Copy iTunes folder from Mimi to older iMac

Question

Copy iTunes folder from Mimi to older iMac

I have a Mini running Sequoia 15.0.1 and I want to copy the entire iTunes library to an older iMac running Monterey. I copied the entire Music folder from the Mini to a usb drive and then copied the contents of the usb to the iMac.

When I opened the Music app on the iMac I held down the option key and was given the option to Choose a library or Create a Library. I clicked on Choose library, navigated to the .itl file and clicked on it. I gave me a "Save as" window.

No matter what I save it as the library on the iMac never loads. It just says it is loading and a little spinning circle appears but nothing happens after this.

What did I do wrong?

Posted on Oct 15, 2024 8:51 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

274,264 points

Oct 16, 2024 6:17 PM in response to DanielStripedTiger

For general advice see Move your iTunes/Music library to a new computer - Apple Community. Monterey seems to have a problem reading .itl files, but if you're going from Sequoia to Monterey what you need to do is export your current library as an XML file on the Sequoia system, then import that into an empty Music library on Monterey having first made sure you have copies of all of the music files on the same paths on both systems.

I'm not entirely certain about the certificate issue but it may be due to fact that Apple's services run on distributed server clusters. Try rebooting both your router and computer in the hope that your next server request is allocated to a different machine that has been properly updated.

tt2

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Answer 2

Oct 16, 2024 3:46 PM in response to DanielStripedTiger

Okay, I managed to get all the files moved to the iMac by creating a new Music Library. It told me I couldn’t use the one from the Mini because it was made with a newer version of the Music App. But now I cannot figure out how to get the playlists copied to the iMac.

Then, if anyone can explain how to stop “the certificate is invalid” error message from coming up on Apple websites it would be greatly appreciated. I have cleared the cache of the browser, etc, and it works for a while then the same error message over and over. I have been using Macs since 1988 and miss the days when they “ just worked”. I find it incredibly sad and ironic that the only time I get this error is when I visit an Apple site on an Apple device. Desktop, iPad doesn’t matter - “the certificate is invalid”.

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Answer 3

Oct 17, 2024 6:19 PM in response to turingtest2

Thank you! All is good now. Your posts are incredibly helpful - especially the Managing Your Mac Media Libraries.

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

274,264 points

Oct 17, 2024 7:34 PM in response to DanielStripedTiger

You're welcome. 🙂

tt2

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Copy iTunes folder from Mimi to older iMac

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