How do I locate hidden music files after Apple Music import on MacBook Pro?

"So after I accidentally Imported the files to Apple Music, I deleted the songs from the Songs list in the Apple Music app. When I did this, it asked me if I wanted to keep the files, or just delete them from the Library. I selected keep files. So now they are not showing in Songs, Artists, etc. in the Apple Music app, but the files are somewhere (and not in Users/Music/Music/Media) Where would Apple Music keep those files if I elected to keep them after Importing them to Apple Music and Deleting them from the Library?"

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Where these All Went:

Are they Home MP3 Files?:

These may have been uploaded to iCloud. So, do you have an Apple Music subscription? IF so, all of your music would be accessible between your devices, when signed into the same Apple Account. Without an Appel Music Subsection, then they would have been added to the library. If these already existed, and you previously had installed these, then they would hav been overwritten. It seems all you nee dot so is restore these files, and that is what would be located on your hard drive. So, try recovering them through Spotlight Search or the Recovery process I described in my previous reply.

Troubleshooting Lost Music:

Why else they may be Missing and How to Retrieve them:

• Removed from iTunes Library:

Sometimes, items become removed from the iTunes library, and they never become accessible again. It all has to do with licensing between Apple and the Music Studio.

• Unhide these Purchases:

Perhaps these have become Hidden Purchases? To see if that is the case, unhide them

"Hidden Apple Music files: I can confirm they are somewhere in my User folder, but when I check all the subfolders (Downloads,Movies, Music, Pictures, Public) the music files are not there! I can also confirm that they are still somewhere in my User folder, by checking Get Info and seeing 151 GB, which is the amount of music files that I originally copied to my User/Music/Music/Media folder."

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Recovering Files:

A. Use Spotlight Search:

[Hold Down command + Press: spacebar] > Type a file name > Press return. Anything Pop Up?

Learn More Here: Search with Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support

B. Get from a Backup:

Did you ever create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac prior to this occurrence? If so, create a Time Machine Backup, and then restore your Mac from the Time Machine Backup that has these files. Then, find and export the files. Once exported, restore from the backup you just created.

Either put the files back or manually drag them to the correct location.

See Managing your Mac media libraries - Apple Community for background on the default layout of the Music media folder. Check that your media folder is correctly set to ~/Music/Music/Media rather than the trash.

tt2

"I found the files! When I deleted them from the Apple Music Library, it sent them to the Trash, which explains why they were showing in my User folder but not in User/Music/Music/Media"

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Excellent job troubleshooting this!

Spotlight Search doesn't find items that are stored in Trash; so, that would be the explanation as to why Spotlight Search was not successful.