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How To

How to: locate and delete duplicate files in iTunes

Amber Sass

Amber Sass

  • Updated:

iTunes revolutionized the way people purchased and listened to music on their computers. Though that’s old news to most people by now, if you’re anything like me, you probably have thousands of songs now stored in your iTunes library.

Issues with duplicate items appearing in your iTunes library can sometimes arise, particularly in instances where you’re ripping songs off a CD or via another large music collection.

Thankfully, there’s a relatively simple way to locate duplicates and eliminate them quickly and effectively. Check out our 3 step guide below.1. Go to File and click Display Duplicates. iTunes will search your entire library and pull up duplicate files of any media type.

2. From here, you can choose to check off any duplicate files that you want to delete.

Alternatively, can also sort your duplicate files by the Date Added to separate an entire set of them by the same artist.

3. Once you’ve chosen all of the duplicates you want to remove, highlight each file in question by selecting it. Then right click (or command click if you’re on a Mac), and choose Delete.

That’s all there is to manually locating and eliminating duplicate files in iTunes.

You can also make use of other software programs to help you organize your library in a variety of different ways, including getting rid of pesky duplicates.

For PC users, check out our selection of Audio Organizers. TuneUp Media is a particular favorite that, in addition to searching out duplicate files, can also help you add in missing album artwork, locate mislabeled tracks and more.

TuneUp Media and Dupin are great options if you’re using a Mac. Give our Library and Playlist section for Macs a look for even more great organization options.

You’re now well on your way to having a better organized iTunes library! What are your programs of choice to help keep your iTunes library clean?

Amber Sass

Amber Sass

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