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User profile for user: burdavis
burdavis Author
User level: Level 1
14 points

Will the MacOS Apple Music app import an iTunes 10 library?

Finally moving to a new MacBook Pro, so I'm running Catalina with the new Apple Music app (and trying to adjust to Apple shooting iTunes in the head).


I am trying to use the Music app to import an iTunes 10 library (File > Import and then open the .itl file).


Nothing happens. No error message, nothing. I can only guess that it's barfing on the old version and not bothering to report back ("don't waste my time, buddy").


Has anyone else tried this?


I'm trying to do this so I can preserve "Date Added" for all my tracks (and I am guessing there will be other bits metadata stored only in the library which will go missing as well).


If the Music app won't work, I'm wondering whether there might be some other utility which can transform an iTunes 10 library to a Music library.


Does anyone else know of such a utility? Or perhaps there's a function within Music which I'm just missing?





MacBook Pro 15", OS X 10.11

Posted on May 5, 2020 2:54 PM

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User profile for user: ed2345
ed2345
User level: Level 9
62,858 points

Posted on May 5, 2020 4:41 PM



I am trying to use the Music app to import an iTunes 10 library (File > Import and then open the .itl file).

Nothing happens. No error message, nothing. I can only guess that it's barfing on the old version and not bothering to report back ("don't waste my time, buddy").

Has anyone else tried this?

No, because it does not do anything. :-)


Since you know where the .itl file is, you need to do at the following: Quit Music. Hold down the Option key while you restart Music. When you get the dialog saying "Choose Music Library," point it at the .itl file.

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User profile for user: ed2345
ed2345
User level: Level 9
62,858 points

May 5, 2020 4:41 PM in response to burdavis



I am trying to use the Music app to import an iTunes 10 library (File > Import and then open the .itl file).

Nothing happens. No error message, nothing. I can only guess that it's barfing on the old version and not bothering to report back ("don't waste my time, buddy").

Has anyone else tried this?

No, because it does not do anything. :-)


Since you know where the .itl file is, you need to do at the following: Quit Music. Hold down the Option key while you restart Music. When you get the dialog saying "Choose Music Library," point it at the .itl file.

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User profile for user: burdavis
burdavis Author
User level: Level 1
14 points

May 5, 2020 5:12 PM in response to ed2345

Thanks! I just did that and got the following error:


"iTunes Library.itl does not appear to be a valid library. Please choose a different library."


This file was working w iTunes 10 on my old machine. I copied my entire iTunes folder onto my new machine, together with that .itl file. I am pointing Music at the .itl file in that copied folder.


Any other suggesions?

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Will the MacOS Apple Music app import an iTunes 10 library?

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