Migrating Music app while preserving data/playlists?

[Runaway Procs]

Hi folks!

I recently purchased a new-to-me M1 MacBook Air. Usually, when I move from an old Mac to a new one, I would just clone the old computer's hard drive (or SSD) onto the new computer's. I did NOT do that this go around since I wanted to have a real fresh install to set-up -- not a 12-year-old set up littered with the fragments of applications and decisions of the past. This has worked fine, so far, except for one thing: my Music app data. I have moved the actual music files, but what I want to do is migrate the play lists and history. The reason for this is that this data represents a sort of log of my life. What songs I added and when reminds me of my life at that time and what moods I was in. Also, I like knowing what songs I played most and I would like to be able to move that information to the MBA.

In the past, back when Music was iTunes, I think this data was contained in a simple XML file, but now it all seems to be hidden within two databases that I am not able to access. Have any of you been faced with a similar challenge and found a way to solve it to your satisfaction? If I can't, maybe I'll find a way to accept that, but I'd really love to solve this since it would mean that this part of my life could be preserved.

By the way, Migration Assistant doesn't seem to be able to locate my old Mac even though they're on the same network. If MA can do this, I'd dig into that further, but this path seemed to end before it got started.

Thank you, and happy computing to all.



2020 M1 MacBook Air
16GB/2T

 

[Runaway Procs]

I happened to find a YouTube video that describes my situation, but doesn't answer some particulars.

Apparently, one can export the Music library into an XML file, but when it comes to importing the file to recreate the playlists, it's not clear that all the data for the songs is imported. I think I understand how the playlists are recreated on the destination machine, but is the music data also updated? The reason why I have this question is that the video has the user import the songs into the app before importing the XML so the "date added" field will be different between the app and XML file. Upon importing the XML, does Music know to make use of that data and update the "date added" field to the value in the XML or does it get ignored?

 

[Runaway Procs]

I've done a bit of experimentation since posting this thread. I found a YouTube video by someone who explained how I can export the Music library.xml file from my old Mac and import it into Music on the new Mac to rebuild the the playlists. That seemed to work just fine when I tried it, but what it does not do is also import the date_ added information which is in the XML file. Why it's there and isn't used is a mystery only Apple can explain, but I think I have conceptualized a solution, but it involves the use of AppleScript.

Does anyone know a good and up-to-date manual or tutorial on AppleScript?