downloading my iTunes iCloud library = 1000s of duplicate files

[mdelvecchio]

Hello,

After reading the iMore article about canceling iTunes Match if also subscribing to Apple Music, I decided to cancel Match. As part of that article it suggested backing up my iTunes library and as part of that downloading all of my music from iCloud Music Library:

https://www.imore.com/how-download-all-your-music-icloud-music-library
https://www.imore.com/how-back-your-itunes-library

Cool. But now I have brand new .m4a files next to all of my original .mp3 files. Screenshot:

[dropbox link to screenshot removed]

...this has doubled the storage space needed for my music locally. My understanding is the M4A files are higher-quality, non-DRM versionf courtesy of Apple. In which case I should be OK deleting the MP3 originals.

Is there a known-good-way to do this? Most of the duplicate file removers seem to be about removing multiple copies of a particular song, and not geared toward the scenario described above and in my screenshot. I want to preserve each song (even if it's also found in another folder since I make mix-CDs and compilations), I just want to delete the second-copy of every single song.

Anybody else see this?

 

[Tartarus]

I would open iTunes, select ‘song’ view, make the header for ‘music kind’ visible, sort by title and delete all the MP3 versions if you’re sure you have the m4a version.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Cool header (it's actually just "Kind"), I didn't realize that was there. But that won't work, since iTunes song-view only lists the "Matched" version which is the .M4A files, and does not list the original MP3s along-side.

Also, for any un-matched song which has an iCloud Status of "Uploaded" and doesnt have the new M4A copy, the song remains in MP3 format alone and is listed as such, so sorting & deleting all MP3s would cause data loss for all un-matched songs. Definitely don't want to do that.

Since my screenshot can't be posted, I should clarify -- the files are visible in the Finder only. iTunes only lists the songs as the new M4A kind, but if I go to the Finder folders for my Music, I can see all the double-files everywhere (original MP3s + matched M4As).

 

[Tartarus]

Cool header (it's actually just "Kind"), I didn't realize that was there. But that won't work, since iTunes song-view only lists the "Matched" version which is the .M4A files, and does not list the original MP3s along-side.

Also, for any un-matched song which has an iCloud Status of "Uploaded" and doesnt have the new M4A copy, the song remains in MP3 format alone and is listed as such, so sorting & deleting all MP3s would cause data loss for all un-matched songs. Definitely don't want to do that.

Since my screenshot can't be posted, I should clarify -- the files are visible in the Finder only. iTunes only lists the songs as the new M4A kind, but if I go to the Finder folders for my Music, I can see all the double-files everywhere (original MP3s + matched M4As).

I know from own experience there is a header that shows if it’s an MP3 file, protected m4a file or other kind.
Just try and find it. I am currently not next to my computer, so a screenshot will have to wait until I’m home.

You should make a playlist with all duplicates and sort on name and delete the MP3 version.

 

[mdelvecchio]

I know from own experience there is a header that shows if it’s an MP3 file, protected m4a file or other kind.
Just try and find it. I am currently not next to my computer, so a screenshot will have to wait until I’m home.

You should make a playlist with all duplicates and sort on name and delete the MP3 version.

Sorry but I don't think you're quite following by drift. I did find the header (it's called "Kind"). However this won't serve the problem purpose I've described, because iTunes only lists *one* copy of each song -- either the iCloud Music Library-downloaded copy, which is M4A, or the un-matched original, which is MP3. iTunes does not list *both*. So in the file system it looks like this:

Happy Birthday Song.m4a
Happy Birthday Song.mp3
Some Other Song.mp3

...but in iTunes it looks like this:

Name | iCloud Status | Kind
---------------------------------------------------------------
Happy Birthday Song | Matched | AAC audio file
Some Other Song | Uploaded | MPEG audio file

So if I were to delete all of the "MPEG" items, I'd be deleting only all of the non-matched original files, and losing data. Bad.

I'm starting to think there's no way to fix this in iTunes itself, but that a utility or script is needed to delete the .m4a songs when there is a .mp3 with the same name in the same folder.

 

[Tartarus]

If it’s a windows computer, open File Explorer, go to the Music subfolder under your iTunes folder.
In the search field tap ‘*.*’
This will list ALL your music files. Sort by title and multi-select the MP3 version of all duplicate files.

There is more convenient way to do this.

I’d delete the MP3 version if I were you as the m4a file has, in some cases, a better quality.

Or even better yet, delete ALL your songs (after making a backup) and download them back through iTunes.

 

[mdelvecchio]

While I'm on a Mac, my library has 8,000 songs, so manually deleting all of the duplicates (MP3 originals + M4A downloads from iCloud Music Library) is a daunting task. Tho you're right, I do intend to keep the DRM-free M4A copies downloaded by iTunes from Apple because they're better quality than my MP3 originals.

Backing up the iTunes library and deleting everything, then re-downloading from iCloud Music Library may be a better way, yes. I'll give that a shot.

 

[Tartarus]

Good luck and let us know..

One thing is for sure, I don’t ever hope to stay in your shoes, man..

 

[mdelvecchio]

This seemed to work -- I selected all tracks in iTunes, then "Remove Download". Then I went to the file system and deleted everything in my Music folder. Then in iTunes I selected all tracks again and "Download". This gave me either the newer matched M4A file, or my MP3 original. Mostly, I noticed a few tracks from my mixed CD albums missing and I replaced them. Hopefully I didn't lose too much, but for the most part it's there and good enough. Thanks!

 

[Tartarus]

This seemed to work -- I selected all tracks in iTunes, then "Remove Download". Then I went to the file system and deleted everything in my Music folder. Then in iTunes I selected all tracks again and "Download". This gave me either the newer matched M4A file, or my MP3 original. Mostly, I noticed a few tracks from my mixed CD albums missing and I replaced them. Hopefully I didn't lose too much, but for the most part it's there and good enough. Thanks!

I’m glad it all worked out for you in the end.
Thanks for the update.