Losing your iTunes library can be devastating, especially if you’ve spent years building up your music, movie, TV show, podcast, and book collection. Thankfully, with some effort, it is possible to restore much or all of your iTunes content after a data loss event. In this comprehensive guide, I will walk you through all the steps needed to recover your iTunes library in 2024.
Back Up iTunes Regularly
The best defense against data loss is regular backups. I highly recommend configuring iTunes to back up your library to an external hard drive or cloud storage on a daily or weekly basis.
Here are instructions for enabling auto-backups in iTunes:
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Open iTunes and go to Edit > Preferences on Windows or iTunes > Preferences on Mac.
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Go to the Advanced tab and check the box for “Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library”. This will keep your iTunes library consolidated when adding new files.
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Now click the File menu and select “Library > Back Up to Disk”.
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Choose your backup disk and backup frequency. I suggest weekly backups as a minimum.
Regular backups ensure you have a recent copy of your iTunes library that can be restored in case of hardware failure, accidental deletion, or other disasters.
Restore from Latest iTunes or iCloud Backup
If you have a current iTunes or iCloud backup, restoring your library can be fairly straightforward. Here are the steps:
iTunes Backup
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Quit iTunes if it is open.
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Locate your latest iTunes backup and copy it back to your iTunes Media folder. This is typically in Music/iTunes on Windows or Users/{username}/Music/iTunes on Mac.
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Hold Shift and click Restore on Windows or Option and click Restore on Mac to select your backup.
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iTunes will then restore your full library from the backup. Be patient as this can take awhile for large libraries.
iCloud Backup
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Make sure you are signed into the same Apple ID on which your iTunes content was purchased. This ensures you can redownload non-music items like movies.
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Turn on iCloud Music Library in iTunes to download your full music collection.
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Go to Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, Audiobooks, and Books to check for and redownload non-music content.
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Check iTunes Match for any missing songs and match them to iCloud to restore.
Restore from iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch
If you synced your iTunes library to an iOS device like an iPhone, you may be able to recover a large portion of your library by syncing that device back to iTunes.
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Connect your iOS device to your computer.
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In iTunes, right click on your device and choose “Transfer Purchases” to copy music, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, and more back to iTunes.
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Check purchase histories in iTunes Store for movies, TV shows, books, and apps to redownload.
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Check Apple Music, iTunes Match, or Apple Podcasts subscriptions to restore subscription content.
Syncing from a connected iOS device can potentially restore thousands of files from your iTunes library. Just be aware there is a chance some files synced to the device could be missing from your library.
Retrieve iTunes Purchase History
If you purchased movies, TV shows, books, apps, or other content from the iTunes Store, you can redownload previous purchases for free.
Here are the steps:
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Open iTunes and click Account > View My Account. Enter your Apple ID if prompted.
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Scroll down to Purchase History and click the See All link next to Movies, TV Shows, Apps, or other categories.
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Find your purchased content and click the Download icon to restore the items to iTunes.
Checking purchase history is vital for reclaiming all your paid iTunes content. Make sure your Apple ID is the same one used to originally buy the items.
Contact Apple Support
As a last resort if you cannot restore your iTunes library through backups, local devices, or purchase history, you can contact Apple Support.
Be prepared with:
- The Apple ID used on iTunes
- Invoice numbers for music/media purchases
- iOS device serial numbers you used iTunes with
While Apple cannot recover deleted data, their support reps may be able to help you restore or redownload content associated with your account. However, success depends on what specific items are missing and when they were acquired.
Use Data Recovery Software
For missing iTunes media files that cannot be restored through official means, data recovery software provides another option. Programs like Disk Drill for Mac can scan your hard drive and recover deleted music, videos, PDFs, and documents.
Key steps when using data recovery software:
- Stop using the disk drive containing your iTunes library to avoid overwriting files.
- Scan the drive from another computer if possible.
- Look for files marked as deleted or lost that may hold your missing iTunes media.
Data recovery should be a last resort, but can potentially find iTunes content if all else fails. Be prepared that you may only recover fragments or portions of corrupted files.
Don’t Give Up!
Losing your meticulously crafted iTunes library can be incredibly discouraging. But don’t give up even if early recovery efforts prove unsuccessful.
Between backups, purchase histories, mobile devices, Apple Support, and data recovery tools, the odds are good you can restore at least some lost iTunes content. Be patient and persistent and you may be able to rebuild much of your iTunes library. Just take it step-by-step.
The key is having backups in place before disaster strikes. So regularly back up your iTunes library to minimize future data loss headaches. Your music, movie, TV, app, and book collections are worth protecting.
