Tracks skipping / jumping to end at a specific time [SOLVED]
This is mainly thought as reference / help for people who find this post with Google. I've found several people with the same problem in the Apple Support Communities, but no really clear description and, above all, no solution. So here is mine I just found out:
Short:
Since some weeks ago, every new imported track skips / jumps to its end at the same specific time (6:20 in my case)
Long:
I have one iMac (10.11.2), one MacBook (10.10.5) and one iPhone (9.2). Both the iMac and the MacBook currently have iTunes 12.3.2.35 installed. All three devices use iTunes match / iCloud library, containing about 3400 titles.
Since some weeks ago, every newly into iTunes imported track longer than 6:20 skipped / jumped to it's end at precisely when reaching 6:20. It did not just skip to the next track, but moved the progress bar to the last second of the track before going to the next track. Also the display of the elapsed time did jump from 6:20 to whatever the last second of the track was.
At this day, I did import two folders containing several MP3s from the same source on the iMac. The skipping happened for no track in the first folder, but for every track in the second folder (and every track I've imported since). There was iTunes restart, system reboot or software update between importing the two folders.
This is what I found out over time while testing:
On the iMac:
- iTunes always showed the correct track length in title overview and info window (cmd+i)
- The skipping did happen when playing the tracks in iTunes
- It did NOT happen when playing the tracks (in the iTunes folder) with QuickLook, Quicktime, VLC Player, Traktor DJ or Audacity (files are definitely okay)
- It did happen instantly after import
- It did happen after successful upload to iCloud
- It did happen after deleting a local track and streaming it from iCloud
- It did happen after downloading a track from iCloud and playing it locally
- It did happen after deleting a track locally and from iCloud and reimporting it, but ONLY for tracks uploaded to iCloud!
but
- It did NOT happen after deleting a track found in iCloud locally and downloading the AAC version from the iTunes Store!
On the MacBook:
- It did happen when streaming a track imported on the iMac from iCloud
but
- It did NOT happen after downloading it from iCloud and playing it locally!
On the iPhone:
- It did NOT happen when playing the same track one the iPhone!
Analysis:
Apart from the track length displayed in the track info, iTunes seems to also store some hidden info about the tracks length in its library. Due to some weird bug, iTunes on my iMac decided to enter the same length into every new record in the library, which was also uploaded to iCloud. The are still some contradictions in the details, but this is the only idea I got (and I'm a programmer who developed iOS apps).
The SOLUTION! \o/
On the Mac with broken iTunes:
- Delete the folder containing the iTunes library (yes, this is mandatory!)
- Start iTunes and when it says, it can't find the library, chose to create a new library
- Go to preferences and activate iCloud library
- Download track
- Play
- No Skipping!
- You really have to download the tracks first, the skipping remains when streaming it!
On another Mac:
- Download track
- Play
- No Skipping!
- You really have to download the tracks first, the skipping remains when streaming it!
I hope this is useful for someone who has the same uber-weird bug. 🙂