Transferring individual files to an iMac

[panache45]

@Tusculan

If I understand you correctly you stay that you had already deliberately moved the files from your old Mac to the cloud.

I meant to say that I COPIED my files to the cloud. Sorry for the confusion.

@AHunter3

I detest iTunes.

Have you tried to use Apple Music? You’ll really miss iTunes. And iTunes came free with the computer.

[AHunter3]

What’s Apple Music and why would I try to use it? ETA: oh is that the critter that used to be called the iTunes Music Store? Like I said, no digital rights managed files for me. I don’t mind buying the CD if need be, but I want plain old MP3 files.

[Tusculan]

I see. So you tried the transfer by using the iCloud service for iTunes to download to Apple Music on your iMac. As I’ve never used that service in this way, I can only guess what happened there and whether you might still use that process. One thing I saw somewhere remarked was that Optimize storage might be on and could mean that Apple reads that as that you do not want unnecessary files on your hard disk. Maybe you could check something like that?

Otherwise you may try to go outside iCloud, as suggested above, by using an external disk or a direct connection for transfer (but I’m not sure how to set that up in the easiest way). I assume that you still have the old mac.

• first check the Music folder, as I mentioned above. It should contain an iTunes folder. Check the size of that folder (using Command-I). It should show … Gb if it contains all your music. If it does not, that means the music is already deleted from your hard drive. (if you are unsure whether iTunes also contains other stuff besides your music, you may check only the subfolder iTunes Music).
• if the music is still in the original iTunes folder, you can simply copy the whole folder over to your new iMac. I’d suggest to copy it to a temporary folder. Then you should look into how to import music into Apple Music (or an alternative program). There should be an easy way to import an entire folder with subfolders. For Apple Music in particular I would imagine you could point it to the old iTunes folder,

[panache45]

SUCCESS!!!

Well, sort of. I wound up copying my iTunes contents to an external drive, then copying them to Apple Music. Took forever, and I somehow wound up with about a thousand additional tracks (Why do I now have songs by U2? I NEVER had songs by U2?). It looks like all the original tracks are still there, but to be sure, I’m going through them, disk by disk.

Apple Music doesn’t have a “Shows” column, so that data is lost. Also gone is the little box at the beginning of each track, denoting whether that track is actually to be played. I had found that to be very useful when dealing with various recordings of the same music, removing some from “play” mode, but keeping them for archival purposes.

I have been a loyal Apple supporter since the '80s. That support is crumbling. That said, I really love the new iMac. The screen resolution is utterly amazing, and the sound is great, except for large sources like symphony orchestras and operas, which need more width and depth. For those, I’ll have to install external speakers.

And then there’s that abomination called the Apple Mouse, which I also will replace.

[zbuzz]

@panache45

Apple Music doesn’t have a “Shows” column, so that data is lost.

Try this
Music > View > Show View Options > Other (scroll all the way to the bottom) > check “Show”

@panache45

Also gone is the little box at the beginning of each track, denoting whether that track is actually to be played.

And this
Music > Preferences > General > check “List view checkboxes”

[Tusculan]

Thanks for getting back to us, good to hear that you at least have managed to get your music on the new iMac. Sorry to hear that it still is no seamless transition. I have stopped using iTunes so cannot help you on how to set up Apple Music.

I presume you have the new M1 iMac. Those are indeed great machines. I have a MacBook Air for portability, and even that screen is stunning. But for proper listening to music I would indeed use external speakers.
Have fun with your new set-up!

[Cartooniverse]

@Whack-a-Mole

I use GooglePlay and the music you buy is (almost) never on your PC. Only in the cloud.

You can download them but you need to make a specific effort to do so. I do so I can listen to my jams on a plane where I have no internet access.

I remember I swore off ALL things Apple when I had iTunes, bought music and then when I moved to Android they told me I could not move that music. Never forgave them. Have not and will not buy an Apple anything ever since. Pretty sure they don’t care.

I’m also a hybrid. Mac on home machines/ laptops since 2003. Never owned an iPhone. ( Why would I buy a phone that doesn’t work as a phone? I can just buy an iPod Touch !!! ). Anyway, I’m on a current Android OS release running on a Note 8. When I got this, I just took the MicroSD card and put it into my Mac.

Had to fiddle a bit to get it recognized by both devices. But once that was done, I dragged my entire music library onto the SD card. Voila. The music player App I use on the phone finds all of it.

[pulykamell]

The U2 thing is, I believe, from years back when every iTunes or Music or whatever user got that album added to their music whether they liked it or not.

Lemme check … yep, Songs of Innocense, 2014. Never downloaded it and I guess I never deleted it as it’s still here on my phone.

[panache45]

I want to thank you guy so much for your help with this. I just wish the original migration had worked; would have saved me so much time. I’m now enjoying my music (not enjoying U2 so much) on my beautiful iMac. I still can’t believe they stuffed so much into something only 11.5mm thick.