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User profile for user: chelseaclark
chelseaclark Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

iCloud Music Library

Hello,

I currently have my iTunes Music Libary (11500 music files) stored on an external hard drive. I've switched to iCloud Music Library and uploaded/matched everything successfully.


I'd now like to access my iCloud Music Library from my Macbook without having to plug in my external hard drive (ie. use cloud files rather than local files) but when I disconnect the hard drive and open iTunes/Music, it now displays each song with an exclamation point next to it.


When I click to play the file, it asks me to locate it, I press cancel and it plays the file and adds the little cloud icon with with the download arrow.


My question is how can I make every track like this (with the download icon - ie. automatically on the clooud) without having to click in to every single file to "reset" it?


Thanks!




MacBook Air 13", macOS 10.13

Posted on May 16, 2020 11:25 PM

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User profile for user: turingtest2
turingtest2
User level: Level 10
274,061 points

Posted on May 17, 2020 7:26 AM

Leave your original library as it is so that you can add media or make changes to metadata using the original files at a later date. Close iTunes, then hold down option as you relaunch it. Click the option to create a new library and make a new iTunes library in a folder called iCloud Music Library, for example. This will show all of your iCloud Music Library in the cloud, rather than with broken links to a disconnected external drive which is what you're now seeing if you launch iTunes without the drive connected. You can switch back to the original library with the drive connected if you need to make changes to the source files, restore something removed from the cloud in error, etc.


tt2

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User profile for user: turingtest2
turingtest2
User level: Level 10
274,061 points

May 17, 2020 7:26 AM in response to chelseaclark

Leave your original library as it is so that you can add media or make changes to metadata using the original files at a later date. Close iTunes, then hold down option as you relaunch it. Click the option to create a new library and make a new iTunes library in a folder called iCloud Music Library, for example. This will show all of your iCloud Music Library in the cloud, rather than with broken links to a disconnected external drive which is what you're now seeing if you launch iTunes without the drive connected. You can switch back to the original library with the drive connected if you need to make changes to the source files, restore something removed from the cloud in error, etc.


tt2

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iCloud Music Library

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