recover all music files deleted by apple when itunes changed to music app

There appears to be an outstanding bug with Music in Monterey failing to open .itl files, which Apple are unlikely to revisit at this late stage. Workarounds are to perform the library conversion in Catalina or Big Sur (the media folder isn't required) or import an XML version of the database created by iTunes (where the media must be present where referenced). The XML may need editing to adjust for changes in path, and loses the original date added information.

If you don't have access to Catalina or Big Sur, and can't/don't want to go the XML route you can send me a link to your .itl file in iCloud Drive, OneDrive, or similar and I can convert the library and post it back to you. I've done around a hundred of these so far. You'll find my email address in my profile here.

tt2

If you kept backups of your old computer, you may want to try making a copy of your old iTunes Library on a spare external drive, and seeing if you can import its contents into the Music and TV applications on the new computer.

iTunes normally stored its library on your local drive, so I don't know what "paying for 3 TB of extra storage" – I am assuming that you are referring to iCloud storage – has to do with anything.

somatic explorer wrote:

I feel like I have been erased. My life's work was in digital files on itunes. A lot has happened in four years. Its been a lot to pay attention to. I figured when I updated my operating system, they changed the name of the app - never in a million years would I guess that APPLE - whose phones and computers I have been buying and using exclusively for twenty years - would repay that loyalty by not even notifying me that all my recordings on iTunes would be gone if I upgraded the operating system on my computer. I am too horrified and stunned to even have a question because if they did that, then I'm sure the answer will not be one I want to hear. Where is my iTunes library? I'm paying for 3 TB of extra storage every month and you delete all my professional recordings of over tens years of live classes?

my mac book pro 2019 on Sonoma 14.6.1 still has my burnt cds, downloads from 3rd party source.

I've done each of the upgrade that was available maybe 4 or 5 times, so NO, upgrading the OS doesn't cause you to lose any music.

IF I had to guess you probably enabled Apple music since you brought up you bought more icloud storage.