You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

📰 Newsroom Update

Billie Eilish is Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2024. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: chaitunani
chaitunani Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Windows iTunes to MacOS Music

Windows PC has been my standard operating model for a long time. Couple of years ago my personal PC decided to give up on me. I was using iTunes to sync music to my phone back then. iTunes library and Music stored on a removable hard drive.


I hadn't purchased a replacement laptop for a while as I didn't see the need for it and the music synced to my iPhone was good enough. Recently purchased a Macbook and the macOS upgraded to Monterey 12.4 version. I opened the new Music app and pointed at the old "iTunes Library.itl" in anticipation that I can sync and start using the Library again. As I have presumed, Music complained with an exclamation mark that the files were not found. I clicked on Get Info on one of the files and location displayed as "file://localhost/F:/Audios/song.mp3". I have made a backup of the iTunes Library folder, did a search and replace on the "iTunes Music Library.xml" using a TextMate. However, when I opened Music and selected the "iTunes Library.itl", file path still remained pointing to above mentioned in the newly converted Music Library.


I cannot sit and update each and every song as I have a few hundred.


Is there a way to update the file path in bulk so I could get back to using my old list?


Any help is appreciated.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.4

Posted on Aug 9, 2022 3:22 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: turingtest2
turingtest2
User level: Level 10
274,546 points

Posted on Aug 9, 2022 11:15 AM

When using an edited XML file you would import the XML file into an otherwise empty library rather than open the .itl file again. The .itl file knows nothing of the XML.




The "missing file" issue with exclamation marks happens if the file is no longer where iTunes or Music expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, one of its parent folders, the drive it lives on has had a name change, or you've moved a non-portable library to a different path (see Make a split library portable for details). It is also possible that iTunes or Music have changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout, or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place, or that you've been too aggressive when deleting duplicates at some point.


Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Cmd-I to get Song Info, then click No when asked to try to locate the track. Look on the file tab for the location the library thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drives. Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, a folder renamed, or a drive label has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions. If the difference between the two paths is an additional Music folder in one path then this is a layout issue. I can explain further if that is the case. If everything is where it is supposed to be try Repair security permissions for iTunes for Mac - Apple Community.


In some cases the library may be able to repair itself if you go through the same steps with Get Info, or when playing a track, but this time click Locate and browse to the lost track. It may then offer to attempt to automatically fix other broken links. Although it says something like "use the same location" I think it expects to find the tracks in the same artist & album layout they were in previously, with one systematic change to the path.


If you want me to try to provide specific advice please post back the following details:

  1. The location of the media folder under iTunes|Music > Preferences > Advanced
  2. The location of a sample missing track shown under Song Info > File > Location that begins file://
  3. The true path to the file whose details you gave in 2



See also FixLinks - an AppleScript to repair broken links in Music - Apple Community.



tt2

View in context

Similar questions

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: turingtest2
turingtest2
User level: Level 10
274,546 points

Aug 9, 2022 11:15 AM in response to chaitunani

When using an edited XML file you would import the XML file into an otherwise empty library rather than open the .itl file again. The .itl file knows nothing of the XML.




The "missing file" issue with exclamation marks happens if the file is no longer where iTunes or Music expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, one of its parent folders, the drive it lives on has had a name change, or you've moved a non-portable library to a different path (see Make a split library portable for details). It is also possible that iTunes or Music have changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout, or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place, or that you've been too aggressive when deleting duplicates at some point.


Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Cmd-I to get Song Info, then click No when asked to try to locate the track. Look on the file tab for the location the library thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drives. Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, a folder renamed, or a drive label has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions. If the difference between the two paths is an additional Music folder in one path then this is a layout issue. I can explain further if that is the case. If everything is where it is supposed to be try Repair security permissions for iTunes for Mac - Apple Community.


In some cases the library may be able to repair itself if you go through the same steps with Get Info, or when playing a track, but this time click Locate and browse to the lost track. It may then offer to attempt to automatically fix other broken links. Although it says something like "use the same location" I think it expects to find the tracks in the same artist & album layout they were in previously, with one systematic change to the path.


If you want me to try to provide specific advice please post back the following details:

  1. The location of the media folder under iTunes|Music > Preferences > Advanced
  2. The location of a sample missing track shown under Song Info > File > Location that begins file://
  3. The true path to the file whose details you gave in 2



See also FixLinks - an AppleScript to repair broken links in Music - Apple Community.



tt2

Reply
User profile for user: chaitunani
chaitunani Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Aug 16, 2022 4:08 AM in response to chaitunani

Thanks a lot turingtest2. The creation of an empty library and importing XML via File -> Library -> Import Playlist and pointing the edited "iTunes Music Library.xml" seems to have done the trick. (I am writing the details so it would help me and someone new to MacOS like me remember what to do next time :))


I had been trying to meddle with the existing library with the fear that I will lose my playlists and play count etc. But I see them now. (Though I haven't synced my device yet to test).


Appreciate the quick response and help.


Cheers!

Reply

Windows iTunes to MacOS Music

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up