How to Recover Deleted Music Files from iTunes

Did your song or playlist go missing? Chances are, iTunes deleted it. This article will show you how to recover music that was deleted by iTunes from the “Previous iTunes Libraries” folder or with the help of a third-party iOS recovery tool. Read on for the solutions.

My music was deleted from iTunes. How can I get it back?

"When I opened my iTunes library, I found that all of my playlists and songs were missing. This happened after I upgraded to iTunes 12.2.0. It seems that the latest version of iTunes has deleted all of my music files. Is there any way to get them back?"

iTunes deleting music is not a new issue. It has been happening for years and has frustrated many users. Recently, it seems to have gotten worse, with numerous reports of users' music files being deleted from their computers without their permission, something that Apple has acknowledged. When it happens to you, your first priority will be to recover music deleted by iTunes. So, what do you do? Here, we show you two simple ways to get the job done.

Recover Music Files from a Previous iTunes Library Folder

1. Turn off iTunes Cloud

2. Quit iTunes. Go to the iTunes folder that contains your iTunes Library file:

Mac: In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click Go > Home > Music > iTunes > Previous iTunes Libraries.
Windows: Navigate to \Users\YourUsername\Music\iTunes\Previous iTunes Libraries.

Look for a file with the .itl extension that is dated before you updated iTunes. If you find one, continue with the steps below.

3. Rename the files iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Music Library.xml (add “corrupted” or some such prefix to the name).

4. Rename the old version “iTunes Library.itl,” drag it into your main iTunes folder, and restart iTunes.

Assuming everything went well, all your missing playlists and songs should appear in iTunes. If you're asked if you want to use iCloud for your iTunes, say “No” – that seems to be where the problem lies.

Recover Music Files from iTunes with iOS Data Recovery Software

If you can't find and recover your deleted music files from iTunes using the methods above, you can try to get your lost songs or music files back with a professional third-party iOS data recovery tool like iMobie PhoneRescue. Here's the detailed guide for you.

Step 1: Run the MobiSaver tool

First download the MobiSaver tool > Connect your iPhone/iPad to the computer > Launch the MobiSaver tool > Choose “Recover from iTunes Backup” > Select an iTunes backup.

"Step 2: Unlock your iTunes"

If the iTunes backup is encrypted, you'll need to enter the password to unlock it. After entering the password, click “Continue.” The MobiSaver tool will now automatically scan your backup file for any lost data.

Step 3: Preview and Recover Data from iTunes Backup

After the scan, you can preview the lost photos/videos, contacts/messages, memos, and social app data in detail. Check the files you need and click the "Recover" button to save them to your computer.