How do you select a library when starting the Music App?

[BaggieBoy]

I keep my music library on an external drive, so in Mojave I had iTunes not to run at startup and when I needed to start iTunes I held down the "option" key to allow the library location to be specified.

Now in Catalina holding the "option" key when starting the Music app does not allow you to select your library location and just starts up.

Am I missing something obvious?

 

[Mr Todhunter]

I keep my music library on an external drive, so in Mojave I had iTunes not to run at startup and when I needed to start iTunes I held down the "option" key to allow the library location to be specified.

Now in Catalina holding the "option" key when starting the Music app does not allow you to select your library location and just starts up.

Am I missing something obvious?

I was wondering the same thing

 

[afir93]

Holding "option" to select the library is pretty standard across different Apple apps (i.e. Photos, iMovie, ...), so this omission seems pretty strange. I don't have an answer for you unfortunately, but my guess is that Apple just hasn't implemented this feature yet in the new Music app yet and that it's coming in the future. If you can, you should probably file it as a bug report/feature request in the Feedback app.

What happens if you delete/rename the normal Music library in the Music folder? Does it just create a new one or does it let you choose?

 

[zorinlynx]

Yeah, definitely file this as a bug.

Remember, NOW is the time to file bugs for the most annoying and pressing issues. This very early beta period is when the biggest changes can happen. By public beta time a lot is already locked down and it's too late to get many changes in.

 

[Mr Todhunter]

Holding "option" to select the library is pretty standard across different Apple.

What happens if you delete/rename the normal Music library in the Music folder? Does it just create a new one or does it let you choose?

It creates a new one. It does not let you choose.

 

[afir93]

Yeah, definitely file this as a bug.

Remember, NOW is the time to file bugs for the most annoying and pressing issues. This very early beta period is when the biggest changes can happen. By public beta time a lot is already locked down and it's too late to get many changes in.

Yep, exactly. I'm not on the beta (not a developer) but I encourage anyone who is and who encounters this behavior to file a report for it; the more feedback Apple receives about it, the bigger the chances we'll see it changed. Not letting users choose the library they want to use seems like a pretty big omission and stepback from iTunes, but stranger/bigger omissions have happened with Apple's software redesigns in the past, so it's not out of question that Apple releases Catalina without it if not enough people voice their opinion.
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It creates a new one. It does not let you choose.

Bummer.

 

[TETENAL]

You can still select the library location in Music->Preferences->Files.

 

[hellfried]

You can still select the library location in Music->Preferences->Files.

Did this but the mp3s on my ext drive does not show up in the Music app. Just those that I have purchased from iTunes previously.

 

[Fishrrman]

A test that someone might try.
This assumes that you already have a "Music.app" library created and in your home folder.

What I would try next:
Make a COPY of the "Music.app" library (or is a folder?) to an external drive.

Now you have TWO Music.app libraries from which to choose.

Try opening Music with the option key held down again.
Does it see the new library, and give you the option of choosing between them?

One other thing:
What happens if:
a. You quit Music, then
b. Double-click on the Music library on the EXTERNAL drive?
Does Music.app open and use it?

 

[hellfried]

A test that someone might try.
This assumes that you already have a "Music.app" library created and in your home folder.

What I would try next:
Make a COPY of the "Music.app" library (or is a folder?) to an external drive.

Now you have TWO Music.app libraries from which to choose.

Try opening Music with the option key held down again.
Does it see the new library, and give you the option of choosing between them?

One other thing:
What happens if:
a. You quit Music, then
b. Double-click on the Music library on the EXTERNAL drive?
Does Music.app open and use it?

Tried both methods. When I click on a mp3 in the iTunes folder on the ext drive, it plays in the Music app and gets added to the Music app folder. When I copy the Music app folder to the ext drive and open the app with the option key pressed down, nothing happens.

 

[Superhai]

Am I missing something obvious?

Go into your library and double-click the package called "Music Library" then Music app should open that library.