How to Transfer iTunes Library to Your New Mac?

Vikas Apple

Did you just get your hands on your new MacBook? Congratulations!

Mac has undeniably a strong army of loyal fans throughout the world. They are always defending it on heated Mac vs Windows debates on the Internet forums and eagerly waiting for the next MacBook launch as it emerges with new features.

If you’re one of those who couldn’t live without a Mac, here’s something important for you. You need to move your vast collection of iTunes music library to your new Mac. Many people expect it to be a simple and straightforward task, but it turns out to be a daunting job. With an extensive iTunes library and a diverse genre of content, things become pretty much complicated. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find out an easy way.

Transferring iTunes Library from an Old Mac/ Windows PC to a New Mac

A. Steps to be performed on your Old Mac/ Windows PC

Step 1: Find the location of your iTunes Media folder

  1. Connect an external hard disk or a USB stick to your old Mac/ Windows PC.
  2. Open iTunes using its Desktop shortcut in Windows or Dock shortcut in Mac.
  3. Open the Preferences dialog.
    • In the case of Windows, click on the “Edit” menu , and select “Preferences”.
    • In the case of Mac, click on the “iTunes” menu, and select “Preferences.
  4. Click on the “Advanced” tab in the new dialog.
  5. Note down the location of your “iTunes Media” folder. Although your actual location may vary, here is an example of the iTunes Media folder directory:
    • Windows: C:\Users\Vikas\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media
    • Mac: /Music/iTunes/iTunes Media

Step 2: Consolidate your files

  1. Click on the “File” menu.
  2. Select “Library”, followed by “Organize Library”.
  3. Enable the “Consolidate files” option, and then click on “OK”.

Step 3: Move the library to an external HDD/ USB stick

  1. Exit iTunes.
  2. Copy all the files from your “iTunes Media” folder to an external hard disk or a USB stick.
  3. Change the iTunes Library location:
    • For Windows: Open iTunes while holding the “Shift” key of your keyboard.
    • For Mac: Open iTunes while holding the “Options” key of your keyboard.
  4. When iTunes prompts, select “Choose Library”.
  5. Locate the iTunes media library folder you just copied on to the external HDD/ USB stick.

B. Steps to be performed on your New MacBook

Step: Import your iTunes Music Library

  1. Connect your external HDD/ USB stick to your new MacBook.
  2. Click “Finder”, followed by your “Music” folder.
  3. Drag your iTunes media library folder to the “Music” folder in your Mac.
  4. Open iTunes while holding the “Options” key.
  5. Click on “Choose Library” when you’re prompted.
  6. Select the iTunes Music library that you copied to your Mac.
  7. Click on “Open”.

That’s it, folks! You’ve successfully imported your previous iTunes library.

Find & Delete Duplicate iTunes Music

After successfully importing your iTunes library, it’s worth checking if it contains any duplicate music.

Duplicate files can eat up your storage and make it hard to organize files on your machine. Using Clone Files Checker, you can eliminate Mac duplicates with a few clicks.

Clone Files Checker Features:

  • Algorithm-based powerful scan engine assures no errors and 100% accuracy
  • Scan for duplicate documents, music, videos, archives
  • Scan all file types or use custom types of your choice
  • Use optional settings to exclude files that are smaller and larger than a custom size
  • In-house file preview makes it super easy to review your files
  • Displays information about each duplicate found- file name, size, extension, creation date, date of modification, etc.
  • Automatically mark or unmark multiple files with one-click
  • Scan duplicates on Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon, Dropbox, Box cloud platforms using free complimentary subscription of Cloud Duplicate Finder.

Steps:

  1. Download Clone Files Checker.
  2. In the “Include for Scan” click on “Add”.
  3. Locate your Music folder.
  4. Select the “Custom” option in the “Search Options”.
  5. If you want, you can opt-out specific file sizes using the “Ignore files smaller than” and “Ignore files larger than” options.
  6. Click on “Start Search”, and the scan shall start.
  7. Once the scan is completed, you’ll see a duplicates list along with details about each file.
  8. You’ve two options- Use the checkboxes to manually mark or unmark your files. Or the better way is to use the “Select Duplicates” button and select a selection pattern.
  9. Click on “Select Action”, and choose whether to delete or move your marked files.