Finding my iTunes playlists in the new music app

I upgraded to Ventura 13.5 from an older Intel iMac and the playlists are gone, only about 20 remain. What happened?

iMac 27″

Posted on Aug 10, 2023 02:28 PM

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Posted on Aug 11, 2023 04:28 PM

If you hold down Option as you launch Music you should be able to select your old .itl file and have it converted to the new library format. Is this a new computer, or a OS upgrade on the same hardware?


tt2

9 replies

Aug 12, 2023 11:42 AM in response to Richard Strachan1

Using the option key is the way to switch from one library to another. Had you upgraded from an older version of macOS the migration might have happened automatically, but a new install of macOS 10.15 or later isn't going to look in the old iTunes location for its Music library.


See Managing your Mac media libraries - Apple Community for some post migration advice.


tt2

Aug 11, 2023 04:20 PM in response to turingtest2

Well, thank you that link did have some info I might be able to use if I can figure out this Music App. I've been slow to keep up with the changing OS march of progress and I am truly amazed at how bad this Music App is. Has it always been this like this?Just one simple example of this: In the Apple Music User Guide in answer to my loaded question "What is a Playlist?" the answer in part is "create a playlist to to organize your music..." Well, duh. None of my created playlists made it over, the only stuff that has come over are commercial CDs that I loaded into iTunes over the years and those have been eviscerated with dozens, maybe more of errors. For example I made a playlist called "Miscellaneous Rock and Roll", basically a bunch of singles from various CDs to "organize my music". No sign of it anywhere. Dozens of little folders like this gone blip! And I was really amazed at how many errors there are, like missing songs from albums that did make it over, incorrect or missing album artwork, more than 360 album art covers could not be found according to Apple. I had all of them before, thank you AllMusic, and what seems like an emphasis on commercial stuff only, self-made playlists can take a hike. Why is this so bad? This app seems like a funnel to the streaming world, it's not a place I can store my own work in self-named folders.That is really a weird feeling. This app has got a long way to go. When I bought my Mac Studio, the salesperson said "This is the last computer you'll buy!" That's starting to sink in.

Aug 12, 2023 11:55 AM in response to turingtest2

OK..my ITL was from a Big Sur era iMac to a resident OS (Ventura) installed on the new mac studio and it was a debacle. But, on my office computer I have Ventura13.4 now and that is the latest OS upgrade of many on that computer going back several years and there's never been a problem with losing files or anything. Is that what you mean? Clicking the option key ensured that the Ventura OS looked back for the correct library during the migration?

Aug 12, 2023 12:02 PM in response to Richard Strachan1

With both iTunes and Music holding down the Option key is what lets you switch from one library to another. Clicking the library files themselves opens the app with whatever library was opened last, not necessarily the selected file. On a brand new install of the OS each app will first see if there is a library at the default path (~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Library.itl and ~/Music/Music/Music Library.musiclibrary respectively) and if present open that, otherwise create a new empty library. Once you are signed into your Apple ID an otherwise empty library will show your purchase history in the cloud and any default playlists.


tt2

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Finding my iTunes playlists in the new music app

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