Playback skips/jumps in iTunes 12.5.4.42

Just to clarify, my issue is nothing to do with Apple Music and just to do with files on my hard drive. The files play fine in Quicktime. It's just in iTunes that the files skip about 10-20 seconds before the end.

Here's an interesting thing. I highlighted some mp3 files and then did File -> Convert -> Create AAC version as I was curious to see if a converted file had the same issue. I was surprised when ALL the new AAC files were all 1 minute and 37 seconds long, which I am guessing is the time when all these particular tracks skip forward to the next track.

Yet, when I play all the original files using the QuickTime player they play perfectly, so I am pretty sure the original files are not corrupted. Also, the same files play fine on my iPod Classic. The issue is only with iTunes.

Very frustrating.

mrnigey wrote:

Here's an interesting thing. I highlighted some mp3 files and then did File -> Convert -> Create AAC version as I was curious to see if a converted file had the same issue. I was surprised when ALL the new AAC files were all 1 minute and 37 seconds long, which I am guessing is the time when all these particular tracks skip forward to the next track.

Select one of the original files in iTunes, right click - get info.

Click the Options tab and make sure the Start and Stop times are not ticked.

LIkely they are set to 00:00 and 1:37

Really Chris!?

Idk how many replies you've read here, but what you're saying is not the skip/jump problem.
The problem is a bug within the iTunes software. This morning I updated to 12.5.5 and this does not fix the issue.

Thanks for trying to help but the Start and Stop times are not ticked - I never use that function - and I cannot think of how that would happen without my intervention.

Nope, as THeuving states it does appear to be a software issue that 12.5.5 has not resolved.

I'd add it doesn't seem to happen to all my files - just some - so far as I can judge music I have added in the recent past

Yep, following up on my previous reply, by deleting and re-adding the troublesome files, I have overcome the skipping issue. So far anyway.

Annoying that I lose my play count and any ratings, and have to put them back onto any playlists, but it is working for me so far.

Thanks for letting know!!

I do think it's really embarrassing for one of the biggest tech-companies in the world that they cannot fix a bug in their software.
I'll give it a week or so before I'll go and try the same.

Sad news. Added an album today and surprise, surprise!! One song had the same skip/jump issue!
Let's be positive here though, it skipped at 3:35 of a 4:19 song, so it was just a small percentage of the song, it's improving!
I'm gonna call Apple tomorrow and see what they got to say, will report here.

Same annoying problem here as well. I'm on 12.5.5.5 and macOS 10.12.3, MBP mid 2014.

Deleting and re-adding files didn't solve the problem. What solved the problem though was the method described earlier by deleting (or renaming which is safer) the Library.itl file. Keep in mind that you will loose any playlists associated to other devices such as iPod or iPhone.

Since the library on the MBP is 'only' a small, working library and not the real big one hosted on a Mac mini, it was rather fast and painless to do.

In any case, I will keep an eye on this...

iTunes 12.5.5.5 here...
Update didn't solve anything, the skipping now just appears in different times, which makes the whole issue less predictable and certainly more nerve-wracking.
Re-adding recent songs isn't helping either. Have not yet myself tried my previously explained solution of deleting the *.itl iTunes Library File since it's too much of a hassle with 20.000 songs and years of "Play Count" as well as "Dates" Information which would subsequently be lost.

Anyone has been able to solve this any other way?

I was experiencing the same issue with 2 albums added after upgrading to iTunes 12. More recently added albums (after upgrading to a more recent version of iTunes 12.x I guess?) do not have this issue. Deleting/re-adding the problematic files to the library did not solve the issue.

The following steps did solve the issue for the 2 albums with playback skipping:

1. Delete the 2 albums from iTunes

2. Rebuild the iTunes library (.itl file) as explained in detail here: http://www.kirkville.com/how-to-rebuild-your-itunes-library/

3. Re-add the 2 albums.

I am not sure deleting/re-adding is necessary. Rebuilding the library will erase some media info: date added, play count and manually added cover art.

Same problem since a few weeks. 5 new songs (bought today from Google Play Store) will skip when playing in iTunes (12.5) after about half the song. Deleted, re-imported, no change. Upgraded to iTunes 12.6, no change - all skip.The files are fine, if I play them in Preview they have no issue. They also have no issues playing on iPhone. Only in iTunes on iMac (Yosemite). Even if I try to convert them into AAC they will convert only half of the song. Have tried playing with song options, didn't help.

Another sign of the problems created with Apple Music I guess...

Hope this will be fixed soon - otherwise this is my last Mac. If you can't even play music anymore with iTunes what's the point. It really doesn't just work anymore.

Update: Have copied the songs from the iTunes window to an external HD - then deleted the files (to trash) in iTunes. Closed iTunes, and opened the files on the external HD which imported them again into iTunes. This has helped for two out of five songs. Need to repeat for the other three...

I'm still getting this issue, but only with certain tracks. Very frustrating. Mine skip at exactly 2:44 as well.

I previously recommended converting the files to an AAC version via iTunes. This worked when I had the same problem with a previous upgrade, but does not work with 12.5.4.42 (and still is continuing with 12.6.0.100)

I have discovered that if I convert the files outside of iTunes I can solve the issue. I use a free app called XLD to create a different file type and by then adding the tracks or album using the new files it works fine. Or has done so far.

An annoying issue but at least I've found a workaround.

I can also confirm that the original files play fine in QuickTime etc so it seems this is definitely an iTunes issue that has yet to be solved by Apple.