When is an MP3 not an MP3 ? When it ’s a PDF . This is n’t the Mad Hatter inAlice in Wonderland , but a sort of interrogation posed by Apple ’s Music app in macOS . One reader and some other people in meeting place have meet a seemingly rare issue in which the single file character used for music and music video data file become corrupt in the Music app ’s library database . Instead of appearing as MP3 , AAC , or other formats , they come along as PDF or even foreign data file types .

Despite that oddity , Music will continue to play the files just all right . But when you seek to export the Indian file and use it elsewhere , it shows up as an invalid data formatting . Is there a elbow room to fix this ? Yes , but it ’s a slight pain . Apple does n’t tender an pick to rebuild your Music Library as the company does for the Photos Library .

There ’s a series of step you may follow .

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Warning : You may fall back playlists , counts , usage data point , skipped racecourse , and other data depending on how you ’ve set things up . This is n’t quite a last resort , but it does puzzle out the specific problem and usher in apparently lesser but significant other I .

Our referee who had this issue confirmed the following worked for him :

First : make a full championship of your Music Library . This may be as easy as cease the Music app , navigate toUsers > Account Name > Music , and copy the Music folder to another brochure ( Option - drag ) or another volume with enough space . ( If you have an iTunes migrated depository library or stack away your file elsewhere , go toMusic > Preferences / preferences > Filesto find your library folder . )

However , if you are using what Apple formerly called iCloud Music Library ( and still does under Windows ) and now calls Sync Library , you may desire to be sure you have a full local download before proceeding . These instructions will help .

2d : Move the original music file ’ folder out of your Music Library folder . Depending on whether you have a legacy iTunes Music folder or just a new Music one , it could be named in different shipway inUsers > Account Name > Music(or wherever you salt away your library , as explained above ):

Third : Launch Music . It will create a new music brochure . It should retain your playlist and other entropy and may expose mistake about missing files . Now :

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