I need to clear space on my HD on my iMac. I have a lot of songs and videos downloaded to my iMac and I want to get them off but leave them in iCloud. How can I do this?
iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.3)
Put them on an external drive and then delete them from the computer normally; they'll remain in the iCloud unless Apple or the copyright holder chooses to remove them, which can happen at any time.
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I just want them to show in my Library but with the iCloud next to the song rather than have them downloaded to the hardware. I think this should be easily done but I just do not know how to do it.
Turn off automatic downloads and do as Niel says. Heed the warnings that what you are doing is a bad idea. It's okay to delete the media but do not rely upon them always being available for re-download.
It is not that involved actually. In the case of an iMac all I need to do is right click on the song in the Library and then hit delete. It will ask to KEEP FILE or MOVE TO TRASH. If you click Keep File it then remains in the Library with a Cloud icon next to it. You can see it in the Library and listen to it when ever but it is not downloaded to the computer and does not take up space. I have never had any issues downloading anything from my iTunes account in iCloud.
No, not had any issues, but will you be all right if a distributor does pull something from the Store and you then find you cannot re-download it? I'd play it safe. Apple itself recommends you back up your library in case an item is no longer available in the Store.
iTunes Match! Activate it (it's about 20$ a year) and all your music will be moved to iCloud. It will be in your iTunes library and iPhone Music app, but it will actually physically be in iCloud. iTunes Match then removes it from your iPhone, saving lots of space, and you can (if you need) delete it manually from your Mac HD. But do keep a copy somewhere, on an external HD or something. Even if it's iCloud 😎, you never know!
Thank you for the help and suggestions. Yes, everything is backed up on an external HD. I already have iTunes Match.
Everything is good.
I want to remove songs from my iMac but leave them in iCloud. How can I do this?
