicates no outages. Rebooted wifi and tested in safari.

I open iTunes and go to Library- Movies. I select a movie to download using the cloud icon underneath it. The cloud icon fades out then like it did download. The same titles will download onto my iPad just fine via the Apple TV App..

I’ve tried Two ways; one being as mentioned above, nothing happens except the cloud icon is now faded as if something happened.

The second way is to go to purchases- movies. I download from that and see it downloading at the top, but instead of going to the download folder it is duplicated in the library - movies, but has no artwork. It will be right beside the original that still has the cloud indicating it’s notbeen downloaded

Neither method will put them in the download folder!

This screenshot shows the duplicate examples. Note the cloud on the original indicates not downloaded. And the missing Artwork one has no cloud.

Posted on Sep 18, 2019 3:34 AM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Sep 19, 2019 3:15 AM in response to Vancouver22

The Downloads folder in Finder is the temporary location for the data while it is being downloaded. The item won't be a valid video file, nor will it be added to the library, until the entire thing has finished downloading. The Downloaded section within iTunes shows movies that are stored locally on your computer. The other views should also show what is in the cloud. You should be able to stream a purchase that isn't yet downloaded. In some cases this will also be better quality as iTunes doesn't download 4K versions, but can stream them. iTunes doesn't really care where something is as long as it has been linked into the database. It will only accept content it thinks is in a valid form of a file type it can handle. I suspect, for one reason or another, that the Ex Machina download isn't completing. Reboot your router and computer, clear out the downloads folder before launching iTunes, and try again. Once you've started the download click the little widget at the top right of the iTunes window to monitor download progress. While that is open I recommend you untick the box that allows for simultaneous downloads.

tt2

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Sep 18, 2019 7:18 PM in response to Vancouver22

<User>/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media is the correct default path for the media folder. When you download content from iTunes the Downloads folder should be created if missing, a .plist file goes in there temporarily with details of the downloads so they can be resumed if iTunes is restarted. Temporary files are created for each download. When complete the downloaded file should be moved and renamed according to its media type and metadata and added to the library. Movies should go into <Media Folder>/Movies/<Movie Title>. With a mint Mac and up to date Mojave it should all be working correctly.

There is no good reason these should be wrong, but see Repair security permissions for iTunes for Mac - Apple Community just in case.

Try using Get Info (Cmd+i) on one of the corrupt entries and use the File tab to see where iTunes thinks the file is located.

You should be able to use sticky keys to allow you to access combinations you cannot do one handed. See Use the Accessibility Options keyboard shortcut - Apple Support for details.

tt2

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Answer 3

Vancouver22 Author

Level 8

36,258 points

Sep 18, 2019 9:20 PM in response to turingtest2

I used your user Tip and I confirmed I had read & write. Thanks.

You’ve been an amazing help. I’m not good with Macs and I’ve learned something performing the tasks you given me.

The movie First Man has made it in to my downloads folder in iTunes now. It showed up after I did another restart and checked again.

If I download anything from my movies in my iTunes library nothing happens.

If I go to the store to download, then I get them in folders in Finder, the issue is they don’t go to the same folders.

First Man (the one now working from a store download) went into the movies folder

Ex Machina (Store Download) went into the Downloads Folder and the downloads folder will not show up in my iTunes downloads. I tried moving it into movies, didn’t work

See screenshots

So in conclusion they need to be in the movies folder to show in iTunes . The destination path seems to not be working as it should,

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Sep 18, 2019 1:38 PM in response to Vancouver22

Delete any invalid entries from the library. Close iTunes. Delete the Downloads folder inside iTunes Media. Press and hold down option+command as you launch iTunes to open it in safe mode. Try downloading again. Do you have any third party security software? If so exclude its real-time scanner from monitoring your iTunes folder, and your media folder if on a separate path.

tt2

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Answer 5

Vancouver22 Author

Level 8

36,258 points

Sep 18, 2019 6:56 PM in response to turingtest2

Thanks so much for your help tt2

I wasn’t able to delete the invalids. It only gave the option to hide.

I deleted the downloads folder in iTunes media. There was nothing in it so I just deleted the empty folder.

I have no third party anything. This is a brand new MacBook and so far all I’d tried doing on it was getting my iTunes files downloaded. It will download my Apple Music playlists but will not do my purchased music videos- I get the invalid duplicates on those as well.

The safe mode part I cannot do, it requires two hands and I only have one to use.

I tried going to the Store to download First Man, it shows up top it is downloading. It never ends up in my downloads folder in iTunes. However this one put it in the downloads folder in my Home folder; Music/ iTunes/ iTunes Media. It also popped up “ready to watch” after the download completed.

I feel as if the destination folder has its wires crossed, like it can go in the right folder as in my last test but won’t show in the iTunes App in Library. I’m wondering once Catalina comes out if this will be resolved using the Apple TV App. That works good on my iPads and my Apple TV 4k is all good.

Otherwise this iTunes seems corrupted. There’s an option to change the destination folder, would that help and if so what could I change it to? Right now it’s Music/ iTunes/ iTunes Media

Hey the Ex Machina movie is about your user name!

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Answer 6

Vancouver22 Author

Level 8

36,258 points

Sep 19, 2019 11:24 AM in response to turingtest2

Thank you so much for taking to time to walk me through this.

I have Ex Machina and a Music Video now in my downloads folder in iTunes. I think I might have stopped the downloads because I’m clicking on things I shouldn’t. I was clicking all over the place on the download widget. Couldn’t really see the thing at night. I’m in bright daylight now and can see lol Good thing you made a point of mentioning the widget.

I didn’t know about it streaming in better quality.

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Answer 7

turingtest2

Level 10

272,749 points

Sep 19, 2019 12:14 PM in response to Vancouver22

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

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Can’t download iTunes movies

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