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10 Tech How-To

Export iTunes Library to New Computer

Guide 10-8255 · Updated · Step by step

Moving your iTunes (or Apple Music) library to a new computer doesn’t have to mean losing your playlists, ratings, or play counts. This guide walks you through the two main methods: using the built-in consolidation feature for a full transfer, and a simpler manual copy for just your media files. You’ll need an external hard drive or a large USB flash drive (at least as big as your current music folder), and both computers should be powered on and connected to the same network if you plan to use the home-sharing option.

What You’ll Need

  • An external storage device (USB drive, external hard drive) with enough free space for your entire iTunes media folder.
  • Your new computer with iTunes or Apple Music installed (Windows or macOS).
  • Your Apple ID and password (to authorize the new computer and download purchases).
  • Optional: A network connection on both computers if you want to use the home-sharing transfer method.

Step-by-Step

  1. Consolidate your library on the old computer. Open iTunes (or Apple Music on macOS Catalina or later). Go to File > Library > Organize Library. Check the box Consolidate files and click OK. This copies any files that live outside your main iTunes folder (e.g., from an external drive or downloads folder) into the standard iTunes Media folder. Wait for the process to finish; it may take a while if you have many files.
  2. Locate your iTunes Media folder. On Windows, the default location is C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Music\iTunes. On macOS, it’s /Users/[YourUsername]/Music/iTunes. If you moved it, you can find it by going to Edit > Preferences > Advanced (Windows) or iTunes > Preferences > Advanced (macOS) and looking at the “iTunes Media folder locationâ€� field.
  3. Copy the iTunes folder to your external drive. Quit iTunes completely. Then, copy the entire iTunes folder (the one that contains “iTunes Media� and the “iTunes Library.itl� file) to your external drive. This is a simple drag-and-drop. If you have a very large library, this may take some time.
  4. On the new computer, install iTunes or Apple Music. If you haven’t already, download and install the latest version from Apple’s website (Windows) or use the built-in Music app (macOS Catalina and later). Do not open the app yet.
  5. Copy the iTunes folder to the new computer. Connect the external drive to the new computer. Copy the entire iTunes folder from the external drive to the same location you used on the old computer: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Music\ on Windows, or /Users/[YourUsername]/Music/ on macOS. If a folder named “iTunes� already exists, you can replace it or merge – but replacing is safer to avoid conflicts.
  6. Hold down the Option key (Mac) or Shift key (Windows) and open iTunes/Music. This forces the app to ask which library you want to open. Click Choose Library and navigate to the iTunes Library.itl file you just copied. Select it and click Open. The app will now load your library with all playlists, ratings, and play counts.
  7. Authorize the new computer. Go to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer. Sign in with your Apple ID. This is required to play any purchased content from the iTunes Store.
  8. Download any purchases that didn’t copy. If some purchased items are missing, go to Account > Purchased (or “Downloadedâ€� in the Music app) and click the download icon next to any items you want. This will re-download them from Apple’s servers.

Common Mistakes

  • Not consolidating first. If you skip the consolidation step, files that live outside the iTunes folder won’t be copied, and you’ll end up with broken links (songs with an exclamation mark).
  • Copying only the “iTunes Mediaâ€� folder. The library file (iTunes Library.itl) contains your playlists and metadata. Without it, you’ll just have a folder of music files with no organization.
  • Opening iTunes before copying the folder. If you open iTunes on the new computer before copying your library, it creates a new empty library file. When you then copy your old folder, you may end up with two libraries and confusion about which one is active.
  • Using a USB drive that’s too small. If your music folder is 80 GB and your drive is 64 GB, you’ll get a copy error. Check the size of your iTunes folder first.
  • Forgetting to authorize the new computer. Without authorization, your purchased songs may play but won’t be fully accessible (e.g., you can’t burn them to CD or sync them to an iPod).

Tips

  • Use an external SSD for speed. If you have a large library, copying to a solid-state drive is much faster than a traditional hard drive.
  • Keep a backup of your iTunes folder. Before you do anything, make a second copy on another drive. This is your safety net if something goes wrong during the move.
  • Update to the latest version of iTunes/Music on both computers. Library files from older versions may not open correctly in newer versions, but the reverse (newer library on older version) is more likely to cause issues.
  • If you use iCloud Music Library (now called “Sync Libraryâ€�), you can skip the manual copy for music. Just sign in with the same Apple ID on the new computer and turn on Sync Library. Your playlists and music will download automatically. However, this only works for songs that are in Apple’s catalog or that you’ve uploaded; it may not transfer all files perfectly, so the manual method is more reliable for a full transfer.
  • Consider using the “Home Sharingâ€� method. With both computers on the same Wi-Fi, you can enable Home Sharing in iTunes (File > Home Sharing > Turn On Home Sharing) and then import items from the old computer’s library over the network. This avoids needing an external drive but is slower for large libraries.

Troubleshooting

  • “iTunes Library.itlâ€� cannot be opened because it was created by a newer version. This happens if you copy a library from a newer version of iTunes to an older one. Update iTunes on the new computer to the latest version, or use the “iTunes Library.xmlâ€� file as a fallback (File > Library > Export Library) and then import that XML on the new computer, but note that XML imports won’t preserve play counts or ratings.
  • Songs show an exclamation mark and won’t play. This means the file location is wrong. Check if the file actually exists in the iTunes Media folder. If not, you may have missed the consolidation step. You can try to re-consolidate on the old computer and re-copy, or manually locate the file by right-clicking the song and choosing “Get Infoâ€� > “Fileâ€� > “Find in Finder/Explorerâ€�.
  • The library opens but is empty. You likely opened the wrong library file. Quit the app, hold the Shift/Option key again, and choose the correct .itl file. Also, make sure you copied the entire iTunes folder, not just the Media subfolder.
  • Purchased items are grayed out. This usually means the computer isn’t authorized. Go to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer and sign in. If that doesn’t work, sign out and back in to the iTunes Store.
  • Transfer is extremely slow. If you’re using Wi-Fi for Home Sharing, try a wired Ethernet connection or use the external drive method instead. Also, close other apps that might be using the network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move my iTunes library without an external drive?
Yes, you can use Home Sharing over your local network. Enable Home Sharing on both computers (same Apple ID), then on the new computer go to File > Home Sharing > Import from “Old Computer�. This transfers your media files but may not carry over playlists and metadata perfectly.

What if I have a lot of movies and TV shows?
The same process works for all media types. Just make sure your external drive has enough space for the entire iTunes folder, not just music. The consolidation step will bring everything into one place.

Will my playlists and play counts transfer?
Yes, if you copy the “iTunes Library.itl� file. That file contains all your metadata, including playlists, ratings, play counts, and last-played dates. The XML export method (File > Library > Export Library) does not preserve those, so prefer the direct copy.

Do I need to deauthorize the old computer?
Not necessary, but it’s good practice if you’re giving away or selling the old computer. You can deauthorize it by going to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer on that machine. You can also do it remotely via your Apple ID account page.

What about Apple Music subscription songs?
Songs you’ve added from the Apple Music catalog are not stored as files in your iTunes folder. They will be available on the new computer as long as you sign in with the same Apple ID and have an active subscription. Your playlists that include those songs will re-link automatically.

Can I use a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox to transfer?
Technically yes, but it’s not recommended for large libraries due to upload/download time and potential file corruption. If you do, zip the iTunes folder first to reduce the number of files and avoid sync issues.

Related

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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