How do I find out which file iTunes actually needs/uses?

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How do I find out which file iTunes actually needs/uses?

I have recently transferred my iTunes libary to an external hard drive (Migration Assistant didn't work, so I dragged and dropped the whole iTunes folder from my other, Windows, external hard drive straight to the new external hard drive, and added the other file that does playlists etc by e-mailing the library file to myself, and 'importing playlist' on the new mac... I still don't have ratings, but that's not a biggie). This is to use as a central library for all users. Works ok, both users face it, all ok... However, the total size of my music library is some 40gb, according to my old laptop and itunes on the new Mac... but on the external hard drive, there is now some 139gb of data (the only other stuff is about 80 pictures, so not much in data terms). This isn't a pressing need as the new external drive is 2tb, backing up to a 2tb Time Capsule, so still plenty of storage left for my wife to add her photos and her music.

So how do I know what to delete? There's each album listed separately, and some old temp files (have deleted the latter), but I'm scared of deleting things I do actually need. I'm at work now, so can't give exact descriptions. Anyone have any clues?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014)

Posted on Sep 17, 2014 1:49 AM

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Answer 1

Csound1

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Sep 17, 2014 1:55 AM in response to Padlingwell

All you need is the entire iTunes library, no extra files, no imports needed. You put it in the default location and open iTunes.

So, what exactly did you do (and can you undo it)

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Answer 2

Padlingwell Author

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Sep 17, 2014 2:39 AM in response to Csound1

It was a bit of a fudge- I started off by consolidating and organising the libraries on both donor laptops. I did mine by home sharing, which is covered in iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer, and adding the xml file. The home share bit was via ethernet, took a few hours.

My wife is unable to do this as the two Apple IDs won't match, she was sharing my library. So she's dragged and dropped her stuff to the old backup ext HD from which I've wiped all my old backups.

Now, the Migration assistant didn't work, after trying to move 'music' so it might have moved some, and I've also dragged and dropped on the desktop from the old ext HD to the new, so I suspect I have a lot of duplicated files in the new ext HD...

So on the new ext HD are just two folders, Itunes, and Main Photos. if I just delete the itunes one can I just start again?

Another thing which has complicated the process is that because I have created two user accounts on the Macbook, I have turned off auto downloads on both old machines, and also iTunes Match on my old iTunes- so the library is missing some tracks. This probably isn't an issue, as I can transfer purchases from my iPhone (which hasn't yet been sync'ed as far as music to the new Mac).

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Answer 3

Padlingwell Author

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Sep 17, 2014 4:05 AM in response to Padlingwell

Have read up a bit more, and I think I've found a solution... my wife's music is very much smaller than mine, and I'd like to preserve the ratings on my collection. She's not bothered.

So here's the plan: broadly following iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer, using external drive.

1. delete the iTunes folder previously placed on the new, Mac ext HD (what will be the joint library). No media hopefully now on this machine.

2. copy her iTunes folder from the old ext HD to the desktop of the new Mac. This was consolidated before copying to the ext HD. This will essentially become the backed-up 'previous content' to add back in later.

3. Delete her iTunes folder from the old ext HD to avoid confusion.

4. Copy my old laptop's iTunes folder to the old ext HD

5. Drag the itunes folder from the old ext HD to the new mac ext HD, both showing on the desktop (which should preserve rating etc, right?)

6. add back in the itunes folder on the desktop that I placed there earlier, using file> add to library in iTunes. (ratings not preserved)

Both users iTunes are already instructed to face the new ext HD for their library.

Will this work? Why is one set of ratings etc preserved but not the other?

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Answer 4

Csound1

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Sep 17, 2014 4:13 AM in response to Padlingwell

Padlingwell wrote:

Have read up a bit more, and I think I've found a solution... my wife's music is very much smaller than mine, and I'd like to preserve the ratings on my collection. She's not bothered.

So here's the plan: broadly following iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer, using external drive.

1. delete the iTunes folder previously placed on the new, Mac ext HD (what will be the joint library). No media hopefully now on this machine.

Don't hope, check.

5. Drag the itunes folder from the old ext HD to the new mac ext HD, both showing on the desktop (which should preserve rating etc, right?)

Copy and Paste, don't drag. Delete the original only after you have a successful copy.

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Answer 5

Padlingwell Author

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Sep 17, 2014 4:52 AM in response to Csound1

Many thanks- I'll try this either tonight or tomorrow and report back.

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Answer 6

Limnos

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Sep 17, 2014 7:12 AM in response to Csound1

Csound1 wrote:

5. Drag the itunes folder from the old ext HD to the new mac ext HD, both showing on the desktop (which should preserve rating etc, right?)

Copy and Paste, don't drag. Delete the original only after you have a successful copy.

Unless things have changed radically with newer operating systems than mine, dragging from one drive/volume to another on a Mac copies the content. Doing it inside the same drive/volume moves it. I have never, ever in 20+ years of using Macs done a copy and paste with files to change their location or copy them (sounds very Windows-ish to me 😉 ).

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Answer 7

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Sep 17, 2014 7:26 AM in response to Limnos

Yes I know that thanks.

Whenever I have to relocate a large file (and an iTunes Library tends toward that) I copy and paste by choice, in case something goes wrong during the move. If it does I will still have the original file. It takes very little extra time.

If I was using Windows I could elect to do the same, or just drag and drop (which I wouldn't if it was a large file)

Macs falter occasionally.

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Answer 8

Padlingwell Author

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Sep 19, 2014 12:41 AM in response to Csound1

Ok- solved.

I had a good old dig in the iTunes folder, and discovered... an iTunes folder within the artists list, with a bunch of entries identical to the 'real' iTunes folder, but no library file. This thing was 40gb or so... So I copied it to the desktop, and told iTunes to face it (the optn + start iTunes where you choose a library to use)- it wouldn't, because it had no library attached to it, and I could find one. So I deleted it from the main external HD (which I want to use as the future family music library if you remember), and told iTunes to use the original iTunes folder on the ext HD.

Bingo- 7177 songs in old iTunes on old laptop, 7177 songs in new Mac... playlists, ratings, all identical. So I deleted the desktop copy and its twin in the ext HD- all back to normal, no wasted storage. The only other thing to do now is just to add my wife's iTunes folder to the Mac desktop and add in the music from within iTunes, as detailed above, and make sure we can both sync our phones within the respective user profiles.

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