Flac files disappeared

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Level 1

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Flac files disappeared

So I know that iTunes and Music cannot support .flac files. However, I recently made a purchase from HDtracks and accidentally selected .flac instead of .alac when downloading, and without thinking I attempted to import the .flac files into my Music Library. When I did so the files did not import, but simply disappeared. While I've redownloaded and imported the proper .alac files, I'm wondering where the original .flacs went. They were rather large files and I'm worried about them hiding somewhere and unnecessarily taking up storage.

Posted on Aug 17, 2022 6:58 AM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

Level 10

278,003 points

Aug 17, 2022 8:50 AM in response to nads9

As ed notes, typically files that iTunes or Music rejects from Automatically Add... are moved into a Not Added folder, although I have seen it unceremoniously delete files too, though that has been with hidden files.

You should be able to search the whole computer in Finder for .flac and see what turns up where.

tt2

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Answer 2

ed2345

Level 9

63,560 points

Aug 17, 2022 7:45 AM in response to nads9

Nads,

Normally, dragging an incompatible file into the "Automatically Add..." folder results in the file being placed in a "Not Added" folder inside the "Automatically Add..." folder. Can you see something like that on your machine?

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Answer 3

ed2345

Level 9

63,560 points

Aug 17, 2022 5:58 PM in response to nads9

Nads,

I was able to reproduce that behavior. I dragged an FLAC and an MP3 to Automatically Add to Music.

The MP3 was correctly added to the Music library.

The FLAC vanished. Not in the library, not in a "Not Added folder, not in Trash, and nowhere that Finder could see. Just gone!

Looks to me like a bug.

(BTW I am on an older Mac, but also running on Monterey.)

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

278,003 points

Aug 17, 2022 7:03 PM in response to ed2345

In Catalina .flac files are moved to Not Added rather than being discarded, adding weight to your bug theory.

tt2

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Answer 5

nads9 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 17, 2022 9:08 AM in response to turingtest2

A Finder search both for ".flac" filenames and "FLAC audio" Kinds yielded no results, so they're either buried somewhere or they were automatically deleted.

It's also worth noting that I'm on a brand new M2 running Monterey 12.5, and I've noticed a few new compatibility barriers (both to non-Apple and older OS), so there's a chance that this is a feature rather than a bug.

Out of sight out of mind I guess.

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Answer 6

nads9 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 17, 2022 7:08 AM in response to nads9

I should probably clarify that by "disappeared" I mean that the .flac files that I dragged and dropped into the "Automatically Add to Music" folder did not add to my Library nor did they remain in that folder, they're quite simply gone from view as far as I can see.

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Answer 7

nads9 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 17, 2022 8:23 AM in response to ed2345

There's no "Not Added" folder showing, nor is the size of the disappeared .flac files reflected in the size of my "Automatically Add" folder or Music Library for that matter.

The disappeared files constitute just under a GB of data. I would simply like to locate them and give them a proper delete if I can.

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Flac files disappeared

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