Itunes media folder not updating

Question

Level 1

10 points

Itunes media folder not updating

I've bought a newer Mac Mini to use as an iTunes server. It's running OS 10.11.6 and iTunes 12.8.2.3

My iTunes media folder is on an external drive, as it was for my previous Mac Mini iTunes Server, and I've followed the steps to try and get iTunes to use this folder (advanced prefs > change iTunes media folder, and then File > Library > Organise Library > Consolidate Files etc.), but when I click OK nothing is happening.

The only songs I see in my Library are those I bought from the iTunes Store.

Short of re-importing thousands of songs, how do I get iTunes to show the music stored in this folder?

Mac mini, OS X 10.11

Posted on Jan 22, 2021 6:30 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

turingtest2

Level 10

274,430 points

Jan 22, 2021 7:54 AM in response to TheLoneRoger

Music > Preferences > Files > Media folder location tells Music where you want it to store new media in future. Changing this property doesn't make Music see the content in that folder. You can use File > Add to Library to add in what is there, but that won't bring in playlists, ratings, play counts, etc. that were in your previous library. To get those you need to copy over the iTunes Library.itl from your previous computer, then option-start-Music, choose your .itl file, and select a location for the converted library to be saved.

tt2

Reply

Answer 2

TheLoneRoger Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 22, 2021 12:09 PM in response to turingtest2

Actually, this wasn't a complete success after all.

After I had chosen the .itl file and the location for the library and left it to process, only about a quarter of the library was actually copied across.

There doesn't appear to be any obvious logic to which files had and hadn't been copied, so I'm now having to copy the rest over manually...

Reply

Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

274,430 points

Jan 22, 2021 12:23 PM in response to TheLoneRoger

Ah, in which case it is probably a matter of preparation on the previous computer. See Move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Community for a more comprehensive guide.

tt2

Reply