Music storing files in multiple locations __ Excessive storage space use 168gb!

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Music storing files in multiple locations __ Excessive storage space use 168gb!

My default folder for the Music app on Mac is /Macintosh HD/Users/justin/Music/Music/Media. This has around 80gb on it as I add and download the albums I enjoy from the library. I download these because I don't have internet all the time.

I have another folder /Macintosh HD/Users/justin/Music/JUSTIN MUSIC COLLECTION with my personal, owned music files spanning 25 years. They have been imported and are integrated into the library. This file is 185gb.

[ ]Copy files to music media folder when adding to library (UNCHECKED)

[x]Automatic downloads (CHECKED, yes I want albums downloaded when I add them to library)

[ ]Add songs to library when adding to playlist (UNCHECKED)

All this is fine with me. The problem is the Music App is using an additional 168gb according to Storage. I can't even access these files! What is going on?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 13.0

Posted on Dec 8, 2022 5:38 AM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

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274,240 points

Dec 8, 2022 8:58 AM in response to iuh34ifuhwfiuwfkwbekwjbefwuh3f

Try rebuilding the Spotlight index. It looks like Spotlight is reporting the wrong values.

See How to rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support.

tt2

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

274,240 points

Dec 8, 2022 7:46 AM in response to iuh34ifuhwfiuwfkwbekwjbefwuh3f

I would expect the space reported under Storage would either be ~/Music or ~/Music/Music, though I suppose at a push it could be whatever is connected to the library. If you look at the Songs collection in Music and enable the status bar what is the size shown there? Is everything in your ~/Music folder connected to the library? Is there any other audio content stored elsewhere, e.g. audiobooks, podcasts, downloads folder, etc. It may simply be that Storage is not calculating the used space correctly, not that there is some additional usage that you are unware of.

tt2

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Answer 3

Dec 8, 2022 8:11 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

Songs 23,600 148gb in status bar. I don't have any music stored anywhere else on the drive.

Mac HD is showing 534gb of 494gb used? Docs 225, Music 168, Apps 107

When I click the (i) for Music app in settings>storage the popup window has no files in it, says 168gb total, "remove music video files to free storage space". It's empty.

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Answer 4

Dec 8, 2022 12:31 PM in response to turingtest2

No change after the spotlight rebuild. I ran first aid in DU and it checked out OK.

In settings>general>storage the System Data row has been calculating for over an hour; the icon is spinning, but it seems like it is stuck.

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Answer 5

turingtest2

Level 10

274,240 points

Dec 12, 2022 10:47 AM in response to iuh34ifuhwfiuwfkwbekwjbefwuh3f

Did that task ever finish?

tt2

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Music storing files in multiple locations __ Excessive storage space use 168gb!

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