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Songs uploaded to iTunes from old CDs

I have a lot of songs on my computer in iTunes that I uploaded from CDs. I no longer have the CDs. I cannot access my music. Tell me why I cannot play my own music, when they were uploaded from CDs that I purchased??? How can I get them back???

Windows, Windows 10

Posted on Jan 27, 2023 5:17 PM

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4 replies

Jan 27, 2023 5:45 PM in response to FunnyLadyOMG

A few things:


  1. If you no longer have the CDs you legally can no longer retain the digital file that you created.
  2. If you ripped your music into iTunes, it will reside wherever you kept your music library. Ripped music is not uploaded anywhere, just copied to your library.
  3. If you subscribed to iTunes Match or Apple Music, then your music may have been matched and retained in the cloud.
  4. In a worst case, you can recover from your backups

Jan 28, 2023 2:21 AM in response to LME12

LME12 wrote:

I don't even understand how they can show in laptops iTunes and not another -not very tech savvy.

Apple have unhelpfully created two "iTunes":

    1. iTunes - the programme on your computer
    2. The iTunes Store - the online place where you can buy music that many people refer to as iTunes. The store only knows about the music that you have purchased from the store. It does not know about your music from CD or anywhere else (unless you use the Match service, which I assume you do not)


To get copies of the music that you obtained elsewhere onto another computer (and then into that computer's iTunes), you need to copy the music from the old computer to the new one.

Jan 27, 2023 6:40 PM in response to muguy

Hi -similar to the post you replied to, I have music from CD's that was showing in iTunes along with my purchased songs, however the CD songs are no longer showing up in there (ever since I got a new phone). All I can see now is songs that I have purchased from iTunes. I do not have a subscription. My phone and laptop do not show the CD songs. I do have an old laptop that still shows them in iTunes -how do I get them back into my current iTunes and onto my phone? I don't even understand how they can show in laptops iTunes and not another -not very tech savvy.

Songs uploaded to iTunes from old CDs

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