Where does iTunes store album artwork files?

[pdxflint]

I can click on the album artwork in iTunes (8.0.2) and it will display the larger version of an album cover, but I can't right click and copy it, or display the actual file in the finder. Sometimes I want to copy the artwork for an email, forum, etc. and don't want to always use Grab to make a screenshot. Where are the album files stored on my Mac? Thanks.

 

[aethelbert]

They're imbedded in each individual track. Right click --> Get Info --> Artwork tab. From there, you can just drag and drop the image onto your desktop or wherever else you may want it. That only comes out as a picture clipping file, however, so you will need to use the appropriate automator script to get that into jpeg, png, tiff, or whatever. Those can be found here.

 

[gnasher729]

I can click on the album artwork in iTunes (8.0.2) and it will display the larger version of an album cover, but I can't right click and copy it, or display the actual file in the finder. Sometimes I want to copy the artwork for an email, forum, etc. and don't want to always use Grab to make a screenshot. Where are the album files stored on my Mac? Thanks.

Deeply hidden in the individual music files (at least for unprotected AAC files; I haven't checked anything else). You can't copy the artwork in the larger window, but you can copy it if you right-click in the small artwork display.

 

[pdxflint]

Okay guys, thanks for the help. I finally figured out if I right-clicked (copy) on the small artwork image in the sidebar in iTunes, I would actually be copying the larger 600x600 artwork, and then I can open it from the clipboard in Preview. (in Preview, File>New From Clipboard, or command-N.) Once in Preview, just save, give it a name and choose filetype/location for the file. Bingo! Works just like I wanted.

example:

 

[Galley]

Artwork downloaded from the iTunes Store is stored in a database. Artwork you add manually, is stored in the file itself.

 

[stevod]

Artwork downloaded from the iTunes Store is stored in a database. Artwork you add manually, is stored in the file itself.

Yes there seem to be two ways. But even if it's stored in the files themselves iTunes seems to build a library of all the artwork in a local directory.

S