How to Remove Duplicate Songs In iTunes

iTunes is an interesting and fun music manager to use. However, it also accompanied with various and complex potential problems over time. Duplicate music files and other audios are the common issues found in using iTunes. Duplicated music and other audio files can be annoying and frustrating to deal with. It also wastes up essential space on our Mac as to how it gives hassles in searching and playing songs. But how to remove duplicate songs in iTunes?

There are various ways which you can use to effectively find, remove, as well as prevent duplicate songs. Regular deletion of unwanted double copies of songs and other audio files will keep your iTunes music library fresh and completely clean. In this guide, we’ll tell you how to remove these duplicate files to allow you to have more space on your devices. And of course, you’ll have a better iTunes experience too. Let’s get started.

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Can I Delete iTunes Duplicate Files?

What are iTunes duplicate files? How are they created? Can I delete them?

In general, duplicate files are the copy of an original file. They can be located anywhere on the computer, although the majority are found in the same folder as the original. However, duplicate files are essentially the same file with the same extension, size, and so on. Although some have different file names, most likely with a number at the end of the original file’s names.

Why there are iTunes duplicate files? Here are some of the most likely causes of iTunes duplicate files:

• After updating your operating system, the computer automatically makes copies of your previous files that were at risk of being deleted but weren’t.
• When your Mac detects a virus that can affect your iTunes files, it can automatically create copies that can be found in another folder. In some cases, the original file becomes corrupted, but others will have a healthy original file.
• You manually copied the file to another folder but forgot to delete the original file.

Is it Safe to Delete iTunes Duplicate Files?

While you may think it’s safe to delete iTunes duplicate files, we recommend avoiding blindly deleting duplicate files. This is because you can delete other iTunes files that don’t have duplicates, thus deleting your only copy.

Here’s a look at what the file extension of iTunes files can be:

• Audio Files: WAV, AAC, MP3, and AIFF
• Video Files: MOV, MP4, and M4V

How To Manually Find and Remove Duplicates on iTunes

Manual deletion on how to remove duplicate songs in iTunes may be a complex and tremendous task. Duplicate audio files may happen because of mistaken downloads or through mail attachments and other possibilities.

Inspect Desktop for Exact Duplicates of iTunes Files

If you are to manually find iTunes duplicates, you might find it to be very time-consuming. Here’s a look at the step-by-step guide on this process:

1. Open your Finder window on Mac.
2. Go to the Apple Menu, click File, and click New Smart Folder
3. Click the Plus sign and choose your Search Parameters for iTunes files.
4. After that, you just have to look for files that have the same size, extension, and an almost identical name.

Here is another way to find iTunes duplicates manually and we'll show you steps on how to remove duplicate songs in iTunes as well:

1. Open iTunes from the Dock or Applications folder.
2. Click on the file and proceed to the Library folder then the Show Duplicate Items button. This will display a list of items categorized by name, time, artists, and albums. The same two songs may have different names and it may be difficult to locate them. The album, length, and content can also be different which may only add up to the confusion.
3. Click on the All button to view the list of all duplicates. On the top of the screen, you may click on the Same Album to view duplicate songs on a particular album. This helps narrow down the process and greatly aid you in identifying issues with duplicate files in separate albums.
4. Select the Name column in iTunes to ensure that duplicate files appear next to each other.
5. Highlight the unwanted files then click the Delete tab on your keyboard or choose Edit then click Delete. If you want to keep the file, you may choose the Keep File option where removed files from iTunes are located.
6. When finished, click the Done button in the upper right corner to return your normal iTunes view.

Bulk Editing

If you wish to keep duplicate songs or any audio files on your iTunes, you may do so. All you have to do is to select multiple songs, or select as many songs as you desire then bulk edit it. Here is how you properly do it:

1. Just command + click then right-click the selected items and proceed to Get Info which can be found in the context menu.
2. You may click the Do Not Ask Me Again button to avoid repeated prompt inquiries if you are trying to edit multiple items. Then select the Edit button displayed on the info screen. From there, you can freely choose to make any changes and apply them to every song you had selected.
3. If you wish to change the album, the songs you have selected will automatically sort into a new album. Although this procedure will require you to add the new album back under the Artwork context.

When doing bulk editing, it is highly advisable to be cautious with any changes you opt to make. It is because if you get to mess up, it is really too complex to get it back to its original shape. One tip for you when opting for bulk editing, this does not usually work with track numbers. If you wish to edit your track numbers, you have to do it individually which may obviously, take time and effort.