iTunes purchases download twice

Question

Level 1

11 points

iTunes purchases download twice

Whenever I purchase an album on iTunes the album downloads normally on my MacBook. Then the next time that iTunes checks for available downloads, it downloads that purchase again and I have to delete the duplicates. Also when I preorder an album and download the first few pre-release singles, duplicates of those singles are downloaded when the full album launches.

Why can't iTunes recognise which tracks from a purchase have already been downloaded?

iTunes 12.3.2.35 with Apple Music subscription.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Mar 7, 2016 12:38 AM

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Answer 1

itunes999

Level 3

633 points

Mar 7, 2016 12:53 AM in response to MOSES_ZA

The 'automatic downloads' setting only applies to purchases made after the setting was turned 'on' e.g. if you have that setting 'on' for music on your computer's iTunes and you buy an album on a different computer or on an iOS device then it should also download on that computer. If the setting was already 'on' then try the Store > Check For Available Downloads menu option.

Or on the 'not in my library' screen the album should have a cloud icon on its top right corner (or if viewing Songs there should be a cloud icon to each track's far right) - click on that cloud icon and it should download into the My Music section of your library and disappear from 'not in my library'

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Answer 2

MOSES_ZA Author

Level 1

11 points

May 26, 2016 12:05 AM in response to MOSES_ZA

This is a terrible answer that doesn't at all address my issue. Please read again.

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Answer 3

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,336 points

May 26, 2016 12:38 AM in response to MOSES_ZA

Have you made any adjustments to those tracks, e.g. converted them to a different format, so that they are not recognised as being the store versions ? If not, and if you haven't already done so you could try updating to the current version of iTunes

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Answer 4

MOSES_ZA Author

Level 1

11 points

May 26, 2016 12:43 AM in response to King_Penguin

I have made no adjustments to the tracks. I have the latest version of iTunes running on the latest version of El Cap.

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Answer 5

MOSES_ZA Author

Level 1

11 points

May 30, 2016 1:02 AM in response to MOSES_ZA

Here's photo evidence of the issue. The album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us has clearly been downloaded already (I pre-ordered it on the iTunes store and it came out on Friday; this was when the album was downloaded). On Sunday I got home, connected my MacBook to the internet and after iTunes checked for available downloads it started downloading the entire album again.

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