How to move your iTunes library to a new PC

The fastest way to move your iTunes library to a new PC is to copy your entire iTunes folder from your old computer to an external drive, then copy it to the new one. iTunes stores all your music, videos, and playlists in a single folder — usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\Music\iTunes on Windows. Once you copy that folder to your new PC in the same location, iTunes will recognize everything you had before, including your playlists and play counts.

If your library is very large or your old PC is no longer working, you can also authorize your new PC with your Apple ID, then read your purchases directly from iTunes. This method takes longer but requires no external drive. The key is that iTunes on your new PC needs to know where your library files are, and the easiest way to do that is to move the entire folder intact.

Key Takeaways

  • Your entire iTunes library lives in one folder on your PC — copy that folder to an external drive, then to your new computer in the same location.
  • Before you start, note your Apple ID and password, and make sure your old PC is authorized with that ID so you can authorize the new one.
  • If you cannot access your old PC, you can re-read your iTunes purchases on the new PC by signing in with your Apple ID, though this does not recover music you ripped from CDs or imported from other sources.
  • After moving your library, launch iTunes on the new PC and point it to the copied folder so it reads all your files correctly.

Copying your iTunes folder using an external drive

Plug an external hard drive or USB drive into your old PC. You need enough space to hold your entire iTunes folder — check the size by right-clicking the iTunes folder, selecting Properties, and looking at the total size. If your library is 50 GB or larger, a USB drive may be too slow; use an external hard drive instead.

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Music. Right-click the iTunes folder, select Copy, then navigate to your external drive and paste it there. Wait for the copy to finish — this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on your library size and drive speed. Do not unplug the drive until the copy is complete.

Plug the external drive into your new PC. Open File Explorer, navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Music on the new computer, and paste the iTunes folder there. If a Music folder does not exist yet, create one first. Once the paste is complete, your library is physically on the new PC.

Pointing iTunes to your moved library

Launch iTunes on your new PC. If this is the first time you are opening iTunes, it will create a new empty library. If iTunes asks you to choose a library location, point it to the iTunes folder you just pasted. If it does not ask, you need to tell iTunes where to find your library manually.

Go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced. Under "iTunes Media folder location," click Change and navigate to the iTunes folder you copied to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Music\iTunes. Click OK. iTunes will now read all your music, videos, and playlists from that folder. Your play counts, ratings, and playlist order should all be exactly as they were on your old PC.

Authorizing your new PC with your Apple ID

Before you can play any music you purchased from iTunes, your new PC must be authorized with the Apple ID that bought it. Go to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer in iTunes. Sign in with the same Apple ID you used on your old PC.

You can authorize up to five computers with the same Apple ID. If you have already authorized five computers and need to authorize a new one, you must deauthorize an old computer first. Go to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer on any computer you no longer use, then authorize your new one.

Re-downloading purchases if you cannot access your old PC

If your old PC is broken or no longer available, you can re-read your iTunes purchases on your new PC without needing the original files. Open iTunes, go to Account > Sign In, and enter the Apple ID that made the purchases. Go to Account > Purchased and you will see everything you bought.

Click the cloud icon next to any song, album, movie, or TV show to read it to your new PC. This works for anything you purchased directly from iTunes, but it does not recover music you ripped from CDs, imported from other sources, or downloaded from services like Spotify or Apple Music. Those files are gone unless you have a backup of your old hard drive.

If you have a large library of purchased content, downloading everything can take a long time. You can start the downloads and let them run in the background while you use your computer for other things.

What to do if iTunes does not recognize your library

If you copied your iTunes folder correctly but iTunes still shows an empty library, the folder may not be in the right location. Check that it is at C:\Users\[Your Username]\Music\iTunes — not nested inside another folder by mistake. If it is in the wrong place, cut and paste it to the correct location.

If the folder is in the right place but iTunes still does not see it, try holding Shift while you launch iTunes. iTunes will ask you to choose a library location — navigate to the iTunes folder and select it. This forces iTunes to re-scan the folder and rebuild its database of your files.

If you see your playlists but no songs, your library file moved but the actual music files did not. This usually means you copied only part of the iTunes folder. Delete what you copied and start over, making sure you copy the entire iTunes folder including all subfolders inside it.

Moving a very large library more quickly

If your iTunes library is several hundred gigabytes, copying it to an external drive and then to your new PC can take many hours. A faster option is to connect your old PC and new PC directly with an Ethernet cable, then copy the iTunes folder over the network. This is faster than USB and does not require an external drive.

On your old PC, right-click the iTunes folder, select Share With, and choose Specific People. Add your user account and give it Read/Write permission. On your new PC, open File Explorer, click Network, find your old PC, and navigate to the shared iTunes folder. Copy it to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Music on your new PC. Network transfers are usually faster than external drives, especially for very large libraries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my playlists and play counts transfer to the new PC?

Yes, if you copy the entire iTunes folder intact. Your playlists, ratings, play counts, and skip counts are all stored in the iTunes library file inside that folder. As long as you copy the whole folder and point iTunes to it on your new PC, everything transfers exactly as it was.

Can I move my iTunes library to a Mac instead of another PC?

Yes, but the folder location is different. On a Mac, your iTunes library is at ~/Music/Music (in newer versions) or ~/Music/iTunes (in older versions). Copy your Windows iTunes folder to an external drive, then paste it into the Music folder on your Mac. The process is the same; only the folder path changes.

What if I forgot my Apple ID password?

Go to iforgot.apple.com and enter your Apple ID email address. Apple will send you a link to reset your password. You need this to authorize your new PC and to re-read any purchases if your old PC is no longer available.

Do I need to keep my old PC after I move my library?

No, once you have copied your iTunes folder to your new PC and verified that iTunes reads it correctly, you can delete the iTunes folder from your old PC. Keep a backup on an external drive if you want extra security, but you do not need the old PC itself.

Will moving my library affect my Apple Music subscription?

No. Apple Music is separate from your iTunes library. Your subscription follows your Apple ID, not your computer. Sign in with the same Apple ID on your new PC and your Apple Music library will appear automatically.