Buying new mac, transfer large iTunes library to Apple Music?

[ruger9two]

I have read a few threads about this. I'm just trying to get a clear answer, if possible. My current Macbook is running El Capitan and iTunes. I have a large iTunes library stored on an external drive. Some was purchased through iTunes, some amazon, some other 3rd parties, and some imported from my personal CD collection.

The new macbook pro I'm planning on buying is running Cheetah [ah... I see now... no doubt upon receiving, it will prompt me to upgrade to the current Catalina]. Catalina of course has Apple Music, I need some kind of a guide to explain how to transfer (and by transfer, I don't care if the music is ON the macbook; keeping it on an external drive is fine with me, IF it would even FIT) it to Apple Music.... without losing any of the music, or the playlists. I have ALOT of custom playlists.

I'm hoping this is possible? Conversely, would I be able to download the last version of iTunes onto Cheetah, and just use it instead? (maybe I could do that long enough for apple to come up with an easy way for the transfer to apple music in the future, LOL)

 

[ruger9two]

And, a follow-up question... if I can fit my entire library onto an iPod.... would I be able to transfer my library to the new platform that way? iPod -> Apple Music ?

 

[ruger9two]

OK, well, I keep clicking and reading, and I did find this: supposedly a way to continue using iTunes on Catalina.... which would perfectly fine with me....

How to Install iTunes in macOS Catalina - Simple Help

This guide will take you step by step through the process of getting iTunes to work on a Mac running macOS Catalina (10.15). While plenty of people are glad iTunes is gone, that doesn’t mean everyone is happy about it. Using the free and open source app Retroactive, getting iTunes back on your...

www.simplehelp.net

 

[hwojtek]

Cheetah doesn't run on any Apple computer that is called Macbook Pro. Cheetah is the first version of Mac OS X and is not Intel-compatible. It's also numbered 10.0. Which makes it 20 years and 15 versions old.

No, you can not use an iPod as means of transporting your iTunes Library between computers unless you erase it, disable synchronization and use it as an external disk. So why not use an external disk anyway? The biggest iPods nowadays are 256GB, that's not a "big iTunes Library".

 

[ruger9two]

Hmm... well the macbook pro I was planning on buying, it's an amazon listing, says it's intel 8th gen. It says Cheetah... but maybe that's just a typo? I thought it was weird for a new computer to come with something so old on it.... I guess it would probably come with Catalina, altho maybe not the latest version? Or MAYBE whatever came before Catalina?

And I am using an external disk, my library is 20,434 songs. It won't all fit on my iPod. So I have an external HDD that I connect to my laptop anytime I want to use iTunes. So, I need to figure out 1 of 2 things:

How I can use, or convert, that library on external HDD to Apple Music, OR make sure I can get iTunes up and running on catalina (or whatever it comes with- if it comes with anything older than Catalina, I think is HAS iTunes), and then just never upgrade to Catalina (or wait until there is some method of seamless and loss-less transfer)

 

[jaybar]

Hmm... well the macbook pro I was planning on buying, it's an amazon listing, says it's intel 8th gen. It says Cheetah... but maybe that's just a typo? I thought it was weird for a new computer to come with something so old on it.... I guess it would probably come with Catalina, altho maybe not the latest version? Or MAYBE whatever came before Catalina?

And I am using an external disk, my library is 20,434 songs. It won't all fit on my iPod. So I have an external HDD that I connect to my laptop anytime I want to use iTunes. So, I need to figure out 1 of 2 things:

How I can use, or convert, that library on external HDD to Apple Music, OR make sure I can get iTunes up and running on catalina (or whatever it comes with- if it comes with anything older than Catalina, I think is HAS iTunes), and then just never upgrade to Catalina (or wait until there is some method of seamless and loss-less transfer)

I would suggest you look at refurbished from Apple.

 

[hwojtek]

So I have an external HDD that I connect to my laptop anytime I want to use iTunes.

if your iTunes library is on a separate disk anyway, you just start the music.app in Catalina holding "option" key and point it to the existing library on external disk. music.app will make adjustments automatically.

 

[ruger9two]

if your iTunes library is on a separate disk anyway, you just start the music.app in Catalina holding "option" key and point it to the existing library on external disk. music.app will make adjustments automatically.

wow... just like that? Seems too easy, LOL

 

[Partron22]

Make a real backup first. The migration could easily prove impossible to undo.

 

[ruger9two]

Make a real backup first. The migration could easily prove impossible to undo.

Yes, I was going to clone the external drive first, just in case.

I also might try putting iTunes on Catalina, as discussed up thread. I'd like to see what the Apple Music interface is, and what it does to my playlists, etc....

 

[Te0SX]

So, any updates? Did you found the right process so you could have both your playlists + content without an issue?

When you import your playlists etc, can you successfully point the music folder of your music content so all your playlist can play the music fine?

Edit:

So after all, it's really simple. I made a clean install, came from Mojave.

1) I copied my Music/iTunes folder from Time Machine to User/Music.
2) Then I Option clicked to Music app, I chose from the iTunes folder the .itl file and without moving the media anywhere, it just started importing everything including my playlists, artworks, plays, date added etc. Everything imported normally. From Music ->Preferences the path was ready "/DiskName/User/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media".

I've made the mistake many times before today copying the media elsewhere, like the Music/Music/Media and then copying .itl there and trying to figure out things but nah, it's just the solution above.

 

[Airsculpture]

I recently did the same. I have 5TB on an external drive which was linked to my old iMac with El Capitan. New iMac was with Catalina.

I actually didnt use option button at all (but wouldn't harm) and just opened each app in turn and waited for it to gather the information - Music app, TV app, Podcast app and Books app

All info gathered, all artwork downloaded to the hidden library folder and all worked right out the box.

I even , last night, altered the folder structure on the external drive and renaming it in Finder along with deleting the library files under Music and Movies ( removing old itunes parent folders so that it was Media HD> Media> Music etc ) and again, it worked right out the box and even kept all my playlists.

This is a good link explaining the new structure in Catalina https://tips.graphica.com.au/macos-catalina-and-itunes-media-files/