Having your music library automatically managed by iTunes can be convenient, but it can also lead to frustration when songs you want to keep get deleted. The good news is that with the right settings and file organization, you can prevent iTunes from removing songs you want to keep.
Why Does iTunes Delete Songs?
iTunes includes an auto-manage music library feature that is enabled by default. This allows iTunes to automatically organize your music files and library structure. When auto-manage is enabled, iTunes will scan your library and delete any files it considers to be unused or duplicated based on criteria such as:
- Songs that have zero play counts
- Duplicate copies of the same song
- Songs that are not properly organized into artist/album folders
Auto-manage can be helpful for keeping your library clean and organized. However, it can also result in iTunes deleting songs you want to keep without warning. This most often happens with songs you have not yet listened to or properly added to your library structure.
How to Stop iTunes from Deleting Specific Songs
If you have individual songs you want to protect from accidental deletion, there are a couple quick solutions:
1. Change the Song’s Play Count
One of the main triggers for iTunes to delete a song is a play count of zero. To prevent this, open the song in iTunes and play at least the first 5-10 seconds. This will automatically update the play count to at least 1, signaling to iTunes that the song should be kept.
2. Change the File Permissions
You can also change the file permissions on your music files to be read-only. This will prevent iTunes from making any changes to them. To do this on Windows:
- Locate the song file in File Explorer.
- Right click the file and select Properties.
- In the Properties window, check the Read-only checkbox.
- Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.
On Mac:
- Locate the song file in Finder.
- Right click the file and select Get Info.
- In the Info window, check the Locked checkbox.
- Close the Info window. A confirmation prompt will appear. Click Lock to complete the change.
This will prevent iTunes or any other program from modifying, moving, or deleting the file.
How to Disable iTunes Auto-Manage
A more comprehensive solution is to disable iTunes’ auto-manage library feature completely. This will stop iTunes from making any automatic changes to your music library.
In iTunes for Windows:
- Open Edit > Preferences.
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Uncheck the Keep iTunes Media folder organized and Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library options.
- Click OK to save the changes.
In iTunes for Mac:
- Go to iTunes > Preferences.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Uncheck the Keep iTunes Media folder organized and Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library options.
- Click OK to save the changes.
This will completely disable auto-manage and stop iTunes from making any automatic changes to your music library. However, it also means you will need to manually organize your files and library structure going forward.
Tips for Manually Managing Your iTunes Library
With auto-manage disabled, your iTunes library can quickly become disorganized if songs are not properly added and maintained. Here are some tips for keeping your music properly organized:
1. Consistently Use the iTunes Library
Get in the habit of adding all new music directly into the iTunes library rather than dragging song files around separately. This will keep everything consolidated in one properly indexed place.
2. Organize Music Files in Folders by Artist and Album
Maintain a folder structure on your computer that organizes music into artist and album folders. For example, the path to a song would look like this:
Music > Artist Name > Album Name > song.mp3
This matches the library structure in iTunes and helps keep everything organized.
3. Add Album Artwork and Metadata
Complete the metadata for your music by entering information like artist, album name, genre, and year for each track. Adding the proper album artwork will also help everything appear nicely organized in iTunes.
4. Use the Optimize Library Tool
Occasionally go to File > Library > Organize Library to have iTunes analyze your library and music folders. It will look for any organizational issues or missing metadata and prompt you to fix them.
5. Backup Your iTunes Library
Make sure you have a complete backup of your iTunes library and music files in case anything gets unintentionally deleted or corrupted. You can backup just your library contents or your full iTunes folder.
With auto-manage disabled and music files properly organized, you’ll have full control over your iTunes library. Songs will not get deleted unless you intentionally remove them.
Recovering Deleted Songs in iTunes
If you find iTunes has already deleted songs you want back, don’t panic. There are still a few ways to try recovering them.
Restore from a Backup
If you have a full backup of your iTunes folder or library, you can restore missing song files from backup. Just make sure auto-manage is disabled first.
Find Files in Your Library Folder
Go to your iTunes Media or iTunes Music folder on your computer. This is where all music files managed by iTunes are stored. Sort the files by date and see if the missing songs are still present but just removed from the library index.
Use Third-party Software
Software like iMyFone TunesMate, iMyFone TunesFix, or RePicvid can scan your iTunes folders and find song files marked as deleted but still recoverable. You can then re-import them into iTunes.
Restore from Recently Deleted
In newer versions of macOS, there is a Recently Deleted folder that stores deleted files for 30 days. You may be able to restore missing song files from here if they were just recently deleted.
Use iTunes Alternatives
If you find iTunes too restrictive or intolerant of how you manage your media files, there are alternatives you can use instead to manage and play your music library.
Music Player Alternatives
- VLC Media Player
- MediaMonkey
- Winamp
- AIMP
- Foobar2000
These support common audio formats like MP3, FLAC, WAV, etc. but allow you to manage your own library folders without interfering.
Cloud Storage
Services like Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify allow you to upload and stream your personal music libraries without needing local file management.
Stream Ripped Audio CDs
Rip your CD collections to lossless formats like FLAC or ALAC. Then stream the files to any device using your home WiFi network and apps like Plex or Kodi.
Conclusion
iTunes auto-manage library feature can end up unexpectedly deleting songs you want to keep. To prevent this from happening, disable the auto-manage function and be diligent about properly adding and organizing your music files. If songs do get deleted, try restoring from backup or using recovery software to retrieve them. Alternatively, switch to a different media player or cloud storage service that gives you more control over file management.