Logic Pro is putting songs into multiple Music folders

[thebiggrabowski]

MacOS Big Sur 11.1 on a 2018 MacMini
Logic Pro 10.6.1

My music files are kept on an external drive, and Music>Preferences>Files 'Music Media file location' is set to the external drive and works as expected.

When I record in Logic and Share>Song To Music, it places a copy in my artist folder in my Music folder on the external HD and all is well and good there, but it additionally copies the song to the undeletable Music folder on the MacMini's HD.

I cannot find a setting in Logic to change the song's specific destination. My HD space is limited and the folder fills up fast. Any advice on how to stop these extraneous copies of songs being sent a folder i don't want them sent to?

Thanks.


As a PS: It's not an issue i need fixed or worth submitting a post about, but when Logic is open and I connect my iPhone to the MacMini, the Mac disconnects my audio interface. Every time. I then unplug and re-plug my interface and the computer re-adjusts, but I found it odd that I have to close Logic before I plug my iPhone into the computer or it changes settings.

Ive seen a post on audio interfaces disconnecting, so i wanted ppl to know they're not alone. It's a thing that happens.

 

[fisherking]

is there an itunes folder in your home>music folder? if your itunes folder is on the external, and all your Music app files are there, you should be able to delete the itunes folder on the mac, and place an alias to the itunes folder on the external there... just to be safe.

don't delete the HD itunes folder until you're SURE the Music app gets it's music from the external drive. and close apps (like Music, logic) before you move these things around.

hope that makes sense.

not sure about the phone issue; my audio interface never disconnects. i'd quit logic before plugging in my phone if that's happening... seems a better idea than having to unplug/replug your interface...

 

[thebiggrabowski]

is there an itunes folder in your home>music folder? if your itunes folder is on the external, and all your Music app files are there, you should be able to delete the itunes folder on the mac, and place an alias to the itunes folder on the external there... just to be safe.

don't delete the HD itunes folder until you're SURE the Music app gets it's music from the external drive. and close apps (like Music, logic) before you move these things around.

hope that makes sense.

not sure about the phone issue; my audio interface never disconnects. i'd quit logic before plugging in my phone if that's happening... seems a better idea than having to unplug/replug your interface...

I no longer have iTunes but i know what you mean so I'll use that term as well.

There is a Home>Music folder. It contains files named Audio Music Apps, Logic, MainStage, & Music. The Home> Music>Music folder only contains a .musiclibrary file.
The External HD>Music folder contains files named Automatically Add To Music, and Music (which contains all of my 'iTunes' songs.

Logic is placing copies in both of those Music folders. Home>Music gets the individual song files copied to it, but they're not organized in folders (which isn't important- I'm just denoting the difference in actions between folders). External HD>Music folder get the same file, but placed into my artist folder with the rest of my 'iTunes' artist folders.

I'd like the files to stop going to Home>Music.

Additional info- My Logic sample library is on the external HD, and Logic recognizes this and they are accessible through the App. Logic won't recognize the Audio Music Apps (which has some custom patches in it and settings) or my Projects folders if they're on my external. So i have to leave them on my Mini's HD to be seen by the App.
Also of note, when I purchase from Apple's Music Store, the files go to the External>Music so all is well there.
It seems to be a Logic issue, not an OS issue?

Sorry if that's convoluted. I'm not a deep Mac user and I'm trying to be clear.

 

[fisherking]

the music is going to the Music sub-folder IN the Music folder on your mac? is there content in there? (or just a "Music Library" file?); quit Music & Logic, the move the Music sub-folder IN the main Music folder to the desktop. then, go to the <usic folder on your external, and make an alias (command-control-A); copy that alias to the main Music folder on your mac (where the Music subfolder was). once it's there, you can delete the alias on the external.

reboot. then see if that changes anything; if it does, you can then delete the Music folder you moved to the desktop.

(also, how many times have i typed 'music' in this post? 😂 )

 

[thebiggrabowski]

the music is going to the Music sub-folder IN the Music folder on your mac? is there content in there? (or just a "Music Library" file?); quit Music & Logic, the move the Music sub-folder IN the main Music folder to the desktop. then, go to the <usic folder on your external, and make an alias (command-control-A); copy that alias to the main Music folder on your mac (where the Music subfolder was). once it's there, you can delete the alias on the external.

reboot. then see if that changes anything; if it does, you can then delete the Music folder you moved to the desktop.

(also, how many times have i typed 'music' in this post? 😂 )

The Music sub folder currently only contains the .Musiclibrary file. That's where the unwanted extra song copy from Logic is going- into the Music sub-folder in the main Music folder. I had tried moving the Musiclibrary file to the main Music folder (thinking Music is Music, right?), but Big Sur keeps making a new Music sub-folder with another copy of the .Musiclibrary file.

I had set up an Music alias folder when I first migrated from my 3,1 Mac Pro (El Capitan) to the Mac Mini- that's why the music properly ends up in my External>Music. I believe Big Sur removed it, as I no longer have folder there marked as an alias- just the undeletable Music folder and it's resident sub Music folder.

I will try your suggestion and hope. Thanks!

(MusicMusicMusicMusicMusicMusicMusicMusic!!!!! When I reply, I immediately set up a C&P 'Music', for ease. )

 

[thebiggrabowski]

It did not work. I followed the instructions sentence by sentence.

The actions wiped all the songs from my Music App as the Music App changed the Music Media File location from the external to Mac HD. I went into Music>Preferences and reset it to my external, but now have to spend some time importing music and playlists and re-organizing. Been here before...

I'm going to let Apple win this one and just get into a routine of deleting the extra song copy whenever I work in Logic.
I won't chance another unforeseen surprise.

I appreciate your help. Thanks!! Happy New Year. Merry Orthodox Christmas!


PS. I read that the issue I have with Logic disconnecting my audio interface when I plug or unplug something on the Mac Mini was supposedly tied to my USB hub. I read that it is a power supply issue with the interface being on a hub. I've re-prioritized the two USB inputs on the Mini and plugged the interface directly into the Mac Mini. The issue remains. When Logic is open and I unplug the headphones or a USB, the interface settings are changed. When Logic is not open, no settings change when anything is unplugged.

Logic seems a little buggy.

Also of note is that the USB hub killed the Mac Mini's Wifi (a known earthing issue), so I had to pull out an old Apple Extreme to get a 5ghz Wifi signal that didn't clash with USB 3.

(Just typing in helpful sentences for Google searches)

 

[fisherking]

hard to troubleshoot these sort of things from a distance. you could ask for help on a logic-specific forum, ie here: logicprohelp

apple has a logic forum as well. good luck!

 

[BrianBaughn]

I'm still on Mojave but the way I've done it for the last few years is to leave the location setting for my Logic Pro projects alone but replace the folder at ~/Music/Logic with a symbolic link to a folder on my drive that actually contains the Logic folder with all my projects.

How to Create and Use Symbolic Links (Symlinks) on a Mac

Use symbolic links to store application files elsewhere without breaking the app that depends on them.

www.howtogeek.com

 

[fisherking]

I'm still on Mojave but the way I've done it for the last few years is to leave the location setting for my Logic Pro projects alone but replace the folder at ~/Music/Logic with a symbolic link to a folder on my drive that actually contains the Logic folder with all my projects.

How to Create and Use Symbolic Links (Symlinks) on a Mac

Use symbolic links to store application files elsewhere without breaking the app that depends on them.

www.howtogeek.com

the OP is exporting projects directly into the Music app, and this won't fix that...

 

[BrianBaughn]

the OP is exporting projects directly into the Music app, and this won't fix that...

Right…but why not use a symbolic link for the Music folder? That way, they're the same location.