How to move my iTunes purchases (and downloads) to an external SSD on M4 MBPro in 2025?

[Turnpike]

I have a new M4 MBPro 16" with limited storage and an external SSD that I want to keep my iTunes library on, I want to download it so I have them while traveling. Lots of purchased movies and music and saved podcasts.

Remember, there's no single "iTunes" app which makes so many of the tutorials no longer accurate.

How can I move my iTunes purchases (and anything I download in the future) to my external hard drive? Is it possible to make it so that all newly downloaded movies and music download to the external hard drive, and my TV app, music app, and podcasts work the same?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bigwaff]

I have a new M4 MBPro 16" with limited storage and an external SSD that I want to keep my iTunes library on, I want to download it so I have them while traveling. Lots of purchased movies and music and saved podcasts.

Remember, there's no single "iTunes" app which makes so many of the tutorials no longer accurate.

How can I move my iTunes purchases (and anything I download in the future) to my external hard drive? Is it possible to make it so that all newly downloaded movies and music download to the external hard drive, and my TV app, music app, and podcasts work the same?

Thanks in advance!

Open Music,
- select menu Music > Settings > check Show iTunes Store
- select menu Music > Settings > Files, change the location to folder on your external disk

caveat... if your disk isn't attached, the Music will be unhappy.

Download previous iTunes Store purchases in Music on Mac

On your Mac, download songs in Music that you purchased previously from the iTunes Store.

support.apple.com

 

[Turnpike]

Open Music,
- select menu Music > Settings > check Show iTunes Store
- select menu Music > Settings > Files, change the location to folder on your external disk

caveat... if your disk isn't attached, the Music will be unhappy.

Download previous iTunes Store purchases in Music on Mac

On your Mac, download songs in Music that you purchased previously from the iTunes Store.

support.apple.com

I keep trying to follow this, but where do I "select Music".....?

Do I open the app, find it in Preferences, or something else?

 

[Bigwaff]

I keep trying to follow this, but where do I "select Music".....?

Do I open the app, find it in Preferences, or something else?

When you launch the Music app, there will be a menu item “Music” in the top left corner….hence the instruction “select menu Music…”

 

[Turnpike]

When you launch the Music app, there will be a menu item “Music” in the top left corner….hence the instruction “select menu Music…”

Got it now, thank you!