Duplicates and Trouble Keeeping Music Updated and Backed Up

Question

Hello all. In my attempt to organize my music and back it up since I have over 20,000 songs, when I transfer music to itunes I have hundreds of duplicates. Does anyone know the BEST way to organize music in separate hard drives to one library without duplications and with files that are organized?

Answer 1

'Duplicate' means different things to different people and even programs....
To clarify the 'duplicate' issue a bit, one needs to understand the difference between duplicate song references within iTunes and duplicate song files on the PC.
You can sometimes wind up with two (or more) song references in iTunes that point to the same physical file on the PC. In this case, you need to keep only one of the references within iTunes. If you also happen to delete the underlying PC song file, then the remaining reference will show the dreaded '!' of a broken link. Recovering the miss-deleted song can be easy if you haven't emptied the Recycle Bin, or difficult if you have. Also note that when mass deleting files, if the amount is too big for the Bin, the PC will bypass it and permanently delete the files.
Other times, you have two identical (or close) references within iTunes that each point to a unique song file on the PC. In this case, you need to delete both the reference in iTunes and allow iTunes to send the underlying file to the Recycle Bin. If you only delete the reference, you end up with an 'orphan' song file on the PC taking up space. Some less than musically hygienic folks have ended up with GBs of unwanted songs mingled throughout their iTunes folders. There is a novel method to find and remove them....
The take-away from the above is: Make sure you know which type of duplicate issue you have. Check each and every grouping before you delete the reference &/or the file. You can look at the underlying file of each reference through iTunes by using the 'Get Info' and note the path and file it accesses.
Also note that some song references can appear to be duplicates but are really two different song files, as in the case of:
- The same song in AAC format and Lossless format
- Different versions of the same song (Studio vs. Live)
- The same song on different Albums by the same Artist
- The same song by different Artists
- The same song title but different songs by different Artists
- Other?
Unless you have the 'Kind' column showing, or notice the 'size' or 'bit rate' of the files, you may mistake them for 'true duplicates' (whatever they may be).
It seems to never be a clear-cut answer when dealing with iTunes....or many computer programs.