Moving Music Library from Win11 to MacOS

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Moving Music Library from Win11 to MacOS

Ever since Apples switch from iTunes to the music app, I'm trying to get my library from my Win11 PC to my Mac. That library is the meta data with playlists, ratings and so on, while the actual files are on a network share.

I did copy Library.musicdb and Library Preferences.musicdb (as well as the genius.itb and Extras.itb) into the Apple Music Library.musiclibrary "package"/folder and have been trying to selecting that one after option-clicking on Music. Music does, however, refuse to open it claiming it was created with a newer version of the Music app. I am on 15.0.1. Pre-Sequoia that message usually simply stated "different version" instead of "newer version".

If I however just copy the files and simply open the App the *.musicdb files get reseted to a fresh state, clearly visible by the severe reduction in file size.

The PC Music app frustratingly lacks all options for a media library especially the one to export it.

I have to say that I have migrated that library from PC to PC for the past 15 years without any problems whatsoever. But it is a first with that new version.

Posted on Oct 18, 2024 11:45 AM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

274,540 points

Oct 19, 2024 6:27 AM in response to darth81

Apple Music for Windows really is a totally unsuitable replacement for iTunes. I'd missed this particular limitation, but the inability to switch libraries, rip CDs, or allow any form of script based automation had already convinced me it was useless. The inability to import or export playlists is just another confirmation. Revert to iTunes and stick with it on Windows like I do. Still works just fine. If you uninstall Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Devices then iTunes should be restored to the fully functional multi-media player it was designed to be, rather than being limited to audiobooks and podcasts.

tt2

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Answer 2

turingtest2

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274,540 points

Oct 18, 2024 12:54 PM in response to darth81

There is no evidence that porting Music libraries from one platform to the other is supported. You can export the library as an XML file in Windows and then import that XML into an empty Music library on the Mac. Given your media folder is on a network share that might work exactly as it is, or you may need to edit the XML slightly before import. Importing the library like this will reset all Date Added values.

tt2

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Answer 3

darth81 Author

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4 points

Oct 18, 2024 11:29 PM in response to turingtest2

That is since February no longer possible. In iTunes you can export your library as XML, but in February Apple split and replaced iTunes with different apps including the Apple Music app for, well, music. That new Music app has no export option.

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Answer 4

darth81 Author

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4 points

Oct 19, 2024 8:43 AM in response to turingtest2

Oh my, that was actually helpful. I wasn't aware that iTunes was still an option. I could only find a some 2 year old library file, though.

If somebody has that same problem in a same constellation: Copy that file into the iTunes directory and then just import the whole network share again. Data that was already in that library will persist and anything newer will then be imported with the current date.

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Answer 5

darth81 Author

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Oct 19, 2024 10:14 AM in response to darth81

For the record, I could create a new library in the Music App on MacOS from the fresh Windows *.itl file. I then changed the media folder location in preferences from the local directory to the share. And a long reindexing later everything was as it was supposed to be - including the correct dates the files were originally added!

Only the covers didn't survive, given that there is a sqlite database on windows for that.

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Answer 6

turingtest2

Level 10

274,540 points

Oct 19, 2024 11:27 AM in response to darth81

If artwork is embedded into each track before you start then that should copy over to Music when you convert the .itl file.

I have two scripts that can help with embedding artwork; CreateFolderArt and EmbedFolderArt. The scripts have slightly different functions:

CreateFolderArt ensures that every album folder ends up with a Folder.jpg image which is the art that iTunes already knows about. Side effects are that if artwork has been updated in iTunes the folder art should be updated also, and if any track from the album doesn't have embedded artwork it gets embedded.

EmbedFolderArt was actually written for someone who already had various artwork images stored in the album folders and wanted them added to their tracks, but not if iTunes had already downloaded a better quality image. It creates new files of any store art with the name iTunesArt.jpg, then embeds the largest image by area in the album's folder, based on the premise that this is likely to be the best image.

In either case you could search and destroy the images in the folders after they are embedded if you don't want them.

tt2

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Answer 7

darth81 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 20, 2024 6:01 AM in response to turingtest2

The artwork is somehow not really working, but that is a rather minor issue. It is in the files. I can actually see it as symbol for the files in finder. I really don't know how that can be but I really don't want to go through the process again. :)

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Answer 8

turingtest2

Level 10

274,540 points

Oct 20, 2024 4:27 PM in response to darth81

Music/Tunes should display art in most views provided at least one track from the album has embedded or associated artwork. The cache should automatically update whenever there is a request to show a relevant image. That said it seems the cache in Music gets stuck sometimes. The artwork cache should be stored at ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.AMPArtworkAgent/Data/Documents where ~ is your user's home folder. Deleting the cache should force it to be rebuilt. Perhaps Music will do a better job next time around.

tt2

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