Deleting duplicates from iTunes

Peter B

I have a large music folder for my iTunes music.

Somehow when I was adding songs to the folder, instead of duplicates just erasing each other they just were copied along side and had an increment number added to its name.

Such as

"iTunes Music\Dave Matthews Band\Live At Red Rocks\01 Proudest Monkey.MP3"
and
"iTunes Music\Dave Matthews Band\Live At Red Rocks\01 Proudest Monkey 1.MP3"

If a third was added it became
"iTunes Music\Dave Matthews Band\Live At Red Rocks\01 Proudest Monkey 2.MP3"

I need to create a bit of code in some programming language which will loop through all folders and sub folders and erase all duplicated music.

It will have to check the name and see if there is another file existing in the same folder with the name + " 1" or name + " 2".

If these duplicates exist it must delete them.

I would manually delete them but there is 15 days of duplicated music, a bit much to do manually.

Any help?

Donny5

What platform? Windows?

jackofnotrades

There are lots of programs out there to help you do this so give it a google. I don't use windows (which I'm assuming you use) so I don't know whats the best program for that.

It would be a good idea to back all your music up first in case you delete something by accident. When ever I do anything like this, I clear my iTunes library(not deleting the files) then make all the changes I need to the mp3s and then add them back into iTunes.

I hate iTunes but I was gifted an iPod so I'm sort of stuck with it. Check out http://www.mediamonkey.com/ too.

Maybe this can help http://download.cnet.com/Easy-Duplicate-Finder/3000-2248_4-10692636.html?tag=mncol

Peter B

Donny5 wrote: »

What platform? Windows?

Yup, Windows XP

Peter B

jackofnotrades wrote: »

There are lots of programs out there to help you do this so give it a google. I don't use windows (which I'm assuming you use) so I don't know whats the best program for that.

It would be a good idea to back all your music up first in case you delete something by accident. When ever I do anything like this, I clear my iTunes library(not deleting the files) then make all the changes I need to the mp3s and then add them back into iTunes.

I hate iTunes but I was gifted an iPod so I'm sort of stuck with it. Check out http://www.mediamonkey.com/ too.

Maybe this can help http://download.cnet.com/Easy-Duplicate-Finder/3000-2248_4-10692636.html?tag=mncol

I know I could download some software, its just I thought I would try this option using a recursive program method as I know only the duplicates I want to delete are the ones with the incremented number after them.

It should be a fast solution which may be of interest to people on this programming board.

If anyone could help start me with the programming language I should hopefully go on from there.

cornbb

Doug's Applescripts is a great source of iTunes scripts for Mac. They offer a limited few solutions for Windows: http://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/windowshelp.php Even if you don't find the one you are looking for here, you can try downloading one of the applescripts and take a look at it, it might help you to rewrite the same thing in your preferred scripting language for Windows. Applescript is a bit weird but its easy enough.

damnyanks

Have you tried using the built in ITunes function? I used to get this problem all teh time.

Evil Phil

Moved from progamming.