Thanks Jim - but I don't understand the link completely. Can I ask you for an explanation? My comments are in parentheses. The link says:
The best practice is to buy an external HDD (preferably 1TB or more) and copy the entire iTunes folder to that drive. Once that copy has completed open iTunes while holding the Option key and select "choose library" and navigate to the "iTunes Library.itl" file on the external HDD, select it and click OK. Next, close iTunes and open it again while holding the Option key and choose "new library." In the new, empty librarygo to preferences and check iCloud Music Library. Now you will see all your music in the cloud and be able to stream it. ((My comment: yes - I've done this my iCloud Library here only shows music I've purchased on iTunes - not my very large library that I wanted to move to iTunes Match. How could closing iTunes once I've linked it to my external drive - and then opening it linking it only to my iTunes Match account move the music from the external drive to iTunes Match? Also - in the newest version of iTunes it doesn't work this way exactly. When I press the option key while opening it gives me the choice of creating a library or choosing a library. In this second open I create a library - then I get a box - Save as: Tag: and Where: under where I can choose iTunes Music. I assume this is where I should be going - but then only get my on line library)) Now you may move the iTunes folder on the internal storage of your computer to the Trash and empty it. ((This comment I don't understand, but don't think it's important to me)) - So what I have after doing this is the same thing I had before, i.e. my iTunes Match library is only music from my iTunes purchases, but nothing from the external drive. Thanks very much Jimzgoldfinch - really appreciate your help.
