Apple Music Library on MacBook Pro - Index Corrupted?

Question

Level 1

8 points

Apple Music Library on MacBook Pro - Index Corrupted?

I have an M1 Pro MacBook Pro running Sonoma 14.1.1. The Apple Music app is version 1.4.1.29. Settings include having "Keep Music Media folder organized" and "Copy files to Music Media folder when adding to library" both checked. I have a large library with over 87,000 songs, about 1/3rd are from Apple Music and the other 2/3rds are rips from my own collection. It is stored on an external SSD drive.

It appears to me as if the index for all of this has gotten messed up. All of the songs are there but many are in the wrong place, appearing under the wrong albums. When doing Artists view in Apple Music, many songs appear as part of the wrong album. Example - Bruce Springsteen, album The Wild The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, it shows Thunder Road as track 1, and of course it's track 1 on Born to Run. When I do Get Info/File on that song, it shows that the song is part of the Born to Run album and is filed in the Born to Run folder. So why is Apple Music displaying it this way?

So I unchecked Keep Music Media File organized, checked it again, let it re-index, shut down the Apple Music app, "saving library" took almost 2 hours. Then I started the Apple Music app again, no change, still all wrong.

How do I fix this?

MacBook Pro (M1, 2020)

Posted on Jan 14, 2024 1:56 PM

Reply

Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

272,657 points

Jan 14, 2024 4:13 PM in response to SpikeHK

Do you have Time Machine set up and covering the location where the .musiclibrary is stored? If you option start Music and create a new empty library and turn on Sync Library do you get the library you're expecting, albeit all in the cloud?

tt2

Reply

Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

272,657 points

Jan 14, 2024 4:52 PM in response to SpikeHK

In that case one possible approach is to use that new library, and download any content that you want stored locally as opposed to streaming from the cloud. I don't really have all the details, but it does sound as if your main library is corrupt in a way that isn't easily fixed. And if trying to fix it might confuse the working version that is in the cloud that would be undesirable.

If that's too much content to download (and you'd still think about where you want it to download) does your Backblaze backup included dated snapshots, and if so can you grab a version of the Music Library.musiclibrary package from just before things appeared to go wrong?

tt2

Reply

Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

272,657 points

Jan 14, 2024 3:06 PM in response to SpikeHK

Try Empty/corrupt iTunes/Music library after upgrade/crash - Apple Community.

tt2

Reply

Answer 4

SpikeHK Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 14, 2024 4:04 PM in response to turingtest2

I'm a bit lost after looking at that page. I have a current Music Library file but the newest previous version I can find is two months old. I would hate to lose all of the changes I've made in the past two months. Is there anything else you might suggest?

Reply

Answer 5

SpikeHK Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 14, 2024 4:30 PM in response to turingtest2

I don't use Time Machine. (I use Backblaze for backups).

"If you option start Music and create a new empty library and turn on Sync Library do you get the library you're expecting, albeit all in the cloud?" Yes, and I'm not seeing those indexing errors.

What do you suggest for a next step?

Reply

Answer 6

SpikeHK Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 14, 2024 6:00 PM in response to turingtest2

"one possible approach is to use that new library" - I had a feeling you were going to suggest that. :) I'll have to think about if that's the way I want to go.

Backblaze does have an option to go back in time up to one year. I think I'll try that one first and keep your other suggestion in my back pocket just in case.

I realize that my library is way unwieldy at 87k songs. I doubt I even actively listen to more than 1,000 songs these days. I keep meaning to whittle it down. In your experience, are there any recommendations for an optimal library size, or a "safe size" before things max out and get crappy?

By the way, thanks for the good recommendations!

Reply

Answer 7

turingtest2

Level 10

272,657 points

Jan 27, 2024 9:06 AM in response to SpikeHK

I have a main library of about 65k tracks, and an Apple Music library of 11k that syncs between various computers and devices. I don't know if those are particularly good examples, but I'd heard enough "Apple Music/iTunes Match ruined my library" horror stories that I wanted to use a separate library when I first started using iTunes Match. Needless to say there haven't really been any issues for me, although I did discover that I have to hide certain purchases if I want my custom metadata to stick.

tt2

Reply

Answer 8

SpikeHK Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 27, 2024 9:12 AM in response to turingtest2

I've thought of that kind of approach but the overhead seems too cumbersome to me. First, the time involved in getting a < 10k songs library. Then the ongoing management, as new stuff comes along, what goes in which library and when? Do you have any tips or shortcuts for that approach?

Reply

Answer 9

turingtest2

Level 10

272,657 points

Jan 27, 2024 11:06 AM in response to SpikeHK

The original cloud music library included all of my purchases and then I copied over content from the large library as and when I missed it. Once I switched to Apple Music from iTunes Match that really became my main library. I can import obscure content from my old library when it isn't available in Apple Music, but it is rare that I go back to it these days. If I buy new music elsewhere I'll usually try to add it to both libraries but, you know, housekeeping. I'm sure there is stuff from Bandcamp I've yet to import to both.

tt2

Reply