How to Remove Duplicates From iTunes Library

Remove duplicates from iTunes

If you've been using iTunes for years, chances are your library is full of duplicate songs. They appear from syncing devices, re-importing CDs, or downloading tracks from different sources. The result? The same song shows up multiple times, playlists get messy, and storage is wasted.

The good news: you don’t have to fix it manually. Audio Comparer can automatically find and remove duplicates from your iTunes library — safely and accurately.

Why iTunes Duplicates Are Hard to Remove

iTunes itself has a "Show Duplicates" feature, but it only finds songs with the exact same name. It can't detect:

  • The same song with different capitalization or spelling
  • Duplicates with missing or incorrect metadata
  • Tracks imported from different sources (e.g. CD vs. download)
  • Files in different formats (MP3 vs. AAC)

That’s why many duplicates stay hidden — until you play the same song twice in a row.

How Audio Comparer Finds iTunes Duplicates

Unlike basic tools, Audio Comparer doesn’t rely on filenames or tags. Instead, it uses audio fingerprinting to "listen" to each track and compare the actual sound. This means it can match:

  • A 128kbps AAC file with a 256kbps version
  • A track with no metadata to one with full tags
  • Duplicates scattered across different folders

It’s like having a music expert go through your entire library and say: “These two sound identical.”

How to Clean Your iTunes Library in 3 Steps

  1. Launch Audio Comparer and use the Comparison Wizard. Check the box “Use iTunes Library” — no need to select folders manually.
  2. Scan your library. The program listens to each song and builds an audio database. Takes seconds per file.
  3. Review and remove. Duplicates are grouped in a tree view. Select which ones to delete. The “Update iTunes Library” option is on by default — so songs are removed from iTunes too.

No Risk to Your Music or Playlists

Audio Comparer is designed to be safe:

  • It never modifies your original files unless you confirm.
  • Your playlists, ratings, and play history remain intact.
  • You choose which version to keep (best quality, preferred format).

And if you’re unsure, you can move duplicates to a backup folder instead of deleting them.

Ready to Clean Your iTunes Library?

Download the free trial and see how many duplicates are hiding in plain sight.

Download Free Trial

✅ 30-day trial | ✅ No file damage | ✅ Preserves playlists

What Our Users Say

Saves hours of manual work

"I have a massive music collection built over 15 years — lots of downloads, rips, and backups. I knew there were duplicates, but sorting them manually felt impossible. Audio Comparer scanned everything in minutes and found over 800 duplicates I never would’ve caught. It even kept the higher-quality version. A huge time-saver."
— Rolf Jenkins

Rating: 5/5 ·