Duplicate Files In iTunes – How To Find And Delete Them

Duplicate files in iTunes

Duplicate files in iTunes music library or any software media player, is an inevitable problem that happens over time, and you may not notice it immediately. For example, you could forget that you already purchased a certain song from a different music service, and then buy the same from Apple again.

You can end up with the same song, but in two different formats – AAC and MP3. Probably you even copied music you archived in your external storage or ripped music CDs and ended up with the duplicate tracks.

Even though you can download software to manage these duplicates, iTunes has a built-in option that can identify them. We’re going to show you how to organize your iTunes library by removing duplicates in both the songs and albums.

How to find and delete duplicate files in iTunes

Before you get started, you can back up your music to avoid any eventualities. If you make a mistake, however, you can restore the music library from a backup location.

View duplicate songs in iTunes library

To see all songs in your library, take the steps below:

  • Open iTunes
  • Click drop-down menu and select Music
  • Select Songs from Music section
  • From the menu bar, click View
  • Select All Music
  • Select File>Library>Show duplicate items

A list of songs that have been identified as duplicates will appear. This includes remixes or a ‘best of’ compilation or part of an album. It also includes covers by an artist of a different artist’s song. Delete what you don’t need.

Find exact duplicates

If your iTunes library is large, you probably want to find the exact duplicates therein. iTunes has an option you can use to search for the exact song duplicates in iTunes. The feature is suitable for use with a large music library so that you don’t delete songs that could be similar but have differences like acoustic version or recorded version of the song.

This way, you ensure that any duplicates contained in compilation albums aren’t tampered with.

To find exact duplicates:

  • Go to Songs view in iTunes
  • On Mac, hold down Option and click File on the menu bar. Click Library and select Show Exact Duplicate Items
  • In Windows, hold down SHIFT and click View from the menu tab. Click Show Exact Duplicate Items

Were you able to find and delete duplicate files in iTunes on your computer? Let us know in a comment below.

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