Where iTunes Stores Your Files

Behind its steely silver-framed window, iTunes stores your music, movies, and everything else you add to it inside its own iTunes folder on your hard drive (which, unless you moved it, is in Music→iTunes [Home→Music→iTunes]). If you’re running Windows 7 or Vista, your iTunes folder is at User→[user name]→Music→iTunes, and Windows XP users can find it at My Documents→My Music→iTunes.

Inside the iTunes folder, you’ll find your iTunes library file, called iTunes Library.itl (or iTunes Library on Macs with old versions of iTunes), a database that contains the names of all the songs, playlists, videos, and other content you added to iTunes. Be careful not to move or delete this file if you happen to be poking around in the folder. If iTunes can’t find the file, it gives a little sigh and creates a new list—one that doesn’t have a record of all your songs and other media goodies.