In a new support document, Apple has indicated that the first public beta release of macOS Catalina does not support switching between multiple iTunes libraries. This also applies to the first two developer betas of macOS Catalina.

macos catalina apple music
Initial betas of macOS Catalina can only open the previously selected iTunes library on your Mac prior to updating, according to Apple. Before you install the macOS Catalina beta, choose the iTunes library that you want to use by fully closing iTunes and reopening it while holding down the Option key.

Apple split iTunes into three apps on macOS Catalina: Music, TV, and Podcasts. The iTunes library that you choose will be the one that opens in the beta versions of Music, TV, and Podcasts on macOS Catalina. Your other music files, media, and additional iTunes libraries will remain wherever you have saved them.

Apple's support document suggests that multiple iTunes libraries will be supported in the general release of macOS Catalina this fall.

iTunes has long allowed users to have multiple libraries. Borrowing Apple's examples, you could have a library of holiday music that would not appear in iTunes the rest of the year, or you could keep your music in a library on your computer and your movies in a library on an external storage device.

Tag: iTunes
Related Forums: macOS Catalina, Mac Apps

Top Rated Comments

bilibug Avatar
bilibug
74 months ago
Cool, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to switch my library unless there was a file that was corrupted. However awesome that they are including this functionality again. Seems like something that a number of people use.

I’m curious though, what are some people’s use cases for this?
25K+ music files that I don't necessarily want cluttering up my Apple Music account on my phone.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nvmls Avatar
nvmls
74 months ago
Hopefully the new Music app will not follow in the trajectory of Final Cut X in terms of implementation of important features that were present on the app it replaced.
Sadly that seems to be the pattern with Apple (aperture, disk utility, etc)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
hagar
74 months ago
Save yourself a lot of aggravation and don't install the Catalina beta.
Who would be stupid enough to install a beta on their production machine? And then complain if things fall apart? No one ever.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BootsWalking Avatar
BootsWalking
74 months ago
Hopefully the new Music app will not follow in the trajectory of Final Cut X in terms of implementation of important features that were present on the app it replaced.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeathBecomesMe Avatar
DeathBecomesMe
74 months ago
So does it still use the same iTunes library file for all three apps? I have my library on a network drive and access it on Windows and Mac, so wondering if that will still work.
Save yourself a lot of aggravation and don't install the Catalina beta.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TMRJIJ Avatar
TMRJIJ
74 months ago
I had a blast losing all my album art yesterday.
I thought I lost mine in DP1. Turns out it was resyncing my entire library along with the rest of iCloud. Took quite a while for them to reappear.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Read Full Article
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Read Full Article • 238 comments
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Read Full Article • 83 comments
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Read Full Article • 441 comments
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
Read Full Article • 93 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Read Full Article • 273 comments
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
Read Full Article • 166 comments
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...
Read Full Article • 171 comments