I was copying an iTunes library from one computer to another and copied all the music and then copied the iTunes Music Library.xml file. However, when I did that it ended up with those little exclamation points next to all the songs. It seem it thought all the songs are somewhere else. I went into the advanced settings and made the music folder location where the music was. Is there a way to make it actually look there for the music? It still doesn't know where the music is. Obviously if I try and play one of the songs it asks me to locate the file and I could easily but I don't want to do it a few thousand times, so how can I do it for all the songs at once?
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Copying an iTunes library
- Thread starter Astral Cars
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If you copied the entire iTunes folder you should be fine. It references the location of the music within itself consistently. Are you on Windows or OSX? Either way you should be able to just copy the entire iTunes folder within Music (or My Music) and be on your way.
Did you copy the iTunes Library file as well as the .xml file?
Did you copy the iTunes Library file as well as the .xml file?
It's the other file you need, not the XML file. It's named iTunes Library and it's located in the same folder.
Coolness, hopefully this'll work.
- Set iTunes on your old machine to look after the files (Advanced pane of System Preferences) in order to consolidate all your tracks into one location.
- Decide where to keep your tracks on the new machine.
- Create a folder here named iTunes Music.
- Open iTunes and set the Advanced section of Preferences to keep the tracks in this new folder.
- Close iTunes.
- Drag the iTunes Music folder from your old machine, onto the new one, replacing this folder you just created.
- Drag the iTunes Library and iTunes Library.xml files into either the iTunes folder in My Music (PC) or the iTunes folder in Music (Mac).
- Open iTunes and check it all worked.
- Enjoy some succulent music.
Coolness, hopefully this'll work.
mad jew said:It's the other file you need, not the XML file. It's named iTunes Library and it's located in the same folder.
<snip>
Coolness, hopefully this'll work.
Hey mj, do you have a list of step-by-step instructions for every help scenario that pops up around here? Sheesh, making me look bad. I say, "make sure to copy the iTunes Library file", and along comes mad jew, with a 15 point detailed explanation of how to go about it. Really, the nerve of some people.
Haha.
Sorry mate, just thought it was about time I got that one down for the record. I don't think I forgot anything, did I? I guess I should've been more detailed when explaining where to set the music file location, but it's pretty self explanatory once you get to the Advanced pane of System Preferences.
Sorry mate, just thought it was about time I got that one down for the record. I don't think I forgot anything, did I? I guess I should've been more detailed when explaining where to set the music file location, but it's pretty self explanatory once you get to the Advanced pane of System Preferences.
Just to clarify step one of mad jew's reply, you should have an advanced pane in Preferences that looks like this:
The check box for "keep iTunes music folder organized" is the important one for you to select in this case. This is also the place to select your music library location.
Hah, take that, mad jew. I'm posting screenshots now, not just bulleted lists
The check box for "keep iTunes music folder organized" is the important one for you to select in this case. This is also the place to select your music library location.
Hah, take that, mad jew. I'm posting screenshots now, not just bulleted lists
I would've done that, but didn't want to show everyone my short user name...
Oh, and if your Advanced pane of System Preferences doesn't look exactly like that posted, then you're either looking at the wrong thing or you don't have the same theme changer installed.
Oh, and if your Advanced pane of System Preferences doesn't look exactly like that posted, then you're either looking at the wrong thing or you don't have the same theme changer installed.
mad jew said:I would've done that, but didn't want to show everyone my short user name...
Oh, and if your Advanced pane of System Preferences doesn't look exactly like that posted, then you're either looking at the wrong thing or you don't have the same theme changer installed.
Is there really a danger from people knowing this username? I've seen people who blur it out when posting, but I'm never sure what the risk is by not doing so. I suppose it's one less step to hacking your computer since they only have to guess a password at that point. Hmm, maybe I'll change it.
Also, you're exactly right, it's important to install UNO 1.3 before attempting to transfer iTunes files
.
Ahh, I love me some UNO. I'm still on 1.2 because I don't like the mini icons on the Menu Bar though. There's no huge danger in showing your short username, although I guess sit gives hackers something to play with. Meh, hackers can do what they want, I'm on a Mac. I'm arrogant like that.
Thanks for the responses. I'm moving the music from a PC to a Mac and I feel like the problem is resulting in the transfering of the .xml file and the iTunes Library file. For sure within the xml file it gives the location of the music from the old PC and obviously it can't be exactly the same location on the (also old) mac.
I'll try and do it exactly as discribed sometime tonight (I'm at work right now).
I'll try and do it exactly as discribed sometime tonight (I'm at work right now).
If you are moving it from a PC, it is much more complicated. As you don't have a location called "C:\Documents and Settings\balh blah blah" you cannot just simply copy your library. After copying all of that iTunes folder like the other posters said, open that one big .xml file in TextEdit and search for
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documenst\My Music\
and replace all of them (There might be one for each song in each playlist)
Macintosh HD:Users:username:Music
or wherever you are planning to locate your music library. I think this will preserve your playlists and let you use your iTunes Library file, but I am not sure. Unfortunately, I went through this in a bit differently about six months ago. If this works, cool. If not, make another post and I can tell you about my longer method.
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documenst\My Music\
and replace all of them (There might be one for each song in each playlist)
Macintosh HD:Users:username:Music
or wherever you are planning to locate your music library. I think this will preserve your playlists and let you use your iTunes Library file, but I am not sure. Unfortunately, I went through this in a bit differently about six months ago. If this works, cool. If not, make another post and I can tell you about my longer method.
I didn't think it'd matter because you don't need to change the XML file when you move between Macs with different short user names. Also, I'm pretty sure iTunes totally ignores the XML file and only looks at the data file. The XML file is there for our viewing purposes. I could be wrong though. I usually am.
I did it exactly as MJ stepped out and once again ended up with exclamation points next to every song. I did not copy the .xml file because that one seems unnecessary, but other than that did everything the same. I'm confused as to why this isn't working. Anymore tips would be much obliged.
Okay, well Apple has a page outlining how to use an iPod to transfer music libraries from one machine to another. Maybe have a look through it to see what I've left out.
Thanks for the tips guys, I think I should be able to get it. I realized last night part of the problem might have been that I only had the files for the checked songs and so the library couldn't have been identical, also I can probably just manually remake the playlists, they aren't as long as I thought they were. I will however try the way suggested on the apple site.
One thing that threw me off when copying my iTunes library from my PC to my new Macbook was the library.itl file. When I copied this file to my Macbook's itunes folder I assumed everything would work correctly, but it didn't. Turned out the problem was the file extension (".itl") needed to be removed from the file name. After that everything worked... hope that helps!
Astral Cars said:
Interesting... It shouldn't matter whether the items are checked or not but nevertheless, if you're happy remaking the playlists manually, then that's all cool and it doesn't matter.
Okay cool, what does it give beyond the inbuilt Show Duplicates function? It sounds interesting.
mad jew said:Okay cool, what does it give beyond the inbuilt Show Duplicates function? It sounds interesting.
The iTunes feature is good if you have only a few duplicates. You have to go through them, as you probably know, and pick the version you'd like to keep. That's a month long project if you have a big number of duplicates. iDupe takes all the footwork out of it. It "intelligently" selects which file to keep and which to trash. For example, if one version has a higher bitrate, it will keep that one. I found it was flawless in its selection. (You, of course, can go through and double check the ones it is planning to delete but, after a few times, I found that to be a redundant step.)
4.7 out of 5 stars
-Squire
Ahh, thanks for that. I've done all mine manually with iTunes but I'll keep that app in mind if ever I need it.