RIP iTunes: How to Sync Music and Media on Mac With Finder
Apple macOS Catalina removes iTunes, so you have to use Finder to sync your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and books between your computer and mobile device.
Apple’s iTunes has always been the go-to application for syncing your music, TV shows and movies, podcasts, and books between computer and mobile device. Now that iTunes has been retired in macOS Catalina, all the music and media that was once stored there is now kept in specialized programs.
However, when it comes to syncing content between a computer and mobile device, you now use the Finder app. The process is similar to syncing through iTunes, though there are a few differences.
Connect Your Device
On your Catalina-based Mac, connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Click the Go menu and select any location such as Computer, Desktop, or Documents. On the left side of the window, swipe down to the Location section and click the entry for your device. The first time you do this, you’ll need to click the Trust button to sync your computer with your device. The screen for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch appears with headers for the different categories and content types.
Manage Sync Settings
At the General screen, you can check for an update to your operating system and back up your device to iCloud or your Mac. You can also manage backups and restore a backup.
Under Options, you can determine how your device syncs with your computer.
- If you want to manually upload media, check the box next to Manually manage music, movies, and TV Shows. Now the only time your device will sync with your library is if you drag an item and drop it in.
- If you prefer to automatically sync devices, check the box next to Automatically sync when your device is connected. This means your mobile device will sync with your library as soon as you plug it into the computer.
- You can also sync your device over Wi-Fi by checking the box next to Show this iPhone when on Wi-Fi. Then, if both devices are on the same network, they can sync without having to plug anything in.
How to Sync Music
You can manually sync your music by clicking the Music tab and checking the box next to Sync music onto [name of your device]. If you have a small music library and want to sync all of it to your device, select the option next to Entire Music Library.
If you’d rather choose which music to sync, pick the Selected artists, albums, genres, and playlists option instead. You can then view your music by Artists, Albums, Genres, or Playlists. Whichever category you select, check the items you want to sync. Click Apply in the bottom-right corner if you don’t need to sync any other content, or move to the next section if there is more.
How to Sync Movies
If you have any movies you wish to sync, click the Movies tab and check the box next to Sync movies onto [name of your device]. To sync all movies, check the box next to Automatically include and then click the drop-down menu. Opt to sync all movies, only recent ones based on different time frames, or only unwatched ones based on various time frames. To sync specific titles, leave that box unchecked and then check the movies you want to place on your device.
How to Sync TV Shows
To sync television shows, click the TV Shows tab and check the box next to Sync TV shows onto [name of your device]. Check the box to Automatically include. Click the drop-down menu, and you can choose to sync the newest titles or different unwatched titles based on various time frames. Otherwise, leave that box unchecked, then click the names of the TV shows you want to include and check the individual episodes that you want to sync.
How to Sync Podcasts
Sync podcasts by clicking the Podcasts tab and checking the box next to Sync podcasts onto [name of your device]. Check the box to Automatically copy. Click the drop-down menu and select which podcast episodes you want to sync based on most recent or unplayed. Otherwise, leave that box unchecked, then click the names of the podcasts you want to include and select the individual episodes you wish to sync.
How to Sync Books and Audiobooks
You can sync books and audiobooks under their respective tabs. Under either tab, check the box at the top of the page to allow syncing. You can then choose between syncing every title automatically or selecting specific titles. If you want to be selective, check the titles you wish to sync.
How to Sync Photos and Files
Finder can also be used to sync photos and files with your mobile device. However, it should be noted that if you’re already using iCloud Photos, you won’t be able to do anything on this page. Any photos or video you take from your mobile device will already be made accessible on all connected devices.
If you need to sync your photos, tap the Photos header in Finder, then check the box next to Sync photos to your device. By default, Finder will sync everything in your Photos folder, but you can change that from the drop-down menu. As far as what Finder will sync, you can set it to be All photos and albums or Selected albums. If you opted to sync only selected albums, check the albums you want to sync.
You can also choose to only sync photos tagged as favorites or those that include video. Furthermore, you can check the box next to Automatically include photos from, then use the drop-down menu to select a specific time frame, like the last week or month.
The process for syncing files is much easier than any other section. If you click the Files tab you can add documents to your device simply by clicking and dragging the file into Finder and adding it to the list.
How to Sync Contacts and Calendar
Sync the contacts and calendar appointments between your devices by clicking the Info tab in Finder. Here you can check the boxes next to what you want to sync and whether or not everything will be moved or only specific contacts groups or calendars.
How to Sync All Content
Nothing you add or change in Finder will actually sync with your device until you apply the changes. When you’re ready to sync all this new content, click the Apply button in the bottom-right corner.
How to Track Device Storage
After the sync has finished, the graph at the bottom of the screen shows you approximately how much space is now taken up on your device by the content. Hover your mouse over each colored area to see the specific amount of space used by that content type.
View Synced Content
Once the sync occurs, the content will be added to the appropriate app on your device. Make sure everything has downloaded correctly by checking the Music, TV, Podcasts, and Books apps.
How to Use the Music App in macOS Catalina
Apple’s macOS Catalina removes the iTunes app but lets you access all your songs, playlists, and Apple Music from a new Music app. Here’s how to use it.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com on November 11, 2019.
