How do you consolidate an iTunes library onto an external hard drive?

See Move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Community. If iTunes is currently set up on your internal drive in High Sierra then copy the entire iTunes folder out to the external drive, e.g. as <External>/iTunes. This will bring over the database containing ratings, play counts, playlists, etc. as well as the media files. Move the drive to the new machine running Ventura and hold down option as you launch Music. Select <External>/iTunes/iTunes Library to convert it and save the new library as Music in <External> to keep everything on the same volume. Later you can see Managing your Mac media libraries - Apple Community so that you can move or consolidate the music into <External>/Music/Media.

tt2

Pick the new media folder you want to consolidate things to using iTunes > Preferences > Advanced, i.e. <External>/iTunes/iTunes Media or <External>/Music/Media if you're hoping to skip a reorganizational step when you switch to Music, then use File > Library > Organize Library > Consolidate Files. This should copy all files known to the library from their current locations to the new media folder. I recommend backing up the iTunes Library.itl file before you start (while iTunes is closed). That way you can restore the current state of the library on High Sierra if you need to. Once the library has been consolidated you can copy the .itl file into the iTunes or Music folder on the external drive so you have access to it on the new computer.

tt2

You need to copy the post-consolidation version of the iTunes Library.itl to the external drive.

If the library is to end up on the internal drive of the new Mac I would start by renaming its ~/Music/Music folder as ~/Music/Empty Music. You can then hold down option as you launch Music, select the iTunes Library.itl file, and save the converted library as Music in ~/Music. You can then use Music > Preferences > Files to reset the media folder to ~/Music/Music/Media and consolidate after doing so, either when prompted or with File > Library > Organize Library > Consolidate Files.

See Managing your Mac media libraries - Apple Community for advice on organizing any other legacy iTunes content apart from your music.

tt2

Dwaiguy wrote:

Am I saving the converted library on the internal drive of the new Mac or the external?

Which frees up the path ~/Music/Music on the internal drive so that Music can create a new folder called Music inside ~/Music when you get it to convert the .itl file. The library gets saved on the internal drive, and then you consolidate the content from the external drive to the internal. The media folder will be ~/Music/Music/Media which is the default location.

tt2

Dwaiguy wrote:

Just to be clear, youre talking about renaming ~/Music/Music to ~/Music/Empty Music and not ~/Music/Music/Media/Music to ~/Music/Music/Media/Empty Music, correct?

Yes, where ~ is your user's home folder on the internal drive.

tt2

Yes, and once you've consolidated to the new media folder you should be able to disconnect the external drive.

tt2