Q: iTunes 12.2 Changes Track Names, Ruins my Library

Right before my eyes. Here is a description of the first of many instances: on one of my Macs I have a playlist that includes "Both Sides Now" by

Joni Mitchell (may she fully recovery from her illness). I double clicked to play the song and before my eyes its name in the playlist changed to "Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 5, No. 9: II. Giga - Allegro," by Arcangelo Corelli, a piece of music that I have in another playlist. But the song that played was the right one. "Get info" shows info for the Corelli work, but with the Joni Mitchell album art.

I am also finding songs in playlists that I didn't put there--not intentionally, not by accident. Patsy Cline in a classical trumpet playlist, e.g. I double-clicked it and its name changed to a trumpet work by Purcell, but the song that played was by Patsy Cline. A cello concerto appears in my trumpet playlist, but a trumpet work plays when I double-click.

In all instances, "Show in Finder" reveals the music as a duplicate in the same folder as the real version of the song.

This has happened over and over again since I downloaded iTunes 12.2: My iTunes library -- 10,000 songs -- is in ruins.

Unfortunately, I did not turn of my SuperDuper backups when I first discovered the error and began investigating. Thus, my backup copies of iTunes Library.itl are corrupt, as well.

Ideas!? Thanks!

Final Cut Pro X, OS X Yosemite (10.10), Seven Macs (five modern).

Posted on Jul 5, 2015 2:24 PM

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Q: iTunes 12.2 Changes Track Names, Ruins my Library

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by Limnos,

Limnos Jul 5, 2015 2:28 PM in response to David Illig
Level 9 (54,635 points)

Mac OS X

Jul 5, 2015 2:28 PM in response to David Illig

If you don't see your content after updating iTunes - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203225 - These instructions use a trimmed-down version of your library file to rebuild your primary library file. You lose some metadata (ratings, play count, date added) but the listing should be fairly up to date.
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by David Illig,

David Illig Jul 5, 2015 2:42 PM in response to Limnos
Level 1 (20 points)

Apple Pay

Jul 5, 2015 2:42 PM in response to Limnos

Thanks for taking time to reply. Yes, I know that trick. Works fine—until I begin to play music again, and then the bug appears again and corrupts my library again. It would be a good fix if all I wanted to do was look at my music library!
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by Limnos,

Limnos Jul 5, 2015 2:51 PM in response to David Illig
Level 9 (54,635 points)

Mac OS X

Jul 5, 2015 2:51 PM in response to David Illig

Possibly the .xml you are using is also corrupt.

You're not using a NAS perchance?
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by David Illig,

David Illig Jul 5, 2015 3:16 PM in response to Limnos
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Apple Pay

Jul 5, 2015 3:16 PM in response to Limnos

@Limnos:
Possibly the .xml you are using is also corrupt.
I have no way of knowing. No way will I go through it line by line--unless I had my music library memorized, that wouldn't help, anyway.

You're not using a NAS perchance?
No.
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by DMBmelch,

DMBmelch Jul 6, 2015 10:50 AM in response to David Illig
Level 1 (0 points)

Jul 6, 2015 10:50 AM in response to David Illig

Same thing happened to me, and like you I can see that the files are actually duplicated in the finder. For instance, if I go to one of the affected songs, I see Song.mp3, and Song 1.mp3. One plays the correct song, and one plays a completely different seemingly random song.

I called Apple support on this, and there isn't anything they can do, so I have 2 options.

1) Figure out a way to remove all of the duplicated files with the "1" appended in the name.
2) Trash iTunes and the music, and Re-install my music from a backup.

I'll likely go with option #2 as a first try.
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by turingtest2,

turingtest2 Jul 6, 2015 12:23 PM in response to David Illig
Level 10 (88,143 points)

Apple TV

Jul 6, 2015 12:23 PM in response to David Illig

Unfortunately, I did not turn of my SuperDuper backups when I first discovered the error and began investigating. Thus, my backup copies of iTunes Library.itl are corrupt, as well.

I suspect a full restore is order, but although SuperDuper's backups of the active .itl will include the corrupted library you may still have a pre-upgrade copy you could use stored in the Previous iTunes Libraries folder. See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash.

tt2
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by David Illig,

David Illig Jul 6, 2015 12:49 PM in response to turingtest2
Level 1 (20 points)

Apple Pay

Jul 6, 2015 12:49 PM in response to turingtest2

@turingtest2: ...although SuperDuper's backups of the active .itl will include the corrupted library you may still have a pre-upgrade copy you could use stored in the Previous iTunes Libraries folder.

Indeed, I do. And copying it to replace the corrupted version works just fine--so long as I don't play any songs. Then it, too, becomes corrupted. This is an iTunes bug.
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by David Illig,

David Illig Jul 6, 2015 12:50 PM in response to DMBmelch
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Jul 6, 2015 12:50 PM in response to DMBmelch

@DMBmelch: I called Apple support on this, and there isn't anything they can do...

Well, they could issue a bug fix, no?
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by turingtest2,

turingtest2 Jul 6, 2015 12:57 PM in response to David Illig
Level 10 (88,143 points)

Apple TV

Jul 6, 2015 12:57 PM in response to David Illig

Out of curiosity have you enabled either iTunes Match or iCloud Music Library?

Given your description it doesn't sound like the kind of thing that can be reversed by a simple patch, not if the media folder has grown duplicate files whose names, properties and contents don't appear to match.

tt2
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by David Illig,

David Illig Jul 6, 2015 12:54 PM in response to turingtest2
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Jul 6, 2015 12:54 PM in response to turingtest2

...have you enabled either iTunes Match or iCloud Music Library?

No, not either one.
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by Louie21,

Louie21 Jul 6, 2015 1:05 PM in response to David Illig
Level 1 (20 points)

Jul 6, 2015 1:05 PM in response to David Illig

David,
You might get some ideas from our long discussion with Kinisuru, July 4, 6:00 a.m., under heading "Upgrading"--some ideas that worked for us.
Charles Thomas
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by David Illig,

David Illig Jul 6, 2015 1:14 PM in response to Louie21
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Jul 6, 2015 1:14 PM in response to Louie21

Thanks. Apple's search utility shows no results for "Upgrading" in the iTunes forum in the past seven days.
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by turingtest2,Helpful

turingtest2 Jul 6, 2015 1:23 PM in response to David Illig
Level 10 (88,143 points)

Apple TV

Jul 6, 2015 1:23 PM in response to David Illig

This one I think iTunes 12.2 freezes MacBook Pro (Yosemite) shortly after launch

ASC search can leave a little to be desired, even when one has the right terms to throw at it.

tt2
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by Louie21,Helpful

Louie21 Jul 6, 2015 2:45 PM in response to David Illig
Level 1 (20 points)

Jul 6, 2015 2:45 PM in response to David Illig

Sorry, David. I should have referred to the header at the top of the 'iTunes for Mac' section called "Installing, Removing, and Upgrading"
Charles Thomas
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