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User profile for user: aussiemacguy
aussiemacguy Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Move iTunes library to new MacBook Pro - please help!

I asked this question several months ago but received no responses so am trying again.


I am seeking advice on moving an iTunes/Apple Music library from my Synology NAS drive onto my MacBook Pro running the Music app in Catalina (version 10.15.7).


The library on my NAS was created using the old iTunes app on my previous MacBook Pro. When I opened the Music app on my new MacBook, it launched the library on my NAS, which appears to be working fine.


I would now like to move the media library from my NAS onto my MacBook but am not sure of a safe way of doing this. 


The current state is:

  • the library file (music library.musiclibrary) is located on my Mac (in ~Music/Music).
  • My media files are located in the music folder on my NAS (/Music). I suspect there are quite a few duplicate music files and old unused iTunes library (itl, xml, etc), files in here so it would be a bonus if I can clean this up in the process).


I’ve read a lot of threads on moving iTunes/Music libraries and the option I'm currently leaning towards is to:

  • change the default media location in the Music app to the music folder on my Mac (~Music/Music), then
  • Use the Consolidate function in the Music app to send all of my media to ~Music/Music on my Mac


Should this do the trick and are there any extra steps or precautions I should take?


Another option would be to copy and paste all of the content from my NAS' Music folder over to my Mac, but I'm not sure how to do this without breaking the link between my library file and my media files (and therefore losing playlists, artwork, etc).


Any help would be hugely appreciated!

Posted on Mar 6, 2021 2:59 PM

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User profile for user: aussiemacguy
aussiemacguy Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Posted on Mar 8, 2021 6:21 PM

Thanks for your reply Brian. The Apple Support link provided is generic advice which doesn’t fully cover my specific situation where my iTunes library file and media (music files) is split between my MacBook Pro and my NAS drive. I appreciate your offer of further assistance but have now managed to resolve my situation.


For anyone else who may be interested, I bit the bullet (after ensuring everything was backed up) and tried the option noted in my original post (Consolidate media from NAS drive to Macbook music folder) and, much to my relief, it worked. I have confirmed that my entire music collection is still displaying in the Music (formerly iTunes) app, with all artwork and playlists also intact. It also achieved my secondary goal of cleaning up my media folder, because only my active music files were  consolidated/copied over from my NAS to my Mac, and not all the duplicates and old library files.


Please note: this approach seemed the best for my situation where my musiclibrary.musiclibrary file (itl if you're still using iTunes) was on my Mac, but my media (music) files were on my NAS drive. However, I would strongly recommend reading turingtest2's excellent article 'make a split library portable', which clearly explains different options for safely moving your Music/iTunes library from one computer or device to another in a range of different scenarios: 

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-7392

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User profile for user: aussiemacguy
aussiemacguy Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Mar 8, 2021 6:21 PM in response to Brian_P7

Thanks for your reply Brian. The Apple Support link provided is generic advice which doesn’t fully cover my specific situation where my iTunes library file and media (music files) is split between my MacBook Pro and my NAS drive. I appreciate your offer of further assistance but have now managed to resolve my situation.


For anyone else who may be interested, I bit the bullet (after ensuring everything was backed up) and tried the option noted in my original post (Consolidate media from NAS drive to Macbook music folder) and, much to my relief, it worked. I have confirmed that my entire music collection is still displaying in the Music (formerly iTunes) app, with all artwork and playlists also intact. It also achieved my secondary goal of cleaning up my media folder, because only my active music files were  consolidated/copied over from my NAS to my Mac, and not all the duplicates and old library files.


Please note: this approach seemed the best for my situation where my musiclibrary.musiclibrary file (itl if you're still using iTunes) was on my Mac, but my media (music) files were on my NAS drive. However, I would strongly recommend reading turingtest2's excellent article 'make a split library portable', which clearly explains different options for safely moving your Music/iTunes library from one computer or device to another in a range of different scenarios: 

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-7392

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User profile for user: Brian_P7
Brian_P7
User level: Community Specialist

Mar 8, 2021 4:34 PM in response to aussiemacguy

Hello aussiemacguy, Thanks for reaching out to us for support. We can help you with transferring your iTunes library. When you have a free moment, please give the steps in the link below a try.


Move your iTunes library to another computer


The reason we ask you to give the steps above a try is because they can potentially resolve your issue. If you’re still experiencing the same problem after completing the steps above, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Cheers!

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Move iTunes library to new MacBook Pro - please help!

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