iTunes Library organization in one folder...

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

TT2, I have a situation that I *think* is a bit different from what has been posted here thus far. I am running iTunes 11 on Windows 7. My iTunes content is currently organized as follows:

D:\Users\John\Music\iTunes

- Album Artwork

- iPod Games

- iTunes Media (empty)

- Mobile Applications

- current .itl and .xml files

D:\iTunes

- folders for Artists (eg music content)

- folders for Books, Downloads, Movies, Podcasts, etc

- Music folder (with subfolders for Artists - eg music content)

In iTunes, D:\iTunes is set as the default media folder.

The problem is that some of my music is in the 'root;' iTunes directory and some is in the Music subfolder.

Is there a way to merge the music content in D:\iTunes into D:\iTunes\Music?

Thanks for your advice!

1. File > LIbrary > Organize Library. If not greyed out tick the option to Rearrange files in the folder "iTunes", either way tick Consolidate files while you've got this box open and click OK.
2. Under Edit > Preferences > Advanced untick Keep media folder organized and click OK.
3. Under Edit > Preferences >Advanced tick Keep media folder organized and click OK.

If you're interested I can also walk you through the steps to get the library files at D:\iTunes and the media at D:\iTunes\iTunes Media which is how it ought to be.

tt2

Wow - so easy and makes total sense. TT2 - thank you so much. Especially since I just realized that I asked a Windows question in a Mac forum!

Your instructions worked very well. I did notice that it left behind the artist folders under D:\iTunes (but recreated them with the actual media files under D:\iTunes\Music). No big deal to delete those empty folders.

I would be interested in moving the library files in the right place as well. Are these the correct steps?

1. Closing iTunes.

2. Move the contents of D:\Users\John\Music\iTunes to D:\iTunes.

3. Open iTunes while holding "shift" and enter D:\iTunes as the new library location.

Thanks again.

SZ

It would work, but it's not ideal...

1. Delete redundant content from D:\Users\John\Music\iTunes leaving behind:
   - Album Artwork
   - Previous iTunes Libraries [You should keep two or three most recent backups in here]
   - iTunes Library.itl
   - iTunes Music Library.xml
   - iTunes Library Extras.itdb
   - iTunes Library Genius.itdb
   - sentinel [Hidden file]
   
2. Copy the contents of D:\Users\John\Music\iTunes except iTunes Music Library.xml to D:\ [This will be recreated as iTunes Library.xml automatically]
3. Press and hold down shift as you start iTunes and open the library file D:\iTunes Library.itl - check that media still plays properly.
4. Close iTunes, rename the folder D:\iTunes as D:\iTunes Media, start iTunes - check that media still plays properly and check under Edit > Preferences > Advanced that the media folder now reads D:\iTunes Media - if necessary correct, then close and reopen iTunes.
5. Close iTunes, create a folder called D:\iTunes. Move the following items from D:\ into D:\iTunes:- Album Artwork
   - iTunes Media- Previous iTunes Libraries- iTunes Library.itl- iTunes Library.xml- iTunes Library Extras.itdb- iTunes Library Genius.itdb
   - sentinel [Hidden file]
6. Press and hold down shift as you start iTunes and open the library file D:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl - check that media still plays properly and check under Edit > Preferences > Advanced that the media folder now reads D:\iTunes\iTunes Media - if necessary correct, then close and reopen iTunes.
7. When you are happy all is working correctly you can delete D:\Users\John\Music\iTunes.

That's all folks! If the library doesn't work properly at some point reverse the previous action that you took and check that you did the right thing, or ask for further help...

Putting everything in this structure means your library is all in one place, is easy to backup (hint!) and is portable, meaning you can migrate the library to any new drive/path/computer when needed and that a clone of the iTunes folder on any path (e.g. that backup I mentioned) is a working copy of the library.

tt2

Message was edited by: turingtest2

TT2, thanks again.

I completed the steps above and all of my iTunes files are now under D:\iTunes and the media under D:\iTunes\iTunes Media.

There was one twist however. When I got to Step 6, I found that the media folder was still listed as D:\iTunes. I changed it and iTunes refreshed my library. When I did so, it moved all of the artist folders to D:\iTunes\iTunes Media when I was expecting them to be in D:\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music.

No big deal (and I probably messed up a step), but is there a simple way to fix that?

Thanks!!

SZ

You probably lost a hidden preference file somewhere along the way.

File > Library > Organize Library > Rearrange files in the folder "iTunes Media"

should sort you out...

tt2

All is well now. Thank you so, so much!

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

This is a really interesting thread. I am currently in the middle of copying my 130Gb music library from my mac onto my new PC. (Having done the consolidate/organize step). Once there I'll follow these steps carefully to get the library imported. However, I'd just like to check that all my playlists and ratings, which are very important and took years to establish, will come over with everything else?

Especially as you say to delete the xml file, which is where I thought these things were kept?

Many thanks for taking the time to help us all out!

The XML is a secondary listing of the information in the iTunes Library.itl database that can be read by third party software, if necessary while iTunes isn't even running. If you library started life a long time ago on a back then the database might be called iTunes Library without the .itl extension. If so you should rename it to add the .itl before trying to connect to it on Windows.

tt2

An updated version of the advice in this thread is now at Make a split library portable.

tt2

Hi turingtest2,

Wonder if you can advise me with clarifying the steps needed to make the whole iTunes folder independent on an external, like the original OP I have my media stored on a Drobo but I've noticed just how big the mobile application & album cover folders have become, and I'd like it all to be on the Drobo.

I have my music/videos/movies etc all in a 'iTunes' folder on the drobo, and the rest (mobile apps, album covers and itunes library files etc) in the User/Music/iTunes folder on the mac.

I just wanted to be careful with the steps in this thread because the drobo folder is over 1TB in total, and I dont want to it copying/duplicating from me not following it properly.

Thanks in advance!

Hi.

Please confirm the exact path to the media folder as listed under iTunes > Preferences > Advanced and the current options for Keep... and Copy... on the same tab.

tt2

Both organise and copy options are ticked, and the path is set to /Volumes/Drobo/iTunes