iTunes not playing music from previously loaded CDs on iMac

Question

iTunes not playing music from previously loaded CDs on iMac

I have an IMac that over the years that i have loaded a number of my CDs onto in part to train iTunes in my tastes so when i'm listening on Itunes I'll hear music i want to hear. I use it on my iMac to control both my home theater and my main stereo system through iTunes, which is a fun way to get the whole house rocking. But lately I've noticed that a number of CDs i loaded in earlier will not play. i say click on a Patricia Barber record, and it acts like it wants to start but nothing happens.

This is really annoying, as i have a wide library of music i have purchased and i would like to enjoy all of it.

iMac 27″, macOS 15.7

Posted on Sep 2, 2026 4:55 PM

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Answer 1

WheelieNick

Level 9

60,460 points

Sep 6, 2026 1:58 PM in response to Transitional Man

Your Mac's modern privacy settings or broken file paths are likely blocking iTunes (or the modern macOS Music app) from accessing your locally stored audio files.

When a track acts like it wants to start and then skips or does nothing, the app usually cannot locate the actual audio file on your hard drive, or permissions have changed during a macOS update.

Look at the track that won't play (like your Patricia Barber album).
Right-click or control-click the song and select Show in Finder (or look for an exclamation point next to the track).
If Finder does not open the file, your Mac has lost the path to where the music is stored, often because the library was moved or the folder name changed.

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