iTunes Library organization in one folder...

Hi tt2,

I've read through all of your posts and articles in this thread, and I'm still having trouble recognizing my iTunes library on my ext hard drive from a new computer. I had moved my entire library from a macbook air to a WD hard drive a year ago. Everything works fine when I plug the hard drive into that macbook. I am now trying to get my new macbook to recognize the library. I use the option key to choose a new library on the hard drive, but when it opens iTunes, it doesn't have any of the content. I've tried organizing and consolidating and doing everything you have said previously, so I know I'm missing something. In an earlier post, you mentioned that using the new file path only tells iTunes where to put new content, but not where to find old content (if I understood you correctly). How do I get it to see all of the content I already have if the option - choose function isn't working? Here is a pic of the library on my external drive:

Even though iTunes isn't recognizing the content, I can select on a movie file and play it through QuickTime so I know the m4v file is there. This is what the file structure looks like on my new mac:

iTunes is going to the correct path on the ext drive:

I would appreciate any help you could give me. I'm so frustrated that I can't figure it out.

Thank you!!

Hi,

See Re: Missing files in library for some thoughts on this kind of problem. If you can somehow arrange for the files to be where iTunes thinks they should be that will repair the broken links. You can then consolidate the files into the active media folder, without importing duplicates.

tt2

Hi turingtest2, your advices are best what i found about this topic. I had split library before.

i made problems for my self by transfer all media to new external hdd. Before the problem i had itunes playlists on left column. itunes library was on my computer and mp3 files located on external drive. mp3's was dragged and dropped to playlists and there was no copys made by itunes on itunes media/music folder.

Now i changed new external drive, moved my files and itunes playlists can't locate the mp3's. I have copy of previous itunes folder, containing my playlists and all( .itl and .xml), but when i get the file info, path is wrong. There is no help to change path from itunes advanced settings window and update the library, or try to make itunes make copy of the playlist files, because it's not working. I can't rebuild the library. Only thing what works, is use add library function. This makes duplicates to itunes, where original songs are not working on the left colunm playlist. Only recently added songs work.

Is there some work around to make it possible to itunes scan new external hdd and find the files and they path? Many playlists are compilated from many many different records, so this makes task even harder. My mp3's are many different folders, sorted by example:

computer 1/mp3/artist name/record title

computer 2/mp3/artist name/record title

computer 3/mp3/artist name/record title

Do i have to copy all my mp3's to path folder: external/itunes/itunes media/music? Or is it possible to keep mp3's in original location and let itunes read them there, if i use add library function? How i remove/ merge duplicates and make my old left column playlists work? My itunes is now located: external/itunes and i started itunes with opt and selected new location. it's not split anymore. I use brand new mb air and itunes 12.6.

You need press and hold down option as you start iTunes so you get a prompt to choose or create a library. Click choose, then browse to and open the iTunes Library.itl file shown in the first image in your previous post.

tt2

Hi tt2,

That's what I have tried several times. I get the prompt, select choose, and then navigate to the external hard drive and select iTunes Library.itl in the iTunes folder. But when iTunes opens, it doesn't have any of media in there from the external hard drive. It only has the few songs that I had purchased on my new macbook. So it isn't recognizing the new itunes path. I have tried restarting several times, consolidating the library, etc. I don't know what I am missing.

Thanks for your help.

If the library still works on the first computer then presumably it is using a set of library files that are on a local drive. These need to be copied into the iTunes folder on the external, and accessed there with the option-start method. Then when you open the same library file on a new computer it should work.

tt2

I went back to the original laptop and couldn't find any media files there on the hard drive. So instead I copied an older version of the itunes library file on that computer into the external drive itunes folder. Then everything appeared. The only thing that was missing were my home videos. I found an earlier post from you to correct that issue as well in itunes 12. Thanks so much!

Make a split library portable

Here are the typical layouts for the iTunes folders:

In the layout above, with the media folder (everything in the red box) inside the library folder, the library is considered to be portable. A portable library can be moved from one path to another without breaking the links between the library and the media and being self-contained is much easier to backup.

You can rearrange things to make a split library portable by taking a number of small steps which don't break the library.

Before you start any media files that are outside of the media folder will need to be consolidated. If the library is in the old style layout then it should ideally be be upgraded to iTunes Media Organisation (Library > Organise Library > Rearrange files in the folder <Media Folder>) to ensure that iPod Games, Mobile Applications etc. are brought inside the media folder.

The basic non-fatal manipulations are:

• You can connect to an alternate set of library files by holding down Shift (Win) or Option (Mac) when starting iTunes.
• You can move the library files to a new location as long as the media stays put.
• You can move the library files and the media together if the media folder is a direct subfolder of the library folder.
• If you have already moved/copied the media content from a subfolder of the library folder to a different location then you only need to copy the library files for it to appear as if you have moved the entire library in the way allowed above. I.e. just copy the library files into the parent folder of the media folder.
• You can rename the media folder to iTunes Media (if it isn't already) if the media folder is inside the library folder.
• iTunes uses the name of the folder holding the library files as the window title. Having made a library "portable" you may need to take a final step of renaming the library folder to iTunes or, if the library files have ended up at the root of a drive, moving all of the library files and content folders into a new folder called iTunes.

After each change you need to open, test and close the relevant library before attempting another change. If a change broke the library, undo it or revert to using the previous set of library files.

In essence all you need to do to make your library portable is copy the library files into the parent folder of the media folder on the external/secondary drive and use the hold-down-shift/option-when-starting-iTunes method to connect to it. Other manipulations may be required to normalize the library so that the library and media folders have standard names.

tt2

In your specific case,

1. Library > Rearrange file in the folder "iTunes Library". Should be grayed out since I can see a Music folder at /iTunes Library on the Drobo..
2. Library > Consolidate files. Just in case.
3. Close iTunes.
4. Copy the contents of .../Music/iTunes, with the exception of iTunes Media & iTunes Music (which should be empty or hold redundant copies), from the Mac mini into the root folder of the Drobo.
5. Delete iTunes Music Library.xml, (iTunes will be making a new file called iTunes Library.xml) and, if it were not already the case, rename iTunes Library (file) as iTunes Library.itl.
6. Option-start iTunes and connect to the library file in the root of the Drobo.
7. Check everything works... Close iTunes.
8. Rename iTunes Library as iTunes Media.
9. Start iTunes, check everything works, close iTunes.
10. Create a folder iTunes in the root of the Drobo, move the iTunes library files, Album Artwork, iTunes Media and Previous iTunes Libraries folder inside iTunes.
11. Option-start iTunes and connect to the library file at /iTunes/iTunes Library.itl.
12. Check everything works... Enjoy the music.

tt2

Yep. Reorganize files... is a one-time only tool needed to convert from the old layout to the new one. Again I mention it so that others finding this thread might know they should use it if they can.

The reorganize check box stays dimmed once the library is in the new layout. If there is nothing to consolidate then there is nothing to do. Perhaps iTunes can tell quite quickly if it that is the case, so no progress bar needed.

tt2

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

Would I be able to get your help as well?

I have an XP with iTunes 10, which has both the library and music files on the hard drive. I want to move my library to my new Win7 machine, and move the actual music files to an external HD. I've tried a lot of other forums without success, so if you can give step by step instructions I would really appreciate it!

Let me know if you need any screenshots. Thanks in advance 🙂

Where is everything now?

If the layout of the library & media folders is like that on the right in the image above then you should just copy the iTunes folder to the root of the external drive. Connect the drive to the new machine, hold down shift as you start iTunes, then choose the library on the external drive.

If things are less organized or the library is split or in the older layout then give me some more details...

tt2