HT201610: About iTunes library files

Learn about About iTunes library files
rmunsey

Q: i have two independent itunes libraries on my computer right now. how do i consolidate them into one library? how do i get rid of duplicate files?

i have two independent itunes libraries on my computer right now. how do i consolidate them into one library? how do i get rid of duplicate files?

iMac (21.5-inch Late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jan 7, 2014 6:38 AM

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Q: i have two independent itunes libraries on my computer right now. how do i consolidate them into one library? how do i get rid of ... more

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  • by sheila_m.,

    sheila_m. sheila_m. Jan 9, 2014 8:53 AM in response to rmunsey
    Community Specialists
    Jan 9, 2014 8:53 AM in response to rmunsey

    Hello rmunsey,

     

    Thank you for the question.  It sounds like you have two separate iTunes Libraries but would like to add the music from one to the other to have one consolidated library.

     

    If you know where the files are for each library, I recommend opening one iTunes Library in iTunes and importing the files from the other library using the following steps:

     

    1. Open iTunes
    2. From the File menu, choose one of the following choices:
      • Mac
        • Add to Library
      • Windows
        • Add File to Library
        • Add Folder to Library
    3. Navigate to and select the file or folder that you want to add

     

    Adding music and other content to iTunes

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1473

     

    Next, you can search for duplicates:

    Choose View > Show Duplicate Items to show duplicate items (matches are based on the song name and artist). If you have multiple versions of the same song (for example, live and studio versions, or versions from different albums) you can hold the Alt or Option key (for Mac OS X) or the Shift key (for Windows) and choose View > Show Exact Duplicate Items. This will show only duplicate songs having the same name, artist, and album.

     

    How to find and remove duplicate items in your iTunes library

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2905

     

    This should help you identify the duplicates all at one time so that you can delete the extra versions of songs.

     

    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

     

    Best,

    Sheila M.