Tune Sweeper finds duplicates but does not remove any from iTunes (or the Music app).

Tune Sweeper supports iTunes as well as the Mac Music app. Where "iTunes" is mentioned in this guide, the same applies for the macOS Music app too.

If Tune Sweeper detects duplicate songs but then fails to remove them from iTunes after you have clicked 'Remove Duplicates', please check that you're using the latest software version by going to Help -> Check for Updates in the software. Alternatively, you can update the software from here...

Get the latest Tune Sweeper version

Troubleshooting tips

Please also make the following checks:

1. Ensure you have read/write permissions for the music files on your system. If the music files are read-only Tune Sweeper will not be able to remove them from your system.

2. Check are the files you are attempting to remove from your iTunes library in iCloud (tracks with the cloud symbol next to them). Tune Sweeper will display your iCloud duplicates, however to remove them you will need to download your iCloud songs to iTunes. You can also choose to exclude iCloud tracks from your duplicate search, by ticking the "Exclude iCloud tracks when searching for duplicates" box in your Tune Sweeper preferences.

3. On a Windows PC, please run Tune Sweeper with additional permissions as administrator. To do this right click on the Tune Sweeper icon either on your desktop or in your programs folder. Select 'Properties' and then go to the 'Compatibility' tab. On here please select to 'Run this program as an administrator'. Once done press 'Apply' and then 'OK'. Please then re-launch Tune Sweeper and try again.

iTunes requires administrator privileges to run. If your iTunes icon has an administrator shield on it and Windows asks for permission to run Tune Sweeper when you run it, then iTunes has been installed for administrator. This being the case, you need to run Tune Sweeper with administrator privileges also.

4. If you're using macOS Mojave or Catalina, please try setting permissions as below and then running Tune Sweeper. To do this please follow the steps below:

• Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy > click the Privacy tab.
• Scroll down to "Full Disk Access", click it
• Click the lock to make changes > click the "+" button
• Then find and add Tune Sweeper.

5. On Windows, if Tune Sweeper continues not to be able to remove your selected duplicates, it may be that a required iTunes file is missing. To resolve this issue, please uninstall your current version of iTunes, and reinstall it from the Apple website.

(note: reinstalling iTunes will not modify your music files or music library. Your music library will be unaffected, and safe on your computer, while reinstalling iTunes)

1. Click Start and type "Control Panel" and select it from the list.
2. Select "Programs", then "Programs and Features".
3. Find "iTunes" in the list, right-click it and choose "Uninstall" or "Uninstall/Change". Follow the instructions on screen to complete the uninstall.
   
4. Once the uninstall is complete, you can install the latest version of iTunes on your computer. You can do this directly from the relevant link below for your PC:
   • iTunes (64-Bit)
   • iTunes (32-Bit)
5. Once iTunes is installed, please try Tune Sweeper again.

How to download iCloud songs to iTunes

Tune Sweeper will display your iCloud duplicates, but to delete them, you will need to download these tracks to iTunes, as detailed below...

• Open iTunes on your computer and click on the Edit menu.
• Choose Preferences on the drop-down menu and click on the Downloads button.
• Underneath Automatic Downloads, tick the checkbox next to Music.

Still Failing to remove duplicates?

Once Tune Sweeper has completed the remove process and is reporting errors, click "View Details" to see a report why each of the tracks failed to be removed from Tune Sweeper. This report may provide clues as to why tracks are not being removed.

If you require assistance reading these logs, you may save the log to your computer and then contact our support team using the contact form.