I've lost my music, how can i restore my iTunes from a "Previous iTunes Library"?

my music library is still intact but when i try to play my music, it tells me i need to locate it.
I didn't delete my music and i have quite a few important files,
one of my "Previous iTunes Library" has a date when i know it worked,
I still have all the music files working on my iPhone so this is stopping me from syncing my iphone.
How do I reset it back to how it was and get my music back?
Or at least transfer the songs back from my iPhone (They're not purchased)
Thanks.

For general library squiffiness following an upgrade the easiest thing is to restore your last backup, but I guess if it were that simple you wouldn't be here.
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps you shouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these andcopy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup! For example grab SyncToy 2.1, a free tool from MS. This can be used to copy your entire iTunes library (& other important data folders) onto another hard drive or network share. You can then use SyncToy periodically to synchronise or echo your library to the backup. A preview will show which files need to be updated giving you a chance to spot unexpected changes and during the run only the new or updated files will be copied saving lots of time. And if your media is all organised below the main iTunes folder then you should also be able to open the backup library on any system running the same version of iTunes regardless of drive letter or path.
tt2

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Hi:
To free up space in my MacBook, I deleted all the songs from my hard drive.
You did have a complete backup before you did this, correct?
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Hey Russfromchicago,
Thanks for the question. After reviewing your post, it sounds like you want to move content from your iOS device to the computer. I would recommend that you read this article, it may be able to help you resolve or isolate the issue.
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Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Have a nice day,
Mario

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