Cannot delete music from iMovie Music Library

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Level 1

10 points

Cannot delete music from iMovie Music Library

I recently created a sample project. I dragged a few songs from my iTunes library into the iMovie sound library. I wanted to delete a couple of songs. I right clicked, clicked on "reveal in finder," deleted the song. This was per instructions found here https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251652599. No luck, as the title to the song is still listed in the library. Dragging the song to the trash can does nothing, as does highlighting the song and hitting the delete key.

I want to completely remove these songs. I do not want them showing up in the library at all.

I'm using a Macbook Pro, M1X.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.0

Posted on Nov 27, 2021 11:31 AM

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Answer 1

Rich839

Level 8

47,340 points

Nov 27, 2021 12:31 PM in response to KCLust

Using "reveal in finder" and deleting from the Original Media pop up folder will delete the song from the iMovie library. It will not delete it from the iTunes library. If you want to delete it from the iTunes library open iTunes and delete it from there.

-- Rich

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Answer 2

Rich839

Level 8

47,340 points

Nov 27, 2021 1:26 PM in response to KCLust

Hmmm. What you describe cannot be possible. When a clip is deleted from the Original Media pop-up folder that appears when you do a "reveal in finder", that will delete it from the iMovie library.

How did you determine that it was not deleted? What steps did you take?

-- Rich

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Answer 3

KCLust Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 27, 2021 3:27 PM in response to Rich839

I tried to click the file to delete it. All it did was beep at me. So, I right clicked, and selected reveal in finder. Then I selected the file and deleted it from finder. The problem is that the file name is still displayed in the library of iMovie.

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Answer 4

Rich839

Level 8

47,340 points

Nov 27, 2021 5:52 PM in response to KCLust

You must delete the songs from your iTunes library in order to remove them from the iMovie audio pane. Open iTunes and delete them from there. However, if you delete them from your iTunes library the songs will be lost permanently and you would need to repurchase them if you want to play them again. I recommend just leaving the songs alone -- unless you really don't want them.

-- Rich

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Answer 5

Rich839

Level 8

47,340 points

Nov 27, 2021 6:37 PM in response to KCLust

I suppose that it is a concession that one must make for the convenience of being able to reference your iTunes library from within iMovie. It would be quite complicated to have only some individual songs referenced and not others. (DRM protected songs are not referenced, but that involves copyrights.) Easiest way would be to drag the song out of your iTunes library into a finder folder, and then delete it from your iTunes library. Then it wouldn't be displayed. You could always drag it back in again from the finder folder. All that being said, why not just leave the songs where they are? They don't take up any space. But that's your preference, of course.

-- Rich

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Answer 6

KCLust Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 27, 2021 5:58 PM in response to Rich839

Thanks. This really doesn’t make sense. Why make me keep something that I don’t want or need? Why can’t I just delete the reference to the file, and keep it in iTunes where is has been all along?

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