Q: How can I move the iTunes file that keeps track of plays to a new hard drive
I added an SSD to my MacBookPro and am using it as the boot drive. I finally figured out how to get the whole library of music to play without moving all the music to the SSD (not enough room for everything), but I lost all my play counts.
There has to be one file that tracks all this info. Where might I find it? I tried exporting the library but the iTunes on the new drive did not recognize it.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
10.11.6, iTunes 12.3.4.1
OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), SE, 605, 9500, PTP/G3 board,
Posted on Sep 9, 2016 8:24 AM
The file is the iTunes Library.itl file. This file keeps track of everything in iTunes. And I mean everything. What music you have, what has been removed, playlists, play counts, ratings, date added, a lot of information duplicated in tags attached to the media files but a bunch that isn't.
It is kind of hard judging where exactly you are in this process because you have not told us what exactly you have done. It is easy to make a mess of a library by doing things without knowing exactly how iTunes really works rather than how one thinks it works. You could try copying that .itl file on the original drive to the new one and maybe it will still know the media files are on the original drive, but I am not positive.
Just so you know, using a library split in this manner can lead to complications down the road and requires you now start learning the details of how iTunes functions so you can avoid issues.
About iTunes library files - https://support.apple.com/HT201610 - Does not mention that a complete working library also includes other files and folders also in the iTunes folder.
More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management
What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
iTunes 9 [and later]: Understanding iTunes Media Organization - http://support.apple.com/HT201979 - plus supplemental information about organizing to new structure https://discussions.apple.com/message/26404702#26404702
Image of folder structure and explanation of different iTunes versions (turingtest2 post) - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-7392 and making an iTunes library portable.
Posted on Sep 9, 2016 11:12 AM