Apple Says Multiple iTunes Libraries Are Not Supported in First Public Beta of macOS Catalina

[MacRumors]

In a new support document, Apple has indicated that the first public beta release of macOS Catalina does not support switching between multiple iTunes libraries. This also applies to the first two developer betas of macOS Catalina.

Initial betas of macOS Catalina can only open the previously selected iTunes library on your Mac prior to updating, according to Apple. Before you install the macOS Catalina beta, choose the iTunes library that you want to use by fully closing iTunes and reopening it while holding down the Option key.

Apple split iTunes into three apps on macOS Catalina: Music, TV, and Podcasts. The iTunes library that you choose will be the one that opens in the beta versions of Music, TV, and Podcasts on macOS Catalina. Your other music files, media, and additional iTunes libraries will remain wherever you have saved them.

Apple's support document suggests that multiple iTunes libraries will be supported in the general release of macOS Catalina this fall.

iTunes has long allowed users to have multiple libraries. Borrowing Apple's examples, you could have a library of holiday music that would not appear in iTunes the rest of the year, or you could keep your music in a library on your computer and your movies in a library on an external storage device.

Article Link: Apple Says Multiple iTunes Libraries Are Not Supported in First Public Beta of macOS Catalina

 

[Mikey44]

Cool, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to switch my library unless there was a file that was corrupted. However awesome that they are including this functionality again. Seems like something that a number of people use.

I’m curious though, what are some people’s use cases for this?

 

[bilibug]

Cool, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to switch my library unless there was a file that was corrupted. However awesome that they are including this functionality again. Seems like something that a number of people use.

I’m curious though, what are some people’s use cases for this?

25K+ music files that I don't necessarily want cluttering up my Apple Music account on my phone.

 

[BootsWalking]

Hopefully the new Music app will not follow in the trajectory of Final Cut X in terms of implementation of important features that were present on the app it replaced.

 

[cmChimera]

Good that they’ll support it in the future. Now if they can just fix the album view.

 

[nvmls]

Hopefully the new Music app will not follow in the trajectory of Final Cut X in terms of implementation of important features that were present on the app it replaced.

Sadly that seems to be the pattern with Apple (aperture, disk utility, etc)

 

[DeathBecomesMe]

I had a blast losing all my album art yesterday.

 

[MacsAre1]

So does it still use the same iTunes library file for all three apps? I have my library on a network drive and access it on Windows and Mac, so wondering if that will still work.

 

[Chris Grande]

So does it still use the same iTunes library file for all three apps? I have my library on a network drive and access it on Windows and Mac, so wondering if that will still work.

It splits them apart.

 

[DeathBecomesMe]

So does it still use the same iTunes library file for all three apps? I have my library on a network drive and access it on Windows and Mac, so wondering if that will still work.

Save yourself a lot of aggravation and don't install the Catalina beta.

 

[MacsAre1]

It splits them apart.

Thx. Will be sticking with 10.13.3 then. Since that's the last version to also support an eGPU on my TB2 Mac.

 

[Analog Kid]

Curious where Finder keeps the MobileSync backups, and if that’s configurable yet. Using precious (and expensive) space on the boot SSD to hold a backup of a 1TB iPad in the user library isn’t acceptable. I’ve worked around it in iTunes but hope they have a better answer in Catalina— or at least don’t screw up the work around.

Cool, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to switch my library unless there was a file that was corrupted. However awesome that they are including this functionality again. Seems like something that a number of people use.

I’m curious though, what are some people’s use cases for this?

Same problem as the backup— I don’t want to store my library on my boot drive. I don’t keep multiple libraries (aside from a backup) but not being able to choose a library also sounds like it will be hard to move the library...

 

[ike1707]

iTunes was already, and remains the single reason I’ll continue running El Capitan. The allure continues to grow, but I won’t give up *freedom from the DRM limitations in my purchased media.

Edit: freedom from, not control over

 

[TMRJIJ]

I had a blast losing all my album art yesterday.

I thought I lost mine in DP1. Turns out it was resyncing my entire library along with the rest of iCloud. Took quite a while for them to reappear.

 

[Remy149]

25K+ music files that I don't necessarily want cluttering up my Apple Music account on my phone.

That’s ironic because Apple Music combining with my almost 2 decade old iTunes library was one of its best selling points. I’ve been adding and subtracting to many of the same playlists for years

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

iTunes was already, and remains the single reason I’ll continue running El Capitan. The allure continues to grow, but I won’t give up control over the DRM in my media though.

Wait why do you have to give up control over the DRM?

 

[MauiPa]

I'm confused, The Music app has a preferences files entry which seems to point to the iTunes library. Can't you just use this?

I get you can't use multiples at once, but can you go back and forth with this?
[doublepost=1561484229][/doublepost]

I thought I lost mine in DP1. Turns out it was resyncing my entire library along with the rest of iCloud. Took quite a while for them to reappear.

iTunes was already, and remains the single reason I’ll continue running El Capitan. The allure continues to grow, but I won’t give up control over the DRM in my media though.

did you try using Plex, and .,,,,,,,,, which are modern media servers? El Capitan is a bit dated now. Thats beginning to sound a little like, you prefer to keep things on floppies, cause, yah!
[doublepost=1561484442][/doublepost]

Curious where Finder keeps the MobileSync backups, and if that’s configurable yet. Using precious (and expensive) space on the boot SSD to hold a backup of a 1TB iPad in the user library isn’t acceptable. I’ve worked around it in iTunes but hope they have a better answer in Catalina— or at least don’t screw up the work around.


Same problem as the backup— I don’t want to store my library on my boot drive. I don’t keep multiple libraries (aside from a backup) but not being able to choose a library also sounds like it will be hard to move the library...

Can't you specify where the library is through preferences? And it seems you can choose library, unless the preferences files option is just a placeholder

 

[cmChimera]

Wait why do you have to give up control over the DRM?

You don’t, they’re confused.

 

[hagar]

Save yourself a lot of aggravation and don't install the Catalina beta.

Who would be stupid enough to install a beta on their production machine? And then complain if things fall apart? No one ever.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I'm confused, The Music app has a preferences files entry which seems to point to the iTunes library. Can't you just use this?

View attachment 844978

I don't think that changes libraries but rather tells iTunes where to find the current library. It would still be looking for the media in the current library but trying to find them in the new relative path. If you copied the whole catalog out to an external drive it would then locate all the existing media in that new folder. If you really tried to point it at a different library (with different media) most of the files from your library would not be found and it wouldn't identify the new files in the new location. I think.

 

[Kaibelf]

I had a blast losing all my album art yesterday.

Must be fiction. No one would install an initial PB on a production machine and then actually lose anything they weren't COMPLETELY willing to lose to a factory reset. Beta 101.

 

[DeathBecomesMe]

Must be fiction. No one would install an initial PB on a production machine and then actually lose anything they weren't COMPLETELY willing to lose to a factory reset. Beta 101.

Did I say I was filing a class action lawsuit for losing some album art? It's my personal laptop, not a SpaceX guidance computer.

 

[Junior117]

Who would be stupid enough to install a beta on their production machine? And then complain if things fall apart? No one ever.

Oh, I've heard and seen people install beta versions of operating systems on their main computer... and then get upset like if they were expecting no issues.

Some humans can be very stupid.

 

[nvmls]

Oh, I've heard and seen people install beta versions of operating systems on their main computer... and then get upset like if they were expecting no issues.

Some humans can be very stupid.

Here's a crazy thought. Many of them are Apple consumers.
Or how else would you sell a 3 gens in a row "premium priced laptop" with a flawed keyboard, or throttled i9 or... ? Don't forget "apple care".

See how that works? Seems like Tim does very well.

 

[ike1707]

Wait why do you have to give up control over the DRM?

Because after Sierra I believe, they closed a loophole and that allowed third-party software to remove the DRM mechanism in iTunes movie files. If I pay $15 or even $20 for an HD movie, I have no interest in being able to do nothing with that purchased file outside of the ecosystem. As it stands, I can throw that movie on a flash drive, take it to a friends house, loaded onto literally any other device for my convenience.

I paid out-of-pocket for my content. As far as I’m concerned they have no place setting terms on what I do with it there after.
[doublepost=1561502304][/doublepost]

did you try using Plex, and .,,,,,,,,, which are modern media servers? El Capitan is a bit dated now. Thats beginning to sound a little like, you prefer to keep things on floppies, cause, yah!

I worded my comment poorly. macOS prior to 10.13, accompanied by the right software, leaves the user free to remove the DRM mechanism in movie files and do with them what they want. The iTunes movie store is otherwise a glorified rental system if they set the terms on which you can use the content you paid for.