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iTunes cutting songs short

I have a problem with iTunes cutting off songs at about the one minute mark and then skipping to the next song. This happens with all songs that I have burned from legitimately purchased CDs using another software (EZ-CD Audio Converter).


The songs play fine in everything except iTunes & iPod.

This problem only affects mp3 files.

If I convert songs from FLAC or m4a (Apple Lossless) files, the problem persists.


I can only assume Apple has added some sort of anti-piracy code to iTunes which affects any mp3 songs that are not purchased directly from the iTunes store. Google searches show that this issue has been occurring in one form or another as early as 2012. Does anyone have a solution that doesn't involve a complicated, or time-consuming procedure such as rebuilding the entire iTunes library?


Also, I am hesitant to upgrade iTunes unless it's proven to fix this issue. Every time I upgrade any software from Apple (iTunes or iPod) I end up with more problems and headaches and then Apple wants to charge me to fix them.


PLEASE HELP!!! THIS IS REALLY FRUSTRATING!!!!


FYI, I am using iTunes v11.1.5.5, Windows 7 64bit

Posted on Jul 22, 2015 4:20 PM

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11 replies

Jul 28, 2015 1:32 PM in response to GenePoole

"I can only assume Apple has added some sort of anti-piracy code to iTunes which affects any mp3 songs that are not purchased directly from the iTunes store."


I can't offer an immediate resolution to your problem, but that statement is definitely not true. Like many others, I have a reasonably sized iTunes library (4000+ albums) of which only a tiny proportion are iTunes Store purchases - everything else is either imports from CD or purchases from other online sources, primarily Amazon. I've never encountered any issues with playing non-Store content, or anything else suggesting any functionality within iTunes that restricts usage of non-Store content.


There are couple of things you could look at:


  • Are you using iTunes Match, iCloud Library or Apple Music? There have been many reports of issues with existing library content conflicting with Apple's cloud functionality in iTunes 12.2. It may be worth temporarily disabling the cloud functions you have turned on to see if that makes a difference.
  • It is possible that you're seeing (actually hearing, or not hearing!) the results of a conflict between iTunes and either components of Windows or other s/w on your computer. I'd suggest backing up your library (simple method described here, more reliable one here), then work through the steps described in turingtest2's user tip on Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates to completely remove all of iTunes' components before reinstalling. If that doesn't work, repeat the steps to uninstall iTunes and then install the "for older video cards" version - the name is misleading, this is actually the 32-bit version of iTunes with a 64-bit installer, which may be more stable with some Windows setups.

Jul 28, 2015 1:52 PM in response to nambrosch

Very strange ... am I right in stating that the OP was finding that songs were cutting off at 1:00 from the start of the song, where you're getting the same symptom 1:00 from the end of the song? Does it always happen with specific songs and not with others, or can you play the same song repeatedly and only encounter the problem on some plays?


I'll confess to being mystified by this one, since the evidence doesn't fit with any of the common issues either with software installation/configuration or with media file problems 😟

Aug 9, 2015 2:41 PM in response to GenePoole

It seems the iTunes music library became corrupted. I was able to solve the problem by following these steps to rebuild the iTunes database:


  • Quit iTunes.
  • Go to your iTunes folder.
  • Move iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Music Library.xml to the Trash.
  • Start iTunes.
  • Select File->Add to Library...
  • Navigate to your iTunes Media folder and select that.
  • iTunes will rebuild your library.


The only issue I had with this fix is that all my iTunes playlists were deleted. Just make sure to write down the name of your playlists and songs beforehand so you can recreate them manually after rebuilding the library.


From what I have found, this is a common bug that has been plaguing iTunes for years. Apparently Apple, with all it's billions of dollars and infinite wisdom, cannot, or will not, fix it.

Dec 9, 2015 9:00 AM in response to marcus1234s

To avoid losing the playlists in the future, prior to doing all of this, go to your last iTunes backup (the one just before the current problem started) and get that .itl file. Copy it to the iTunes folder. Rename the current one "iTunes Library-corrupt.itl" and then rename the one you copied into the folder to "iTunes Library.itl." You don't have to rebuild. You may have to update a few things, but you'll still have all your playlists.

Dec 9, 2015 9:11 AM in response to Chicahua1958

One extra point - although iTunes does create backups of the library file (placed in the Previous iTunes Libraries) folder, this only happens on some updates. The most recent backup copy may therefore be many months old. You'll get increased flexibility by creating and maintaining an up to date backup of the complete iTunes library - I use this methodand refresh my back at least once a week.

iTunes cutting songs short

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