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Cannot migrate my iTunes library to my Mac any more! *FIXED

Smellmet

Smellmet

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
369
133
Goole, UK
So, I've been using iTunes as my main music library on my PC for over a decade now, and I've been periodically backing it up to an external hard drive, and then copying it to my iMac and opening it up there with all my playlists, play counts etc intact for all that time without a hitch, using iTunes on Mac and the later 'music' iteration of the app.

Doing my backup as normal today and when I option-open the music app on the iMac to point it at the .itl library file music just sticks on 'loading' forever and nothing happens. Before, upon reading said file it would immediately open my library fully intact and away I went.

I've tried deleting the library and re-copying it from the hard drive, making changes to the master library on the PC so it overwrites the .it file, then copying it back to the Mac, and nothing, the same thing happens. I can't seem to find anything online about the music app suddenly not being able to read this critical file, has anyone any ideas? I've never had this problem before.

iTunes on my PC is updated to the latest version, as is my iMac's software.
 
If I’m understanding you right, you have the main library on your Mac but also maintain an external backup of it, but you’re trying to load the backup version in Music?

Can you still open Music with it successfully opening the local main library on your Mac?
 
I use the windows PC as my master library so It's portable, I back it up to a hard drive, then copy it to my iMac, so I can listen to music whilst I work, and it serves as a further backup. The music app simply will not read the .itl file any more it just says 'loading' - left it for hours too. It used to read the library file straight away and open up my music library with all the play counts, ratings and playlists intact.
 
It's also worth noting that the app will also not read any of the .itl files in the 'Previous iTunes Libraries' folder either. Surely this points to something that's broken on the music app. Is there a way to uninstall it or reset it somehow?
 
This is all I keep getting when I try to select any library file
 

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That's because you straight when going to new music, it's has to be converted to the new may its sees it in the new Music Application so import instead to covert you older music!
 
satcomer said:
That's because you straight when going to new music, it's has to be converted to the new may its sees it in the new Music Application so import instead to covert you older music!
Click to expand...
Can't really understand your post but if you mean import my music if I do that I will lose all my playlists.
 
So as an update to this in case anyone else has this issue. A kind soul over at Apple Support Communities has sorted this issue for me. The problem is Mac OS Monterey not converting the .itl file to a music database file. I emailed him my .itl file and he converted it using a machine on Big Sur or Catalina then emailed it back to me and I pointed the music app at it and hey presto it worked, all I had to do was point the music app to the media library in preferences once it had opened with my playlists etc (as all the files were listed but missing) and it seems to be ok.
 
satcomer said:
It is you your Music Folder on your older machine! Just copy that and paste it to new Machine in same place! It stores your Preferences that include playlists, cars given to music, etc!
Click to expand...
Cars given to music? WTF are you on about.

Is English not your first language or something?

If you read my original post, I have taken all the steps (I think you are suggesting) and more in the first place. Monterey is basically not converting the iTunes .itl database file (that gives you your playlists etc) that is in the music folder - that is the issue, nothing else.
 
satcomer said:
it's indoor User. Folder / music! Besides iff you transferred the Library using Migration Assistant you wouldn't;t have this problem!
Click to expand...

I have literally been transferring my iTunes library from my PC to my Mac for over a decade without any issues. I have never needed to use Migration Assistant because I know what I'm doing, I know where all the folders and files are, what they do and where they need to go in order to transfer my library intact.

I'll explain it to you once again...

The latest Monterey update has a bug that stops it from converting the windows iTunes .itl file to a .musiclibrary file. This causes the music app to hang indefinitely and not load the library.

I have had to get someone using the previous OS (Big Sur/Catalina) to use the music app to convert this file to the .musiclibrary format (as all our machines are on Monterey). This has worked and the problem has been resolved.

If you actually read any of my posts instead of posting gibberish you'd realise this by now.
 
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Smellmet said:
I have literally been transferring my iTunes library from my PC to my Mac for over a decade without any issues. I have never needed to use Migration Assistant because I know what I'm doing, I know where all the folders and files are, what they do and where they need to go in order to transfer my library intact.

I'll explain it to you once again...

The latest Monterey update has a bug that stops it from converting the windows iTunes .itl file to a .musiclibrary file. This causes the music app to hang indefinitely and not load the library.

I have had to get someone using the previous OS (Big Sur/Catalina) to use the music app to convert this file to the .musiclibrary format (as all our machines are on Monterey). This has worked and the problem has been resolved.

If you actually read any of my posts instead of posting gibberish you'd realise this by now.
Click to expand...
Then that tells me you don't know how Mac OS works! You could have read the Apple Support Move your data from a Windows PC to a Mac but I think this step above your pay grade!
 
Just a suggestion in case the problem re-occurs with a future update: you could have a look at Retroactive which lets you install and run iTunes 12.9.5.5 on all current versions of macOS.
Maybe this helps converting the library without the need of someone else or a previous OS or you could use it as an alternative to Music.
 
arw said:
Just a suggestion in case the problem re-occurs with a future update: you could have a look at Retroactive which lets you install and run iTunes 12.9.5.5 on all current versions of macOS.
Maybe this helps converting the library without the need of someone else or a previous OS or you could use it as an alternative to Music.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I'll definitely consider that.
 
arw said:
Just a suggestion in case the problem re-occurs with a future update: you could have a look at Retroactive which lets you install and run iTunes 12.9.5.5 on all current versions of macOS.
Maybe this helps converting the library without the need of someone else or a previous OS or you could use it as an alternative to Music.
Click to expand...
I've just actually done this and whilst yes, it allows iTunes to run on my iMac, it comes up with a lot of missing songs
 
Smellmet said:
Does anyone know if this issue is still present in Ventura?
Click to expand...
I hope it isn't still an issue. I went from Lion to Monterey the iTunes .itl file hangs for ever. My years old iTune library is just sitting here, it did cross mind just to get on and use it with all the stats gone but changed my mind very quickly.
 
StuAff said:
Recently migrated my (Mojave) iTunes library to my new MBP. The .itl file transferred perfectly, and rapidly.
Click to expand...
Good to hear what OS did you move to, Monterey?

My iTunes library is from Lion, but Monterey hangs on the .itl transfer.
 
chipandegg said:
I hope it isn't still an issue. I went from Lion to Monterey the iTunes .itl file hangs for ever. My years old iTune library is just sitting here, it did cross mind just to get on and use it with all the stats gone but changed my mind very quickly.
Click to expand...
Yeah no way could I stomach that, I've been curating this library since 2005.
 
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