Cleaning Out the Itunes Library

8/3/2019 Cleaning Out the Itunes Library

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Cleaning up your iTunes library (on a mac)

After merging two iTunes libraries I was left with many duplicates whichiTunes asked me to delete one by one. I am always looking for efficient

ways to solve boring tasks, so I went off to find a way to solve thisautomatically. Having a mac is great, because it has so many useful andeasy tools to handle those kinds of problems. First of all, there isapplescript, which I never touched before, but it really is the easiest wayto deal with applications on a mac. To give you one example of its greatpowers consider the simple command you can enter in any applescripteditor window

tell application "iTunes" to play

Click "Run" and it plays! Easy, right?

Anyway, I wrote a few applescripts to clean up my library. I couldn't findsimilar scripts or at least not of the kind I wanted them to be (also,deleting duplicates is often available only for cash). I also wanted to learnapplescript. So why not write my own scripts?

I want to share my experiences with other users and I hope they can beuseful for more people out there. I trust on google to spread the word :)

The scripts are (to some extent) optimized to be fast, using some tricks(or flaws) of applescript. Still, deleting the duplicates takes some time,

especially for large libraries. This is however because of iTunes. Deletingis not a simple task for iTunes. It has to update quite a few things in thebackground, so dont be alarmed if you have to wait for some time. Forme, with about 13.000 tracks deleting 6.000 duplicates took about onehour.

All scripts support (at least a simple) logging, i.e. you can check theirprogress by opening a log file, containing stuff like "Handling file xyz,Deleting file uvw". You can use it to check what is happening. You caneasily change it and add more logging messages. You can also turn it off(by writing "false" after the doLogging property). Especially for the script"Clean up your media folder", you might want to try it with a smallerlibrary first, to convince yourself that everything works finely. After all,your music files are valuable and you don't want them to be gone foreveraccidentally! However, my scripts don't really delete files, they just movethem to the trash. So you can always save files, by checking there afterthe whole process.

Finally, here are some of the scripts:

Delete duplicates. This little script finds and deletes duplicates in your

iTunes library (It deletes the library entry, NOT the physical file. Todelete the physical file, look at the "Clean up your music folder"
http://randystraeume.blogspot.com/2011/03/cleaning-up-your-itunes-library-on-mac.htmlhttp://randystraeume.blogspot.com/2011/03/cleaning-up-your-itunes-library-on-mac.html


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script below. This is to avoid deleting files accidentally which youjust added to your iTunes library, without copying to your musicfolder). Two tracks are considered duplicates if they share the sametrack name, artist and album title. Only if those 3 fields are thesame, all of the tracks except one can be deleted. Additionally the

play counts and the grouping entries are "merged" together, i.e. thehighest play count among the duplicates is adopted and anygrouping entry. If you have better suggestions on how to mergetracks, I am open to any suggestions.

Delete dead tracks. This script finds and deletes dead tracks in youriTunes library, i.e. tracks whose path do not point to an existing filein the file system.

Clean up your music folder. This script finds and deletes files in yourmedia folder which are not represented by entries in your iTuneslibrary. I say "files" because you might have copied other files likepictures there and forgot about them or because maybe some othermusic program added hidden index files. If one of the folders in themedia folder is empty, it is deleted as well.m WARNING: You need toadapt the "libPath" to change the location of the media folder. Bydefault it is set to "yourHomeFolder/Music/iTunes/Music". If youdon't, ALL files in the specified folder will be deleted, because noneof the files are present in YOUR iTunes library. You also might wantto change the valid file endings, i.e. the list of file endings, whichare considered to contain media data. ALL other files will be deletedfor sure!!! Anyway, on a mac nothing is deleted immediately. All"deleted" files will be moved to the trash, so you can still save them

if they were deleted incorrectly. Whatever you do, you should firstcheck on a small library if the script does what you want. Don'tblame me later, if all your data are gone!

Any suggestions are welcome. Hope my scripts help you learning applescript or handle your iTunes problem. And here finally the scripts. To runthem, just copy and paste them to a new text edit window, save as"..".scpt. After clicking the apple script editor opens and you can click run.Alternatively you can save the files in the apple script editor asapplication, which then can be run by clicking like a regular app.

1. Delete duplicates

(*This little script finds and deletes duplicates in your iTunes library. Twotracks are considered duplicates if they share the same track name, artistand album title. Only if those 3 fields are the same, all of the tracksexcept one can be deleted. Additionally the play counts and the groupingentries are "merged" together.

You can also use the main handler to delete duplicates in any otherplaylist than the main library.

You can turn on or off logging of deleted tracks. The logging goes to the


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"logFile.txt" in your home folder.

Any comments [email protected]*)

propertydoLogging : falsepropertytextlog : missing value

onrun {}tellapplication "iTunes" tosetplListtolibrary playlist1main(plList)

endrun

on main(plList)-- set up loggersettextlogtomakeFileLog(((path tohome folder) asstring) &

"logFile.txt")

ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logImportant("Starting deletingduplicates...")

findDuplicates(plList)ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logImportant("Finished deleting

duplicates...")endmain

on findDuplicates(plList)tellapplication "iTunes"

-- find all artistssetartistListtoartistofeverytrackofplListwhoseartistis

notmissing value

setactArtListto {}repeatwithainartistList

ifnot (actArtListcontains (aasstring)) thencopy (aasstring) toendofactArtList

endrepeat

-- find all albums for a given artistrepeatwithainactArtList

setalbListto (albumofeverytrackofplListwhoseartistisaandalbumisnotmissing value)

setactAlbListto {}

repeatwithalinalbListifnot (actAlbListcontains (alasstring)) then

copy (alasstring) toendofactAlbList

endrepeat


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-- find all tracks with artist a and album alrepeatwithalinactAlbList

settrListto (nameofeverytrackofplListwhoseartistisaandalbumisalandnameisnotmissing value)

setactTrListto {}

repeatwithtrintrListifnot (actTrListcontains (trasstring))

thencopy (trasstring) toendofactTrListendrepeat

-- handle those tracksrepeatwithtrinactTrList

settracksWithThisCombto (everytrackofplListwhoseartistisaandalbumisalandnameistr)

iflengthoftracksWithThisComb > 1 thenmy

mergeTracks(tracksWithThisComb)

repeatwithifrom 2 tolengthoftracksWithThisComb

setttoitemioftracksWithThisComb

ifdoLoggingthen

setstrto (tr & " - " & al &" - " & a)

textlog'slogMessage("Deleting " & str)

endif

deletetendrepeat

endifendrepeat

endrepeat

endrepeatendtell

end findDuplicates

on mergeTracks(possDupl)tellapplication "iTunes"

set mainTrack toitem 1 ofpossDuplset playCount toplayed countofmainTrackset grOfTrack togroupingofmainTrack

setgrto ""set compOfTrack tocompilationofmainTrack


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setcompto ""

-- collect all information in mainTrackrepeatwithifrom 2 tolengthofpossDupl

settrtoitemiofpossDupl

settrPlCounttoplayed countoftriftrPlCount > playCount thenset playCount to

trPlCount

if(grOfTrackisequal to "") thensettrGrouptogroupingoftrifnot (trGroupisequal to "") thensetgrto

trGroupendif

if(compOfTrackisequal to "") thensettrComptocompilationoftrifnot (trCompisequal to "") thensetcompto

trCompendif

endrepeat

setplayed countofmainTrack to playCountif(grOfTrackisequal to "") thensetgroupingofmainTrack

togr

if(compOfTrackisequal to "") thensetcompilationofmainTracktocomp

endtellend mergeTracks

on makeFileLog(file_path)scriptFileLog

propertyclass : "file log"property_linefeed : characterid 10

-- Writes log messages to a UTF8-encoded text fileon logMessage(the_text)

setftoopen for accessfile_pathwith writepermission

trywrite (the_text & my_linefeed) tofstarting ateof

as class utf8onerror error_message number error_number

close accessferror error_message number error_number

endtryclose accessf


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end logMessage

on logImportant(the_text)logMessage("****** " & the_text & " ******")

end logImportant

endscriptend makeFileLog

2. Remove dead tracks

(*This script finds and deletes dead tracks in your iTunes library, i.e. trackswhose path does not point to an existing file in the file system.

You can turn on or off logging of deleted tracks. The logging goes to the"logFile.txt" in your home folder.


propertydoLogging : falsepropertytextlog : missing value

onrun {}main()

endrun

onmain()-- set up loggersettextlogtomakeFileLog(((path tohome folder) asstring) &

"logFile.txt")

ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logImportant("Starting deleting dead

tracks...")

tellapplication "iTunes"setlocationstolocationofeverytrackoflibrary playlist1setallTrackstoeverytrackoflibrary playlist1setallNamestonameofeverytrackoflibrary playlist1

repeatwithifrom 1 tolengthoflocationssetloctoitemioflocationsif(locisequal tomissing value) then

setntoitemiofallNamesifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Deleting


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dead track " & n)deleteitemiofallTracks

endifendrepeat

endtell

ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logImportant("Finished deleting deadtracks...")endmain








endtry

close accessfend logMessage


end logImportantendscript

end makeFileLog

3. Clean up music folder

(*This script finds and deletes files in your media folder which are notrepresented by entries in your iTunes library. I say "files" because youmight have copied pictures there and forgot or because maybe someother music program added hidden index files. If one of the folders in themedia folder is empty, it is deleted as well.

You can adapt the "libPath" to change the location of the media folder. Bydefault it is set to "yourHomeFolder/Music/iTunes/Music". You also might


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want to change the valid file endings, i.e. the list of file endings, which areconsidered to contain media data. ALL other files will be deleted forsure!!!Anyway, on a mac nothing is deleted immediately. All "deleted" files willbe moved to the trash, so you can still save them if they were deleted

incorrectly.Whatever you do, you should first see on a small library if the script doeswhat you want. Dont blame me later, if all your data are gone!

You can turn on or off logging. The logging goes to the "logFile.txt" in yourhome folder.

The associative list code is from the excellent book "Learn apple script" byHanaan Rosenthal.


propertydoLogging : falsepropertytextlog : missing valuepropertylibPath : ((path tohome folder) asstring) &"Music:iTunes:Music"propertyvalidFileEndings : {".mp3", ".wav", ".m4p", ".m4a", ".ogg",".avi"}

onrun {}main()

endrun

onmain()-- set up loggersettextlogtomakeFileLog(((path tohome folder) asstring) &

"logFile.txt")

try

cleanupMediaFolder(libPath)onerrorm

textlog's logError(m)endtry

endmain

on cleanupMediaFolder(libPath)ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Starting cleaning up media

folder...")

tellapplication "iTunes"-- list all files in the library


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settrackPathstolocationofeverytrackinlibrary playlist1

-- put them in an associative listset lib tomy make_associative_list()repeatwithtrPathintrackPaths

my addFileToList(trPath, lib)endrepeat

-- check for every file in the media folder if its path iscontained in the list above

set allFilesInMediaFolder tomy listFilesRecursively(libPath)

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ":"

ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Checking files inmedia folder...")

repeatwith fPath in allFilesInMediaFolderifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Handling " &

fPath)

-- check if every single path element can be found in libsetpathItemstotext itemsoffPathsetfoundtotrue

setcurLsttolib

repeatwithifrom 1 to (lengthofpathItems)set pathItem toitem i ofpathItems

if(iisequal to (lengthofpathItems)) thenifnot (curLstcontains (pathItem)) then

setfoundtofalseendif

elseset lst4pathItem to getItem(pathItem) of

curLstif(lst4pathItemisequal tomissing value)

thensetfoundtofalseexitrepeat

endifset curLst to lst4pathItem

endifendrepeat

-- every file which is not contained, can be deletedifnotfoundthen

ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Deleting" & fPath)


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tellapplication "Finder" todeletefilefPathendif

endrepeat

ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Finished checking

files in media folder.")

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {""}

-- delete empty foldersmy deleteFoldersRecursively(libPath)

endtell

ifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Finished cleaning upmedia folder...")end cleanupMediaFolder

on deleteFoldersRecursively(pathToFolder)setfileListto {}tellapplication "System Events"

-- handle filessetfilesListtopathofeveryfileinfolderpathToFolder

repeatwithpathOfFinfilesListset foundValidFileEnding tofalserepeatwith fileEnding in validFileEndings

if(pathOfFends withfileEnding) thenset foundValidFileEnding totrueexitrepeat

endifendrepeatiffoundValidFileEnding thencopy pathOfF toendof

fileListendrepeat

-- handle folderssetfoldersListtopathofeveryfolderinfolderpathToFolder

repeatwithpathOfFinfoldersListset fileList to fileList & my

deleteFoldersRecursively(pathOfF)endrepeat

iffileListisequal to {} thenifdoLoggingthentextlog's logMessage("Deleting folder

" & pathToFolder)deletefolderpathToFolder

endifreturnfileList


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endtellend deleteFoldersRecursively

on listFilesRecursively(pathToFolder)setfileListto {}

tellapplication "System Events"-- handle filessetfilesListtopathofeveryfileinfolderpathToFolder

repeatwithpathOfFinfilesListset foundValidFileEnding tofalserepeatwith fileEnding in validFileEndings

if(pathOfFends withfileEnding) thenset foundValidFileEnding totrueexitrepeat

endifendrepeatiffoundValidFileEnding thencopy pathOfF toendof

fileListendrepeat

-- handle folderssetfoldersListtopathofeveryfolderinfolderpathToFolder

repeatwithpathOfFinfoldersListset fileList to fileList & my listFilesRecursively(pathOfF)

endrepeatreturnfileList

endtellend listFilesRecursively

on addFileToList(f, lst)setfPathto (fasstring)

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ":"set pathItems totext itemsoffPath

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {""}

setcurLsttolstrepeatwithifrom 1 to ((lengthofpathItems) - 1)

set pathItem toitem i ofpathItemsset lst4pathItem to getItem(pathItem) ofcurLstif(lst4pathItemisequal tomissing value) then

if(iisequal to ((lengthofpathItems) - 1)) thensetlst4pathItemto {}

else

set lst4pathItem to make_associative_list()endif


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curLst's setItem(pathItem, lst4pathItem)endifset curLst to lst4pathItem

endrepeat

copy (lastitemofpathItems) toendofcurLstend addFileToList








endtryclose accessf

end logMessage


end logImportant

on logError(the_text)logMessage("ERROR: " & the_text)

end logErrorendscript

end makeFileLog

on make_associative_list()script AssociativeList

propertyclass : "associative list"propertythe_items : {}propertytheKeys : {}propertytheKeysRef: a referencetotheKeys

ongetKeys()settheKeysto {}considering diacriticals, hyphens, punctuation and

white space butignoring caserepeatwithrecord_refinmythe_items


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set keyOfRec tokeyofrecord_refcopykeyOfRectoendoftheKeysRef

endrepeatendconsideringreturntheKeys

end getKeys

on find_record_for_key(the_key)(* This is a private handler. Users should not use it

directly. *)considering diacriticals, hyphens, punctuation and

white space butignoring caserepeatwithrecord_refinmythe_items

ifkeyofrecord_ref= the_keythenreturnrecord_ref

endrepeatendconsideringreturnmissing value

end find_record_for_key

on setItem(the_key, the_value)set record_refto find_record_for_key(the_key)ifrecord_ref= missing valuethen

setendofmy the_items to {key:the_key,value:the_value}

else

set the_value ofrecord_refto the_valueendifreturn

end setItem

on getItem(the_key)set record_refto find_record_for_key(the_key)ifrecord_ref= missing valuethen

--error "The key wasn't found." number -1728 fromthe_key

returnmissing value

endifreturn value ofrecord_ref

end getItem

on count_items()returncountmythe_items

end count_items

on delete_item(the_key)set record_refto find_record_for_key(the_key)

ifrecord_refismissing valuethenerror "The key wasn't found." number -1728 from


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the_keyendifsetcontentsofrecord_reftomissing valuesetmythe_itemstoeveryrecordofmythe_itemsreturn

end delete_itemendscript

end make_associative_list

Documents

Cleaning Out the Itunes Library