Migrating from iTunes to Music

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After 9 years of service, my 2011 Mac Mini died for good. So I located a 2014 model and have been reinstalling/retrieving apps and files from my Time Machine backups. The only issue I'm having is with migrating from iTunes to it's replacement app Music. The only backups I have are what have been stored in Time Machine.

How do I properly migrate from iTunes to Music?
 
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MBAmtloin

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i would export your itunes music folder to another location or hard drive.
then
import those into itun- oh wait, can you use an old itunes?
yeah, all 2014 models have itunes, right? even in Catalina?

i could delete this post, but that info might help you.
hopefully you can retrieve the itunes music files from time machine.
 

Slydude

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Music (the new iTunes) should read your existing iTunes library file with no issues once it is moved to the new machine. We can give you a more definitive answer when we know answers to the following questions:

1. Which version of iTunes were you using on the old computer?
2. Was your library still in the default location. If not, where is it located?
 
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DSzalay
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I don't know the exact version, however I was current with all of the updates for High Sierra. I had moved the iTunes files to a 2nd hard drive to free up space on my boot drive. I really cannot export anything from the old Mac because it is completely dead. I have Time Machine backups so I can recover those files with no problems.
 
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MBAmtloin

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the migration app on utilities should import your selected files through time machine.
do you need assistance running this app or procedure?
 

Slydude

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No need to export from the old machine. We can ue your Time Machine backup:phew:app:smarty. The following procedure should work:
1. If the Music app ia open, close it. This might not be necessary but it's a good idea.
2. Locate your Music folder. This is the one inside your user folder not the external drive that has your actual music files. Launch Time Machine.
3. After a moment or two your Time Machine backup should show the same Music folder inside your. Open the Music folder your backup and let Time Machine restore the iTunes folder. This usually does quickly because the library files are rather small.
4. Open Music and go to Preferences. Click "Files" and make sure the path to your external files is correct.
 
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MBAmtloin

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2. Locate your Music folder. This is the one inside your user folder not the external drive that has your actual music files. Launch Time Machine.

huh, i always used files to move music into ITunes, is this different with apple music, or that OSX?
obviously i do not want to mislead anyone here, all my advice is from past experience.

as far as moving music about, somehow i need to located Mozart's 38th sym that is not in my itunes, his other ones are there, but not that.
 

Slydude

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Let me see if I can explain what I mean a little better. In order to work the way it does Tunes (a.k.a "Music" under Catalina) depends upon the app, media files, and a few database files being present. You're not wrong about working with the tracks/media files when adding them to iTunes/Music. As files are added to the music library the database is updated.

The OP's situation is a little different though. The music files, app, and library database were already in place on the dead system. Since the OP had a Time Machine backup, that can be used to move the database files to the new Mac and the updated app is already present on the new machine. It's important to know where the music tracks themselves are stored because two situations can occur:

1.If the music tracks are left stored in the music folder, the tracks are backed up by Time machine and can be restored when the music folder is restored.
2. Since the music files themselcves have been moved elsewhere, in this case an external drive, they are not restored when Time Machine restores the music folder. In that case you have to make sure that iTunes/Music is posted to the drive/folder where the music tracks have been moved.

In the second case Time Machine's default setup does not backup the music tracks themselves. Steps must be taken to back those files up separately.
 
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The OP said this:
I had moved the iTunes files to a 2nd hard drive to free up space on my boot drive.
I take from that statement that we don't need TM for anything. Just launch Music, open Preferences, point to the location on the 2nd Hard drive and done.

Now, if the "2nd hard drive" was internal to the Mini, just remove it and put it in an enclosure and mount it on the new system, then do the same steps I gave.

Or is there something I missed?
 
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There are actually many apps out there to perform such task. One of the mostly used app is "MusConv" which lets you transfer your music from one service to another in a matter of just few clicks.
 

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