Where does iTunes store its playlists?

Question

I have a drive that won't boot anymore, but I put the drive in an enclosure and I can access it fine. So, I want to pull out my iTunes playlists, but I can't load up iTunes to export them. Does anyone know how I can do this without booting into the system?

Answer 1

iTunes saves the settings, library inside the iTunes folder. IF you want to backup iTunes library, simply follow the instructions:

1. Install iTunes on your new drive.
2. After installation is finished, open iTunes for the first time and follow the instructions (don't search for media), this will make iTunes create the iTunes folders in your My Music folder.
3. Now, Go to My Music folder inside your old drive.
4. Copy iTunes folder that is located inside My Music folder.
5. Close iTunes, and go to My Music folder (on your new drive).
6. Replace the new iTunes folder with the one you copied from the old drive.
7. Re-launch iTunes, and your settings, playlists, music, all library will be there. (Make sure your music is in those folders, if it was outside of those folders you will need to first import your music, close iTunes, and when you re-open your playlists will be there).

For data that ARE NOT synced with iTunes

If you have other data that are inside your iDevice (iPhone, iPad), but you have not synced it with iTunes such as tones, songs, app, ..etc. You will have to use a third party tool such as Syncios to export them into your computer, then copy them into iTunes. Because if you sync your iDevice, it'll erase the current library inside your iDevice and replace it with the current iTunes library.

So, before you sync your iDevice, you have to copy whatever data that is not inside the iTunes library, and add them manually into the iTunes library. You can also use iTunes Store to download the data you purchased as well. To move the data that you exported from the iDevice, you just drag-n-drop the data you want to move into your iTunes library into its category (e.g Apps to Apps, Songs to Music). While the Photos you need to add them to the Photos folder that you use in iTunes.

Answer 2

It stores info in an iTunes Library.itl file. I'm not sure of the internal formal of this. It's probably subject to change on apples whim.

There's also, sometimes, an iTunes Library.xml file. This is not the blessed file, but it's what iTunes cares to export in a readable format (if you consider XML readable) to other apps on your system.

Good luck.