Music App Using +100% of CPU and forgetting recent changes and files

We've been dealing with this issue for a couple of weeks now, since about September 17th. At first I thought another program was the issue, but it's pretty obvious it's the Music app now.

In summary, this problem seems to be solved for the time being at least.

The Music app ramps up the CPU past 100% capacity and often crashes the system. Sometimes is must be Force-Quit. When the music app is closed, whether in a controlled manner or not, files recently added to it are lost.

We're running a 24" 2023 iMac with M3 chipset (purchased new in January 2024)

OS was upgraded to Sequoia amidst this issue.

Ok. Files added, and any playlist creation and/or modifications done, to the Music app are all lost if the app is closed and reopened, or if the computer is rebooted.

An upgrade from OS Sonoma 14.6.1 to OS sequoia did not help the issue.

After an upgrade to OS Sequoia the Music app seems to crash more often, making updated files to broadcast on our radio station harder to retain.

The music library file (formerly .itl) apparently does continue to update often according to the "Last modified:" info in the Finder App, though this is not evidenced whenever the Music app reboots.

It seems to suffer from a digital form of short term memory loss (that's what I can relate it to in my own understanding).

While attempting to use the Music app in any way, whether altering file Metadata, adding/removing files, smart playlist parameters, or if RLSC is drawing files from it, the CPU on the computer is topped out at over 100%. The cursor pinwheels and the activity monitor goes into "kernel task".

It's pretty tedious to deal with. 

Rhetorical question:

If the Music app is able to play out successfully from, and retain, previously existing playlists, then I don't see why it can't retain the new ones. Very odd.

I will say that I am guilty of having over 100 smart playlists. I've shut off the "Live Updating" function off of many to presumably save on CPU processing required, but I still don't see how that would really be necessary as this is pretty much a dedicated device. Those selections are not remembered when the app closes and re-opens.

No editing or other complex processes are being run on the device.

We reverted to OS Sonoma (14.6.1) this reduced the amount of crashes from happening.

The re-installed Sonoma would no longer read my Music App Library file. Very frustrating.

So I exported the old library as an XML file, File menu--Library--Export Library.

-Then created a new library. I quit Music and then launched Music with the option key to get a dialog where you can create a new Library.

-Then Imported the XML file (File menu--Library--Import Playlist)

I got my old files and metadata back, huzzah, but

everything was behaving pretty much the same. Just fewer crashes/freezes.

THEN, all of a sudden last week on Wednesday November 6th, we had to reboot the computer.

Upon re-opening Music, the most recently added files were still there!

Problem solved! For now?