How can I easily migrate all my iTunes songs and artists to a new MacBook without a permanent external hard drive?

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How can I easily migrate all my iTunes songs and artists to a new MacBook without a permanent external hard drive?

I am told in an earlier entry that its difficult if not impossible to import all the songs, albums that were in my 2018 Macbook Pro (and earlier 'migrated' onto sev. macs in the mid teens aka 2013-5) ONTO my 2020 Mac air M1.

Apple support is giving me lots of complicated advice, but I'm pretty sure I'm not specific enough. The written instructions vary greatly in the knowledge base, but both You tube, online gogle hits and Apple doesn't quite cut what I want: to get the 'ARTISTS" (so they play on the M1 w.o having a EHD permanently plugged in)!

Is there any third party app that could easily accomplish this, since I was just told by a member direct wired (mac to EHD to mac M1) is gonna be "quite difficult'...why can't "system migration" somehow be forced to get these onto my new mac? Paywall is what I'd call the answer!!!

I have about 125gb of songs, and can export them onto the EHD, and play them "added to library" on the new machine-I think-as long as I keep ehd plugged in or don't shut the itunes down...it seems to forget I'd "added them to library"!

MacBook Air 11″, macOS 11.7

Posted on Dec 3, 2025 9:57 PM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

Level 10

278,015 points

Dec 4, 2025 12:29 PM in response to JIH69

I've not peered into it deeply, but I imagine that system migration is primarily concerned with copying over the content of your user folder from one system drive to the other. It probably doesn't come with any deeper investigation of what dependencies there might be on additional storage locations.

To move the library easily from one system to another you need to copy both the library database, and the media folder, such that the media folder is at the same path on the new system, or start with the library in a portable shape (the media folder is in the same folder as the .musiclibrary package) that can automatically adjust when opened from a new drive/location. If there is content outside of the media folder this should be consolidated before the migration, or moved to exactly the same paths on the new system so it will be available and can be consolidated later.

The library export functions create text files that list the content of the library. Importing one of these into an empty library only works if every file listed is at the exact path specified, often not the case when the user name on a new machine might be different, or an external drive hasn't been moved over. The new library will, at best, have new date added values for all content. At worst playlists and content will be incomplete or missing because they won't import. When the library is moved correctly nothing is imported or exported, the library database is accessed on the new machine, and if the media is where it is supposed to be it all just works. If the media isn't in quite the right place it will be listed in the library, but won't play. There are ways to fix that, either by moving things around a little, tweaking a preference file, or using a script to effect repairs. We can cross that bridge if we get there.

Once the library is working on the new system, and presuming you have enough space on the internal drive(s), we can talk further about how to consolidate the media into the traditional path of ~/Music/Music/Media so that the library isn't dependent on the external HDD.

tt2

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Answer 2

Dec 4, 2025 1:28 AM in response to JIH69

Your music isn’t stolen — your library folder structure wasn’t transferred properly. Moving only the files breaks Apple Music’s ability to track them.

Fix: Move the entire iTunes/Music library folder, then open Music.app while holding Option and choose that library. This restores all your music, artists, playlists, and artwork without a subscription. If your library is damaged, use PowerTunes to rebuild it cleanly.

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

278,015 points

Dec 4, 2025 4:01 AM in response to JIH69

See also Move your iTunes/Music library to a new computer - Apple Community.

tt2

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Answer 4

JIH69 Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 4, 2025 10:22 AM in response to turingtest2

I am sorry to be so idioitic but it was so much easier when system migration actually brought songs from one computer to another!

I still don't "get it'"...there's two parts to this 'song':

I'm looking at my last Intel mac, 2018 macbook pro, and there's no "expport' in the drop down under 'edit' that will work onto a thumb or ehd..it just processes it a bit as "file export cannot be completed".

I tried a 2tb ehd instead of thumb drive, and did the 2nd 'no-no' you mentioned..just grabbing all the songs in the itunes "music folder" that I could find (except 'tv....automatically add to itunes'. I got all the albums/artists onto the EHD but now you're telling me "music" aka 2020 M1 macbook can't put the puzzle together.

I'm just not getting what your reasonable set of instructions entails....opening 'music' on newer computer with a button down isn't going to automatically import those songs into the library....since it's a different format that Apple duckekd out of (itunes) so as to make it require you either pay for music subscriptions or some other complicated instruction set.

Methinks there are other non-starters, like trying the drop down "import" on the new mac...yes, I'd prefer this machine actualize the artwork itself, but there are different libraries like "previous library..library XML" none of which are 'import library from EHD or thumb drive".

Its like trying to drive two cars on two different bridges then have them merge into one vehicle...it's pretty accidiental if I get anywhere, I'm starting to believe!

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