iTunes 12.3.3.17 crashes after playing song for ~30 seconds

elina_j,

It sounds like your iTunes software seems to be quitting unexpectedly when you are playing music back after roughly 30 seconds or so. First I would check to see if there are any errors on the disk that need repair:

Disk Utility (El Capitan): Repair a disk

Once the verification and repair is done go ahead and test the issue again. If that resolves it, then great! If not on the other hand, I would next remove any third party plugins that may be interfering with iTunes operation:

Test with iTunes plug-ins removed.

• Quit iTunes.
• Mac OS X:

  • ~/Library/iTunes/iTunes Plug-ins

    (The "~" represents your Home folder)

  • /Library/iTunes/iTunes Plug-ins

• If any files are in this folder, move them to the Desktop temporarily.
• Open iTunes and test to see if the issue is resolved. If so, you may leave these iTunes plug-ins removed. If you wish to re-use these iTunes plug-ins, consult the vendor for the iTunes plug-ins to see if any updates are available.

From: iTunes: May become unresponsive when connecting iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If the problem is still there after removing the plugins or there are none to remove, then you should next create a new library, add content to it and see if the issue persists there:

Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one

Mac

1. If iTunes is running, quit iTunes.
2. Hold down the Option key while you open iTunes.
3. You'll see a message that says Choose iTunes Library. Depending on what you want to do, choose Create Library or Choose Library.
   

Now if the issue still is not resolved then can you create a new admin user on your computer and test it out there as well?

OS X El Capitan: Set up users on your Mac

Add a user

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Users & Groups.

2. Click the lock icon to unlock it, then enter an administrator name and password.

3. Click the Add button below the list of users.

4. Click the New Account pop-up menu, then choose a type of user.

   
   

   Administrator: An administrator can add and manage other users, install apps, and change settings. The new user you create when you first set up your Mac is an administrator. Your Mac can have multiple administrators. You can create new ones, and convert standard users to administrators. Don’t set up automatic login for an administrator. If you do, someone could simply restart your Mac and gain access with administrator privileges. To keep your Mac secure, don’t share administrator names and passwords.

5. Enter a full name for the new user. An account name is generated automatically. To use a different account name, enter it now—you can’t change it later.

6. Enter a password for the user, then enter it again to verify. Using a password hint is recommended to help the user remember his or her password.

7. Click Create User.

The outcome of the new user will determine what we do next so let us know how that goes! Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

Alright! Thank you for the update! Next we need to move your content to the new library. First consolidate all your iTunes files into your media folder so that everything is in its place and nothing gets lost in the move:

Consolidate your iTunes library

Before you make a backup of your iTunes files, consolidate all of your media into the iTunes Media folder. To consolidate your media:

1. Open iTunes.
   Mac: From the menu bar at the top of your computer screen, choose File > Library > Organize Library.
   Windows: Hold down the Control and B keys on your keyboard to open the iTunes menu bar, then choose File > Library > Organize Library. Learn more about menus in iTunes for Windows.
2. Select "Consolidate files."
   
3. Click OK.

Consolidating copies any files that were outside of your iTunes Media folder into your iTunes Media folder. To save space on your hard drive, you might want to delete the original files after you make sure that the copies are in your iTunes Media Folder.

From: Manage and back up your iTunes media library

Next:

1. Quit iTunes if it is running

2. Locate the new library you created and open the Automatically Add to iTunes folder which should be located:

(iTunes Library folder)/iTunes Media/Automatically Add to iTunes/

3. Open your old iTunes library and drag all the folders in the iTunes Media folder into the Automatically Add to iTunes folder

4. Open iTunes with the new library using the first article I provided the other day:

Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one

This should scan the iTunes media that you added to the Automatically Add to iTunes folder to your new library. Now keep in mind that things like Ratings, and likes will not carry over from the old library but this should get all of your content into a good working library.

Take Care!