How do I move the music folder from one mac to another

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How do I move the music folder from one mac to another

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I have been trying to Move my music library from a 2020 iMac running Sonoma to a 2015 MB Pro running Catalina. I looked online and found these instructions for doing so but when I follow the last step, i.e., launching the Music.App on the MB Pro while holding down the Option key and navigating to the consolidated library I moved to that MB Pro, the moved library is not recognized.

Can anyone offer any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong? Here were the instructions I found.

Yes, you can move your music library from a Mac running Sonoma to a Mac running Catalina. Here are the general steps to do so:

Consolidate Your Music Files: In the Music app on your Mac, choose File > Library > Organize Library, then select "Consolidate files." This will ensure that all your music files are in one location[2][4].

Copy the iTunes/Music Folder: The iTunes/Music folder contains all your music files. You can find it in the Music folder of your user account. Copy this folder to an external drive or the new Mac[5].

Transfer to the New Mac: Once you have copied the iTunes/Music folder to the new Mac, place it in the Music folder of the new user account. Open the Music app, and it should recognize the library.

Citations:

[1] Moving music library to Catalina - Apple Community

[2] Change where your music files are stored on Mac - Apple Support (ZA)

[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/pxm9mw/moving_library_between_computers_in_apple_music/

[4] https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/66800-back-up-music-library/

[5] How can I copy Music library from one Mac to another

iMac 27″, macOS 14.2

Posted on Dec 26, 2023 2:58 PM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

Level 10

278,597 points

Dec 27, 2023 5:51 AM in response to Room101A

See Move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Community for general advice. Since you're downgrading from Sonoma to Catalina the .musiclibrary created by Sonoma cannot be opened by the older version of Music. You will need to export the library as an XML file (File > Library > Export Library) on the Sonoma iMac, then with a new empty library on the Catalina MB Pro use File > Library > Import Playlist to import the XML file. The paths in the XML must match the locations during import, which they should do if the data is on an external drive when the XML is created, and the drive is moved between the two systems. A copy of the folder to a new location is less likely to work. Date Added will be reset as part of this method of migration. If that matters a temporary subscription to Apple Music would be an alternative way to clone the library which may preserve it.

tt2

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Answer 2

Room101A Author

Level 1

134 points

Dec 30, 2023 3:45 PM in response to turingtest2

I was able to open that Library.xml folder with TextEdit, found the line to which you pointed me:

<key>Music Folder</key><string>file:///Users/rgirou/Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Media/</string>

I saw that my home folder on the MBP is /rfg, not /rgirou and so made that change.

<key>Music Folder</key><string>file:///Users/rg/Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Media/</string>

After editing it, I launched Music and went to File > Library > Import Playlist , navigated to the edited Librayr.xml document, clicked on Open and got [Some of the songs in the file "Library.xml] were not imorted because they could not be found].

BUT the Playlists are now there in the sidebar so I will now go through them and try to see what Songs did not move over.

Cannot thank you enough for all your time and patience and accurate instructions

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

278,597 points

Dec 30, 2023 12:09 AM in response to Room101A

Did you try exporting the library as an XML file from the Sonoma system? You should be able to import this file into the library on Catalina to rebuild the playlists provided the paths are the same. If the paths have changed you should be able to use a text editor to replace the changed part of the path wherever it appears.

tt2

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

278,597 points

Dec 30, 2023 2:55 PM in response to Room101A

Nothing happens if you just place the XML in the same folder as the .musiclibrary database. You would need to use File > Library > Import Playlist to import it.

Someone else posted recently that they fixed their XML file simply by editing a line that looks a bit like this:

<key>Music Folder</key><string>file:///Volumes/External/Music/Media.localized/</string>

to the actual location of the media folder. Traditionally you would use a text editor (Mac has one called TextEdit) to perform a search and replace operation on every location key. They look a bit like this:

<key>Location</key><string>file:///Volumes/External/Music/Media.localized/Music/Album%20Artist/Artist/01%20Song%20 Name.m4a</string>

In these XML strings spaces are replaced with %20, and some other characters will also be replaced by codes. You would typically be replacing say /External/ with /New%20/Drive/ or some such so as to account for the change in the paths that has taken place by moving the library from one volume to another, renaming a folder, or nesting the media folder at a different level. If you've simply moved the drive from one computer to another without changing the drive name, or moving or renaming the media folder, then you shouldn't need to edit the XML file at all.

tt2

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Answer 5

Room101A Author

Level 1

134 points

Dec 27, 2023 7:36 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks so much for that feedback and for the link. You have given me a lot to digest. Kind of snowed under now getting back to work after the holidays and I will read the article to which you provided a link, experiment with the advice you provided and report back.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

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Answer 6

Room101A Author

Level 1

134 points

Dec 29, 2023 9:17 AM in response to turingtest2

Reporting back. Following your directions, I was indeed able to move that Music library and to open it on the MBP running Catalina. All my music is now on that MBP. Unfortunately, none of the Playlists were copied over and I am now faced with the massive task of re-creating Playlists I have slowly built up on the iMac over years.

Again, many thanks for your help.

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Answer 7

Room101A Author

Level 1

134 points

Dec 30, 2023 11:35 AM in response to turingtest2

Quiet day today and so have been reviewing your instructions.

I launched Music and went to File > Library > Export Library, and this created a 7.2 MB file names Music.xml

Here is a screenshot taken of the Path to the Music Library I moved to the MB Pro.

When I launch Music on the MBP, it now opens to the list of "songs" you see to the far right.

You can see where I placed the Library.xml folder I just moved to the MBP. Is this in the wrong place because when I open Music, my Songs are all there but there are no playlists.

Is it necessary to do as you suggested: "If the paths have changed you should be able to use a text editor to replace the changed part of the path wherever it appears? And if so, would it be trying your patience to ask for how one does that?

And once again, I cannot thank you enough for your patience and assistance.

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How do I move the music folder from one mac to another

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