HT201272: Download your past purchases

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sokonoke
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: "Not in my library" doesn't correspond to reality?

Many albums that I know I have purchased are missing in my iTunesMedia/Music folder (on a PC).

Trying to re-download them, I follow the instructions. No hidden files. I see albums that are missing are listed under "All," but am not able to re-download them. When I click on "Not In My Library" these missing albums do NOT appear. What appears are four albums that ARE in my Library.

How do I fix that, so that I'm allowed to download the actual missing albums?

I have no iOS devices associated with this account at the moment, but that shouldn't matter, should it?

HP Zbook 17, Windows 8

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 12:49 AM

by Jay-Ray,Apple recommended
Jay-Ray Jay-Ray
Level 4 (2,692 points)
iPhone
A:

When reviewing your purchases, the iTunes Store is not looking at your iTunes Media folder.  Its looking just at your iTunes library file.  This usually happens when the songs are still listed in your normal iTunes library music section even though they are missing for the media folder.  Simply delete them out of the iTunes library (within the iTunes program) then you can redownload them.  If you think your iTunes Library has become corrupt or something, you can create a new iTunes Library (Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one - Apple Support) then redownload your content.

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 12:53 AM

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sokonoke

Q: "Not in my library" doesn't correspond to reality?

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  • by Jay-Ray,Apple recommended

    Jay-Ray Jay-Ray Aug 30, 2015 12:53 AM in response to sokonoke
    Level 4 (2,692 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 30, 2015 12:53 AM in response to sokonoke

    When reviewing your purchases, the iTunes Store is not looking at your iTunes Media folder.  Its looking just at your iTunes library file.  This usually happens when the songs are still listed in your normal iTunes library music section even though they are missing for the media folder.  Simply delete them out of the iTunes library (within the iTunes program) then you can redownload them.  If you think your iTunes Library has become corrupt or something, you can create a new iTunes Library (Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one - Apple Support) then redownload your content.

  • by sokonoke,

    sokonoke sokonoke Aug 30, 2015 6:47 AM in response to Jay-Ray
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 30, 2015 6:47 AM in response to Jay-Ray

    I recreated the library. The recreated library creates a new file for media content, and finds nothing there, so that allows me to re-download the missing content.

    That's good right there. I was afraid I'd lost my content. Thanks.

    Different matter that I'm going to have to reorganize my files manually. What's odd is that the Purchased items in iTunes are listed by Artist, not album, and I mean, every artist that took part in an album project. There's an entry for Abbott, and a separate one for Costello, even though they are both on the same album. Names I don't recognize, turns out are Handel's Messiah soloists listed separately. Anyway, I'm re-downloading, and will sort out the files later. Then, presumably, I'll have to Add the files back into a Library.

    There's no macro that scans a given directory for Media files and automatically puts them into the iTunes library? 

  • by Jay-Ray,

    Jay-Ray Jay-Ray Aug 30, 2015 9:57 AM in response to sokonoke
    Level 4 (2,692 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 30, 2015 9:57 AM in response to sokonoke

    When you access the Purchase history via iTunes and download a past purchase, it automatically adds that download to your iTunes Library that you currently have open.

  • by sokonoke,

    sokonoke sokonoke Aug 30, 2015 11:33 AM in response to Jay-Ray
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 30, 2015 11:33 AM in response to Jay-Ray

    Yes, that's what's happening. I opened a new library because I was nervous about deleting anything in the old library as a way to force a new download.

    What's odd about the Purchased list is that it goes by Artist, while the library folders go by Album. So for example I have three separate entries under Purchased for Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, and Little Feat (with Linda Ronstadt). When you click on any of the three of these Purchased entries, it points to the same album (i.e., folder in the iTunes music folder). This makes it hard to compare Purchased to actual to see what's missing.

    The other thing I notice is, you need to check that iTunes actually downloads everything in the album. Pressing Download All doesn't do any good. It generally misses a lot of tracks, and you have to go back and re-download, or download specific individual missing tracks.

    Anyway, I understand better now that the library files are not looking into the Media folders. I need to get the Library aligned with the content, and iTunes does not do this automatically/reliably, so I'll need to double check it.