? about iTunes music files

[cwoody222]

OK, when I download music (from like Limewire, Aquisition, etc) I have all the downloaded files go into my HD/Users/username/Music folder.

Then I drag the file into the iTunes library window to put it in my iTunes library.

Has iTunes just made a copy of the file and stored it elsewhere?

Can I then delete the file that sits in the "Music" folder and still have iTunes play the song?

If so, I think I have duplicates of all of my downloaded singles!

But I'm not sure so I thought I'd ask first...

[dlloyd]

Yes, yes you can delete it. As far as I know, anything in the iTune library is stored in ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/

[fbp_]

DONT DELETE ANYTHING YET

itunes has preferences to determine whether or not it organizes your music (as in copying it to your music folder)

the easiest thing to do would be to set your itunes music folder as ~/music and turn on library management, then you dont have to move anything and it is all managed from within itunes

[cwoody222]

Thanks...but I don't want to just change iTunes to read from /music because then I'd lose all the info I've managed in iTunes, right - like Artists name, Album, etc. (because when I download music that stuff is never right)

My Preferences say that my iTunes Music Folder Location is: HD/username/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music

Also, my Preferences DOES have this box checked: Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library

So...I think I can delete, right??

[toast]

Easier: trash iTunes Library, the FILE not the folder. Also trash Prefs.

Then do as fbp told you: set library folder as ~/music, then place all your music there, command-Open (File menu in iTunes) and there you go.

[fbp_]

all the info is in tags attached to the songs, it wont go away

you can delete the extra songs, but just to be safe Id check to see if they are in fact all in your itunes music folder

[cwoody222]

Thanks everyone. Here's what I did - in case anyone else has questions down the road:

Well, there was no easy way to tell which were doubled (and don't ask me why some were and some weren't!). I had to put the two Finder windows side-by-side and delete. What a pain.

Then I was left with some files over in one place and all the ones from ripped CDs in another.

I then changed in iTunes where it kept my library to reflect the folder with all the downloaded music.

iTunes automatically moved all my ripped songs (and folders) over to the other folder with the downloaded music without a hitch! Then it asked me if I wanted to automatically keep my Libary folder organized and I said yes and it magically took all the scattered downloaded song files and put them all in folders based on Artist and Album...just like my ripped ones!

I could then go thru and find some duplicates that I missed - it was easier now that they were organized by Artist/Album.

Note: I also DEselected the option to have iTunes make a copy of the file every time it puts it in the Library.

The whole time I didn't lose a SINGLE song in iTunes! (which I thought I would due to moving the files) And the whole process took about 3 minutes (not counting my manual deletion of duplictes). I didn't even lose a single bit of Artist/Album/Title info in iTunes which I was also scared of.

Now when I have downloaded singles they go into the folder as always (wherever Limewire, etc. downloads them to). Then, the instant I change the Artist/Album info in iTunes the file magically creates a new folder for itself - instantly "organizing" my files!