Keeping itunes organized

so i've just copied a huge amount of songs from one mac to another via firewire target disk mode...
now i realize that i didnt go about getting them into itunes in the best way... i simply copied the files/folders from the itunes music folder to the desktop of the other computer. after the copy was finished i simply did a drag n drop of the folders into itunes... i had anticipated that because i had the "keep itunes organized" turned on that it would move the files from the desktop into the itunes music folder... but this is not the case.... so i figured that using the consolidate library option would do that, but alas, that copies the files, and i dont have the HD space available for that....
sooo, does anyone know how i can easily get all these music files into the itunes folder and organized correctly?
thanks.

How about - Try this with a couple of tunes and see if all is well. If it is ok then you know the rest of the story - putting the tunes (folders and all) into where you want your tunes to reside - then go to iTunes prefs>Advanced>General and select the Keep option and turn off the Copy option - then select the "Add" option from the Files Menu. Try this with a couple for tunes and see if all is well. If it is ok then you know the rest of the story.
As the tunes are already in the iTunes Music Folder location then all iTunes should do is create an association and organize the tunes.
MJ

Similar Messages

Can I run the "Keep iTunes organized" script on a folder-by-folder basis?

Hi there,
I luckily stopped the operation before it completed, so it didn't take too long to re-compile my music folder the way I had it. Right now, I have folders with each artist that has >7 songs in my library (I used to use a PC and this is how I organized it). There was a Various Folder and genre folders, like Jazz that made my music easy to navigate for me. Not all my music is labeled correctly, so the "keep iTunes organized" feature started creating random folders, and even duplicating artist folders.
So while I wouldn't mind my music organized, I still want to retain my folder structure. Is there any way to run the organize tool on a folder by folder basis and clean my library up from there? Or are there any tools available that actually scan a song until a literal audio match is found in some database?
Even then, sometimes one might run into the issue with iTunes making artists like:
Ella Fitzgerald & Charlie Parker
rather than simply Ella Fitzgerald.
I'm new, and trying to figure out an optimal way to consolidate my music in a way that is easy to traverse, doesn't make multiple folders for the same artist, etc.
Ideally, regardless of whether if it's Greatest Hits Elvis or from a soundtrack, I'd love if iTunes would "organize" and create folders for artist names, whoever made the song, period. For my "genre" folders, I'd love to simply scan those folders individually and manually manage them.
Is this possible? If so, what is an optimal solution?
Thanks (in advance) so much for your advice!
~ dizzythejazzman

Hi there,
I luckily stopped the operation before it completed, so it didn't take too long to re-compile my music folder the way I had it. Right now, I have folders with each artist that has >7 songs in my library (I used to use a PC and this is how I organized it). There was a Various Folder and genre folders, like Jazz that made my music easy to navigate for me. Not all my music is labeled correctly, so the "keep iTunes organized" feature started creating random folders, and even duplicating artist folders.
So while I wouldn't mind my music organized, I still want to retain my folder structure. Is there any way to run the organize tool on a folder by folder basis and clean my library up from there? Or are there any tools available that actually scan a song until a literal audio match is found in some database?
Even then, sometimes one might run into the issue with iTunes making artists like:
Ella Fitzgerald & Charlie Parker
rather than simply Ella Fitzgerald.
I'm new, and trying to figure out an optimal way to consolidate my music in a way that is easy to traverse, doesn't make multiple folders for the same artist, etc.
Ideally, regardless of whether if it's Greatest Hits Elvis or from a soundtrack, I'd love if iTunes would "organize" and create folders for artist names, whoever made the song, period. For my "genre" folders, I'd love to simply scan those folders individually and manually manage them.
Is this possible? If so, what is an optimal solution?
Thanks (in advance) so much for your advice!
~ dizzythejazzman

How can I keep iTunes from automatically reseting it's library? Or, a faster way to bring my files back?

I have decided recently to back up all my audio to iTunes, seeing at it is a powerful tool for audio archiving. My issue is that I want to keep my hard drive free of the enormous library, so I have an external drive dedicated to it. In the advanced features, I can set that. But, why in the world does iTunes insist on relocating my library when I forget to plug in the external disc? I know why, to make a smooth experience for me in the short term -- since these are built for a mass market that doesn't think -- but for me, I know what I want, but sometimes I'm forgetful. So if Apple wants a smooth experience for me, then how about this oversight? The reorganization process ("keep iTunes organized" preference) goes through all 300 hours of audio library by piecemeal, when it should just be looking for changes and surpassing anything that doesn't look different. Perhaps it is only looking for changes but can only do so by piecemeal, anyhow this seems like something that could be devised in preferences. Am I missing something? Can't iTunes send a warning before importing in to a reset library? Does this question make sense?

If it reverts to default because you forgot to plug the drive in, plug the drive in and start iTunes with the option key held down and show it the library on the external.
Does this question make sense?
The first part did. I started to drift after the "keep organized".

ITunes 12.1.0.71 broke "Keep iTunes Media folder organized" option

After upgrading to iTunes 12.1.0.71 (64 bit) on my PC, iTunes is no longer organizing my iTunes media folder.
Example:
I drop a video into "automatically add to iTunes" folder
Video appears as a Home Video in iTunes as expected
I go into "get info" > Options for the video and set the Media Kind to "Movie"
Video now appears in the Movie lists, however(!)
iTunes does NOT move the file out of iTunes/Home Videos into iTunes/Movies on my hard drive like it used to
So now I have Movies piling up in the "Home Video" folder instead of getting auto-sorted correctly. The "Keep iTunes Media folder organized" option I have enabled in preferences is, obviously, not working.
This is happening for "TV Shows" as well. In addition, I can no longer set disc (season) and track (episode) numbers for TV Shows so that they're renamed with the season/episode numbers in front of the episode name. There used to be a work-around where I would shift-click "Get Info" to get into the old style pane / control panel, but this no longer works. I can't figure out how to rename files from within iTunes to force the issue. If I rename the files by hand before importing into iTunes, iTunes erases the disc/track numbers off the front of the filenames.
Does anyone know what's wrong? Why are my videos not auto-sorting into the correct folder / sub-folder hierarchy on my hard drive? Why is everything piling up in my "Home Video" folder even though iTunes has been told that they are NOT home videos? Help!

iTunes 12.0 had an issue with not moving video files around after tag/media kind changes. That seems unchanged. A workaround is to uncheck the Keep organized option, click OK, then set it active again.
The iTunes 12.1 version of Get Info appears, at first glance, to include all of the properties that were only available in the old school get info dialog in the previous version. Also gone are the Add Field button for optionally enabled fields, and the autocomplete on space bug. The old dialog doesn't seem to be available from any keyboard combination, although I quite possibly haven't tried everything.
tt2

How do I find out if Keep Itunes Media Folder Organized option is enabled programtically

How do I find out if Keep Itunes Media Folder Organized option is enabled on Windows. My Java application needs to know this because it effects how it should interact with iTunes and last time I looked the api provided by the iTunes.dll doesnt provide this information.
I have made some progress looking at iTunesPrefs.xml which stores preferences in a binary plist format and have mananged to extract the location of the iTunes xml file using a Java library called dd-plist
public File getITunesXMLFile()
        System.getProperties().list(System.out);
        String homedir = System.getProperty("user.home");
        File prefsFile = new File(homedir,"AppData/Roaming/Apple Computer/iTunes/iTunesPrefs.xml");
        File xmlFile;
        try
            NSDictionary rootDict = (NSDictionary) PropertyListParser.parse(prefsFile);
            NSDictionary userPrefs = (NSDictionary) rootDict.objectForKey("User Preferences");
            if(userPrefs!=null)
                NSData iTunesLocation = (NSData) userPrefs.objectForKey("iTunes Library XML Location:1");
                if(iTunesLocation!=null)
                    String base64 = iTunesLocation.getBase64EncodedData();
                    String filepath = new String(Base64.decodeBase64(base64),"UTF-16LE");
                    xmlFile = new File(filepath);
                    System.out.println(filepath+":File Exists:"+xmlFile.exists());
                    if (xmlFile.exists())
                        return xmlFile;
        catch(Exception ex)
            ex.printStackTrace();
            //Use default then
            xmlFile = new File(homedir + "/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music Library.xml");
            if (xmlFile.exists())
                return xmlFile;
        return null;
However the Keep Itunes Media Folder Organized option appears to be stored in the Documents:132 key with other options and this library doesnt seem able to decode the daat into a base64encoded value. I did think I could just compare differences between the file after enabling/disabling the option in iTunes, but the results are inconclusive - sometimes after chnaging the option the preferences file doesnt seem to change.
Is there a known hack for this ?

Thanks that certainly a possible workaround that I can see working but Im not that keen on using a users file as a test file, or adding a file myself that I have to keep deleting.
The thing is I'm very close, I've found a library that can read the binary xml format to some degree, and managed to decode the Xml Library File sucessfullly (but I don't need to this as available as the in the COM lib anyway as itunes.getLibraryXMLPath())
but I cannot decode this option whihc is lumped in with others, real shame they dont provide it via the COM lib.
Added this link showing progress in case interested:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17957433/how-can-i-work-out-if-ituneskeep-itu nes-folder-organized-is-set-programmaticall

Will enabling the 'Keep iTunes Folder Organized' option alter my folders?

If I select "Keep iTunes Folder Organized" in iTunes, will it alter the way my folders are curretnly organied on that drive? I already have my music organized by artist and album in folders on my harddrive. Though, some of the track names are messed up in iTunes. If i select this option, what happens? will it fix the track names issue, or must i fix those manually? would it copy or reogranize my folders that are already there?

It shouldn't alter your folders unless they are in the place that iTunes wants to put its folders - It will rearrange the music into new folders so that iTunes can find them. They will be located in your Music folder > iTunes > iTunes Music > then usually folders by Artist.
For the ones that are not named correctly - when you edit the ID3 tracks in iTunes they will be moved to the correct place.
I think you should be able to verify this by using the iTunes > File > Add to Library... option on a small sample of your music that is currently arranged manually.
Regards,
Colin R.

What happens after unchecking 'Keep iTunes Music folder organized'?

After unchecking the 'Keep iTunes Music folder organized' option, am I right in thinking that future additions to the library are simply linked from their default location? If so, what happens when ripping CDs, and how is it possible to rename or move files/folders without iTunes failing to find them and having to add them again?

It's more what doesn't happen rather than what does. If you like to organise your own folders in your Music folder you must leave it unchecked, as checking it gives iTunes the authority to rename and move tracks at will.
If you rip a CD with iTunes and the iTunes Music folder according the tabs recovered from Grace note. The hierarchy is Artist\album.
This is not affected by Keep iTunes Music folder organised.
If you add tracks already on your PC, depending on the setting of "Copy to iTunes Music folder when adding to library, iTunes will either store a link to the track in its current location or copy it into the iTunes Music folder according to the tags.
It is not possible to move or rename any track in your library or iTunes will lose it. There is no folder watch feature.
So you need to place and name a file BEFORE adding it to the library if you want to manage your own folders. Once added you can't change it without having to either add it again or find it manually in iTunes.
The only thing you can do is to use iTunes to move the whole iTunes Music folder to a new location.
Message was edited by: polydorus

"keep folders organized" feature duplicated my itunes library

I recently downloaded and installed the latest version of itunes for windows vista. During the installation, I was asked if i wanted itunes to keep my folders organized, or if I wanted to do it myself. I chose to have itunes keep my folders organized. I then closed itunes. The next time I opened itunes my library was duplicated, thus causing my library to double and preventing my ipod to load new songs, saying there is not enough space due to the duplicate songs. I looked at each of the duplicated song's info and noticed that one of the files is located in the folder "itunes library", while its duplicate is located in the folder "itunes music". I then went to both of those folders and noticed the "itunes music" folder holds a folder for each individual artist and their respective albums, while the "itunes library" folder just has every individual song file, listed alphabetically. Should I just delete one of these folders, and then remove the dead files from my library, thus removing the duplicate entries? And if so, which folder do I delete?

If you want iTunes to keep it organized in artis/album format, then delete the other folder that has +every individual song file, listed alphabetically+.
I'd try it on just one song first, to make sure you have it straight.

Keeping itunes music folder organized

I have the box checked for "keep itunes music folder organized" but noticed that the folders on my computer are not consistent with how certain albums are organized in itunes.
For example, I have a series of albums, all with the same name, Vol. 1-6. On itunes, they are all properly separated by Vol number and disc number, but in the folder on my computer, they are all lumped in together in the same folder.
Anyone know how I can fix this because I really want to keep my itunes music folder consistent with how the music is layed out in itunes.
Thanks much.

I just ripped a 4-disc set that had really bad Gracenote tags.
I had to fiddle around with things so itunes could organize them properly. If you want more details, post back.
I really don't think this is an itunes bug. I think it's an issue with a bad Gracenote entry.

I want to use my @me email for my itunes to kind of keep everything organized without using so many different emails. When I go to edit my email address it tells me I can't use an existing account, but it's mine...

I want to use my @me email for my itunes to kind of keep everything organized without using so many different emails. When I go to edit my email address it tells me I can't use an existing account, but it's mine...

The problem is that you try to merge different Apple IDs (your old account and your me.com account) which is not possible. Apple will not let you do that.
Quote: "Can I merge multiple Apple IDs into one? 
You cannot merge two or more Apple IDs into a single one. You can, however, use one Apple ID for iCloud services and another Apple ID for store purchases (including iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match). See “Using one Apple ID for iCloud and a different Apple ID for Store Purchases” above for details."
See also: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4895

"keep iTunes folder organized" option

for the past year i have been importing my music, then converting it to AAC format. after converting it, i have deleted the original foles from my computer, seeing that the AAC files are in my iTunes music folder. i have never had "Keep iTunes Folder Organized" selected. does iTunes automatically do this when you convert files?
sorry if u dont understand what i am trying to ask, i guess im just trying to figure out the difference between using it and not using that option.

for the past year i have been importing my music, then converting it to AAC format. after converting it, i have deleted the original foles from my computer, seeing that the AAC files are in my iTunes music folder. i have never had "Keep iTunes Folder Organized" selected. does iTunes automatically do this when you convert files?
sorry if u dont understand what i am trying to ask, i guess im just trying to figure out the difference between using it and not using that option.

Keep iTunes folder organized: only iTunes folder?

If I check the option "Keep iTunes folder organized" will it only organize the folder specified above this setting (the location of the iTunes Music folder), or will it also organize everything else? Such as the music I imported from other directories.
Windows XP

See my answer in this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8228727&#8228727
The check box has not effect on tracks purchased from the store or ripped from CD using iTunes. iTunes organises them anyway.
It really matters if you have a music folder which you have organised yourself and you want to make it your iTunes music folder and you want to keep that structure.
If you add a track to your library that is not in the iTunes Music folder with the "Copy to ..." box unchecked, iTunes will store a link to the file.
If the "Copy to..." box is checked, iTunes copies the file into the iTunes music folder, leaving the original intact.
Message was edited by: polydorus

ITunes "organized" my wav files.

I have approximately 2000 wav files on an external hard drive. All the songs were imported using iTunes. Because of hardware issues, the internal HD was reformatted and the OS reinstalled. When I "add(ed them) to library" without "keep iTunes Music folder organized" checked, the songs appeared in the iTunes browser without the artist or album listed. So I checked the "keep iTunes Music folder organized." Well of course iTunes placed all the wav files in a single folder. It appears all album information and artist information was lost. Does anyone have any idea about how I might reorganize the files? Thank You.
This is an obvious flaw in iTunes. Most likely easily correctable. I'm not sure why apple has not taken the time to fix this bug.
PowerPook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Sorry - but seems to be a hard work to come.
What about the nameing of the wav files? Did you originally select "Create file names with track number"?
The problem in you case: while all track information are stored within mp3 + aac files as tags, those information will be store externally and linked to wav + aiff files: reformatting your hd erased that information.

Add WAV folders to library from external hard drive and keep them organized

My PC died, so I removed the second hard drive containing my iTunes library - which is all in WAV and Apple Lossless formats - and installed it in an external drive case. I want to keep that library stored on the external drive but add it to the iTunes library on the new PC (which is a laptop and doesn't have enough drive space). I used the iTunes "Add Folder to Library" command, and added the top level folder ("My Music"). I have iTunes set to NOT copy files when adding to the library, but it is set to keep iTunes Music Folder organized.
iTunes added all of the songs, but only organized (kept the artist, album and other metadata) the Apple Lossless songs. All the WAV files have song titles, but no artist or album information. There are too many songs to manually add that information (about 2500). Is there a way to add and keep that information, or automate the tagging process? I know that WAV files don't have ID3 tags, but I hoped that since there were organized in iTunes by the old PC that all the information would transfer through some miracle.
One more piece of information: I do not have the iTunes data files (preference files? - the files that keep track of playlists, ratings, etc.) that are stored on the C: drive of the old PC.
dell Windows XP
dell Windows XP

You can elect to have the files left where they are when you import. See
in the import pane.
However having said that Aperture will not be happy having the original files stored voulme that is formatted FAT.
Also how is the windows formatted drive connected to the Mac? Direct or over the network?
If its a network drive you'll have additional problems. If it is directly connected to the Mac why not just format it for the Mac?

Unable to 'Keep Folders Organized' and a consolidate library

So I recently upgraded to iTunes 5.0.1.4 and I'm having a problem with the 'Keep Folders Organized' feature. Simply, it isn't. Keeping them organized, that is. Here's the set-up:
My computer's HD is too small, so the music is all stored in a shared folder on my server. I mapped the shared folder (\\servername\music) to the drive letter 'm'. In iTunes, the iTunes music folder is set to 'M:\'. 'Keep Folder Organized' is checked. In iTunes 4, when I would edit a song ame via iTunes, the file name would be updated accordingly. Since upgrading, the filename stays the same. Same for album names/folder names. Uh... Amy ideas, anyone?
On a side note, I tried consolidating my library, thinking this might help. It didn't. Instead, wherever a song name, artist name, or album name had changed, it made a duplicate of the file, named correctly and with the correct folder hirearchy! Example, I updated the album name and then consolidated the library. I now have both:
Artist/New Album Name/Song Name.m4a
-and-
Artist/Old Album Name/Song Name.m4a
Luckily, I tested this on a small subset of files, so I only had to clean up a few folders. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had applied this to all 80 GB of music!
Any ideas anyone?
Erik

MacMuse -
Seconding what Ian said, you rock!
Ian -
I would have used my Unix skills to take care of the problem, except I recently migrated my file server from FreeBSD to Win2k3!
On a side note, do you map your video files to 'V:\'? =)
Everyone -
Another work around that I have discovered is to add 'Network Place' pointing to the shared directory, and then when setting your library location, choose:
Desktop->My Network Places->ShareName
iTunes will see it as:
'\\ServerName\ShareName'
And keeping the folders organized, consolidating the library, etc will automagically start working again!
Apple Engineers -
Seconding what Ian said, this seems easily fixable. Probably should be fixed, as I can see people using external HDs to store their music collection running into the same issue!
Thanks everyone for their responses!
Erik

Keeping itunes organized

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