If you’ve been using iTunes for years to manage your music library and suddenly find it missing or can’t access it anymore, you’re not alone. With updates to macOS and the transition from iTunes to Apple Music, many users have found their iTunes music libraries disappeared or became inaccessible.
What happened to iTunes music?
There are a few reasons your iTunes music may have gone missing:
- Updates to macOS – With the release of macOS Catalina in 2019, Apple discontinued iTunes in favor of separate Music, TV, and Podcast apps. The upgrade process could have caused issues accessing your iTunes library.
- Transition to Apple Music – If you subscribed to Apple Music, your local iTunes library may have been replaced or overwritten with content synced from the cloud.
- Hard drive issues – If your iTunes library was stored on an external or internal hard drive that failed, was disconnected, or became corrupted, that could result in losing access.
- Accidental deletion – It’s possible you or someone else accidentally deleted key iTunes library files needed to access your music.
How to find your iTunes music library
If your iTunes music library seems to have vanished, don’t panic yet. Here are some steps you can take to try to locate it:
- Check the Music app – Even if you can’t find your iTunes library files, your music may have been migrated to the Apple Music app automatically.
- Look for your iTunes folder – In macOS Catalina and earlier, your iTunes library was typically stored in a folder called “iTunes.” The default location is in your Music folder under My Library.
- Search your hard drive – Use Spotlight or another file search tool to look for files like “iTunes Library.itl” and “iTunes Music Library.xml.” This may help you locate your library if it was moved or renamed.
- Check connected drives – If you kept your library on an external drive, check to see if that drive is still connected and mounted. The drive may have been disconnected during an update.
- Review your iCloud content – If you had iCloud Music Library enabled, your iTunes purchases may have been copied to iCloud and can be downloaded again.
Recovering your iTunes music library
If you’ve located your iTunes library files, here are some ways you may be able to restore access to your music:
- Point Music app to library – In your Music app Preferences, go to Files and select “Choose Library” to navigate to your iTunes folder. This should load your music.
- Copy library files back – If necessary, copy back missing iTunes library files from a backup or external drive where you located them.
- Disable and reenable iCloud Music – Turn off iCloud Music Library, restart your device, then reenable to force a re-upload of your music.
- Restore from backup – Use Time Machine or another backup to retrieve a previous version of your iTunes library.
- Recover data – If your library was lost due to drive failure, data recovery software may be able to restore it.
- Authorize computer – Make sure your computer is still authorized to access music purchases by going to Account > Authorizations in Music app.
Avoiding iTunes and Apple Music data loss
To avoid losing your iTunes or Apple Music libraries in the future, here are some best practices to implement:
- Keep music backup – Regularly back up your Mac’s Music folder and iTunes library files to an external drive.
- Leave music on device – When using iCloud Music Library, enable the setting to keep your music stored locally rather than deleting it.
- Deauthorize old computers – Go to Account > Authorizations periodically and deauthorize computers you no longer use to listen to purchases.
- Consolidate your library – Go to File > Library > Organize Library in Music app to consolidate tracks into one folder location.
- Avoid unlinking drives – Don’t disconnect external drives without properly ejecting to avoid corrupting your library.
- Monitor drive health – Watch for warning signs of drive failure and proactively replace drives storing your music library.
Recovering iTunes purchases
If you are missing music you purchased through iTunes that is no longer available in your library, don’t worry – you can get it back.
Go to the iTunes Store on your computer and sign in with your Apple ID. Go to your Account > Purchase history. Here you will find your entire history of purchases.
Any song or album you bought that is not currently in your library will have a Cloud icon next to it. Simply click the Cloud icon to re-download these purchases to your computer and Apple Music app.
If you have a substantial number of purchased songs showing up for re-download, it may indicate your library was overwritten and your local files were deleted. Keep this in mind for the future to prevent losing your purchased content.
Using iTunes Recover Purchases tool
If you are missing a large number of purchased songs and albums in your iTunes purchase history, you may need to use the iTunes Recover Purchases tool.
This tool lets you restore all your previous iTunes purchases in bulk, even if they are not showing up currently in your account.
To use the iTunes Recover Purchases tool:
- Go to https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204136
- Sign in with your Apple ID
- Select the “All” tab to restore your entire purchase history.
- Click the Restore button to re-download everything.
This will attempt to restore all your iTunes purchases. Keep in mind it could take hours or longer if you have a large purchase history.
Retrieving iTunes Match music
If you were using iTunes Match to store music in iCloud that you imported from CDs or other sources, there is a way to get it back.
First, make sure iTunes Match is enabled for your Apple ID. You can check this under Account > Subscriptions in the iTunes Store.
Next, go to the Music app and select File > Library > Update iCloud Music Library.
This will rescan iCloud and re-download any of your iTunes Match content. Note this could take a very long time if you had a lot of manually uploaded music.
Using third-party tools
Some third-party utilities also claim they can help recover missing iTunes libraries:
- iMyFone TunesFix – Scans your computer and finds iTunes backup files to restore from.
- AnyTrans – Designed to help recover and manage iTunes libraries.
- iSkysoft Toolbox – Claims to fix various issues with iTunes libraries.
Be very cautious with third-party software, as poor performing software could potentially damage your files further. Research the software first before downloading to make sure it is reputable.
Preventing future iTunes music loss
To avoid losing your iTunes library again in the future, make sure to:
- Regularly back up your Mac and iTunes folder to an external drive.
- Keep backups before updating macOS or iTunes versions.
- Maintain good drive health by monitoring for errors.
- Avoid disconnecting your library drive without properly ejecting.
- Enable Keep iTunes Media folder organized in Advanced Preferences.
With proper backups and drive maintenance, you can minimize the chances of losing your precious music collection again.
When to seek professional help
If you have exhausted all options to recover your iTunes library on your own, it may be time to seek professional assistance. Data recovery experts may be able to help in some scenarios when DIY efforts fail, including:
- Hard drive suffered catastrophic mechanical failure
- Accidental reformatting or partitioning of your music drive
- Corruption in your iTunes library database files
- Lost or forgotten passwords on encrypted backups
Recovering data after severe drive failure often requires specialized tools and expertise. The cost can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the severity and type of damage.
Before opting for paid data recovery, calculate the value of your lost iTunes library and weigh the cost vs. benefit. Also research companies thoroughly, as scams do exist. But reputable data recovery firms can often retrieve music when all else fails.
Letting go when music is gone forever
Despite best efforts, sometimes iTunes libraries are unrecoverable. This could be due to:
- Failed drive was reused and overwritten
- No backups exist and files are fully deleted
- Severe physical damage to the storage medium
- No financial means to pursue data recovery
Accepting the permanent loss of your music collection can be very difficult on an emotional level. Here are some tips for coping:
- Let yourself grieve the loss – it’s natural to feel sadness.
- Focus on the positives – you still have great musical memories.
- Embrace a fresh start – look for new favorite artists and songs.
- Recreate the most important parts – rip CDs and re-purchase cherished albums.
- Strengthen your backup strategy – learn from the experience.
While the initial sting of losing your iTunes music may hurt severely, time will heal the wounds. Appreciate the musical gifts still available to you, and take steps to prevent repeat data disasters.
Conclusion
Losing an iTunes music library can be incredibly distressing, especially when it contains years’ worth of meaningful content. But in many cases, recovery is possible through persistence, backups, and the right tools. Use the strategies outlined here to restore your missing iTunes music. And implement backup plans so you can avoid going through this ordeal again.
