How do I import multiple playlists into iTunes?

For example, a symphony typically has four movements/tracks, and frequently a single CD (Album) would have multiple symphonies on it.

So, listening to just one piece (e.g., Rite of Spring) would mean listening to a group of tracks in a particular order, but not necessarily the whole Album.

You can set the "Grouping" tag for each symphony and play only that Grouping.

So set the Grouping tag for those four tracks to Rite of Spring then you can select only that grouping under that Composer in the browser.

Select the Classical playlist at left (it is one of the Default playlists).

Cvetteman

I have a slightly different version of this problem. I have all the music in the library, but wish to import my playlists alone (no music) so that I do not have to rebuild the playlists from scratch.

How do I go about doing this?

Did anyone ever answer your question? i am having the same problem you had. I created playlists for an mp3 player with songs from my mac. Over time i have refined the player using my computer. But the songs and playlists all lack the up to date refining I have done. So I wish to copy the playlists from my mp3 player into itunes, without duplicating the music, since it is already there, and be able to copy these playlists for other friends of mine. I want the playlist that I import to read the music already on my computer. how can I do this?

Thank you,

Bynah

Do you mean this one? I'll take a look... You can send me an email at the address on my scripts pages, though I get a fair amount of spam and occasionally things slip by me. You can always get my attention by snagging a thread I've posted in. 😉

tt2

Hi, welcome to Apple Support Communities.

If you're read the original post a little more closely you'd see that firstly it was written 2 and half years ago, so I doubt Scarecrow is still waiting on a solution, and secondly that the problem was he wanted to import playlists that weren't already in an iTunes library into it, not transfer the library from one machine to another. As it happens migrating a library the right way means there is no need to export or import anything. See this migrate iTunes library post for details.

tt2

1. Creating lots of playlists using one library and importing them into another is, or should be, relatively easy, but is also likely to create duplicates if the settings in iTunes are not just right. When iTunes scans a set of folders it will import any media files or playlists that it comes across. For each playlist a new playlist is created and then for each track referenced in the playlist iTunes will add the file to iTunes if isn't already in the library at that path and then add the track to the library. Depending on the location of the track with respect to the media folder of the active library and the Copy option this may cause iTunes to generate a new file for this addition. If the same track has been referenced in multiple playlists then multiple copies of the file will be added to the library. The conclusion is that this is not a good way to go about the task of creating a subset of the library.

2. Ignore sentinel, it is a hidden file which I believe is sometimes used by iTunes to detect if it crashed while updating the library files. It should cope without it and will make a copy if needed.

3. You could copy over the library files, connect to that version of the library, assign a new media folder without consolidating then selectively consolidate the content that you want on the laptop. When the external is connected all of your media will be available. When you are away content on the external drive will have an exclamation mark ! and won't play.

When you delete tracks from the library and those files are inside the currently designated media folder iTunes will offer to send the items to the recycle bin. For my original suggestion you would say no at this point to preserve the files for the other copy of the library to use. You're trying to delete the unwanted references rather than the source files. Leaving everything in the library but available/unavailable is probably a better bet.

4. Reconnect to the Silver library. Double check you are not deleting anything that it is supposed to be connected to. Move the offending items first instead of deleting them, then get rid when you are certain there are no adverse effects.

5. Recovering the content of the iPod shuttle into a new library should be possible, but again might be more work and not what you really want. See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for details of how it can be done. Making a clone of the existing database, cut down or not, ensures you will be able to update the device from either version of the library without unnecessary file transfers.

tt2

gmd12 wrote:

I opened this thread in the hope that someone could actually tell me a way to import multiple songs at once.

Enable the menu bar with Ctrl+B if needed, then use File > Add Folder to Library.

Or drag and drop a folder onto the library.

Let them know what you think at iTunes Feedback.

tt2

Hi everybody!

That's the way I found to add all my playlist and songs to iTunes:

1. open iTunes and choose "music" and then "playlists"
2. resize iTunes, so you can place finder or explorer next to it
3. open the directory which contains the root of that you want to add
4. drag the directory and drop it to iTunes, when "forbidden"-sign disapears

kind regards

The current version of iTunes should import all valid .m3u files stored with a set of folders that it is adding to the library, but that may not be the best approach.

It sounds like you want a second library that is a subset of the original on Silver that is stored on your laptop. Assuming the main library is at //Silver/iTunes the simplest way to achieve the goal would be to copy the files:

• iTunes Library.itl
• iTunes Library Extras.itdb
• iTunes Library Genius.itdb
• sentinel

and the folder:

Album Artwork

into a new empty iTunes folder, e.g. located at <User's Music>/iTunes or the root of the internal drive.

You would then option-start-iTunes to connect to this clone of the database, remove all of the playlists & content that you don't want in this alternate library, (without deleting any content obviously), then finally consolidate the library to a new media folder at ../iTunes/iTunes Media which then divorces this alternate library from the source copies held on the external drive.

Importing multiple playlists the way you have things set up at the moment is likely to create duplicates.

tt2

rather than the 5,372 individual playlists that I desire.

Why would anyone have otherwise?

This is how everyone I know does it.Only because they are used to doing it this way. Doesn't mean it's the best or easiest way.
I already have the *.m3u files. How do I move them?