My iTunes library is messed up!!!

[matthemercyless]

SCREEN SHOT

http://tinypic.com/r/2wcdwub/7


Can anyone help explain this please (screen shot attached).

I have 56GB of iTunes stuff in 2 separate folders, yet itunes only shows 20GB of content!

My library probably started out life about 6/7 years ago with OS 10.3 on a PowerBook, and has been moved around onto various hard drives and upgrades etc and is currently on my new Macbook Pro.

I only just noticed this because I need to move my entire library to a shared location so my wife can access it from her user account on my laptopn when she gets her iPad later this month.

Any ideas guys?

 

[Denarius]

Why in 2 separate folders?

 

[G4DP]

It will all have to be in the same main folder for iTunes to see all of your content.

When you open iTunes it will only see what is in you iTunes Media folder. iTunes will then break it down itself into what it thinks is what. TV Shows, Music etc.

Home Folder > Music > iTunes > iTunes Media.

 

[matthemercyless]

Why in 2 separate folders?

See the screen shot.

I have absolutely no idea why there are two separate folders. Most of the folders appears to simply be duplicates.

 

[Denarius]

here's what I'd do:

1. Open iTunes while holding down the alt key
2. Select 'Create New Library'
3. Name the library what you want (a new name obviously) and put it in your main music folder
4. Go to the File menu and select 'Add to Library'.
5. Navigate to your first music collection folder and click choose.
6. Click Add to library again, navigate to the other music folder and select choose.
7. Check all of the music is in the new library and then delete the old folders.

Edit:
Thinking about it, this is less steps: Use the alt key when opening iTunes to choose the library out of the two that you prefer. then do File>Add to Library, navigate to the other library and select choose.

 

[matthemercyless]

Thanks for the tips.

Will that create duplicates in my library though? It looks as though the smaller folder is simply a smaller duplicate version of the larger folder. If that makes sense.

 

[Denarius]

Thanks for the tips.

Will that create duplicates in my library though? It looks as though the smaller folder is simply a smaller duplicate version of the larger folder. If that makes sense.

If there are songs in one collection that are already in the other then you will have duplicates that you'll have to delete. Is one of them an old backup that you've dragged in by mistake perhaps?

 

[rickyalan]

you can hold all songs in separate folders if you have the option in Preferences "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" unchecked

try to remove all existing songs from iTunes (remember to keep files on hard disk), and add them again.

if there is too many duplicates, try some 3rd party app, such as itunes duplicates cleaner which worked to me.

 

[matthemercyless]

Yeah, I've been really unlucky with HDD failures over the years, and I've only just moved to a modern machine. I'm a bit annoyed at myself because my PowerBook only had a 100GB drive and I was always pushed for space, and now I find out that i've had essentially 2 itunes libraries on there!

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and add the contents of the smaller folder to the larger one, without replacing folders of the same names. Then I will just delete the smaller folder. If I make a mess of it Im sure TimeMachine will sort me out.

 

[Denarius]

Yeah, I've been really unlucky with HDD failures over the years, and I've only just moved to a modern machine. I'm a bit annoyed at myself because my PowerBook only had a 100GB drive and I was always pushed for space, and now I find out that i've had essentially 2 itunes libraries on there!

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and add the contents of the smaller folder to the larger one, without replacing folders of the same names. Then I will just delete the smaller folder. If I make a mess of it Im sure TimeMachine will sort me out.

If you do combine them as I suggested, there are applescripts kicking around on the web for deduping iTunes collections.