f you’ve ever imported music from CDs, downloaded tracks from sources other than iTunes, or dealt with independent releases, you’ve probably encountered the frustrating situation of missing or incorrect album artwork. While iTunes offers a built-in solution for adding album art, the process doesn’t always permanently embed the artwork into the audio files. Instead, it often stores the artwork in iTunes’ internal database, making it invisible to other media players and devices.
On older Macs running macOS Mojave (10.14) or earlier, you’ll find iTunes as a standalone app. However, on newer devices using macOS Catalina (10.15) and above, iTunes is now integrated into the Apple Music app. This change affects how you’ll interact with album artwork, but embedding artwork directly into your music files is possible across both setups.
To permanently embed artwork into your music files on macOS, Doug’s AppleScripts provides an excellent solution. This blog will guide you through using one of Doug’s most popular scripts, Re-Embed Artwork, to ensure your music files carry their artwork wherever they go.
Why Embed Album Artwork?
Embedding album artwork directly into the audio file has several advantages:
Portability: The artwork will display on any device or software that supports it, regardless of whether it's iTunes, Apple Music, VLC, or another media player.
Consistency: Your album art won’t disappear if you move or copy the files to another location.
Aesthetic appeal: Having album art enriches the visual experience of browsing your music library.
Let’s walk through how to use Doug’s Re-Embed Artwork script on a Mac to get this done efficiently.
Note: Users of AudioRetune do not have to re-embed artwork if they are syncing their music library with their iOS device. If, however, they prefer to open media files directly via iCloud or by copying them to the device, the artwork will have to be re-embedded in order to be available in external players such as AudioRetune. This is especially true if the songs were bought on the iTunes store, since the Apple Music app (formerly iTunes) internally saves the songs and artwork as separate files.
Setting Up Doug’s Re-Embed Artwork Script
Step 1: Enable iTunes Library XML Sharing
For users on macOS Mojave (10.14) and earlier, follow these steps to enable iTunes Library XML sharing. On macOS Catalina and later, this step is unnecessary as the Music app manages this automatically.
Open iTunes and click on iTunes in the top menu bar.
Go to Preferences and then click on the Advanced tab.
Make sure the option Share iTunes Library XML with other applications is checked.
Click OK to save your changes.
Step 2: Download the Re-Embed Artwork Script
Doug’s AppleScripts are freely available on his website. Follow these steps to download the script:
Go to Doug’s AppleScripts Re-Embed Artwork page.
Click on Download. You may be prompted to allow downloads from the website—click Allow if needed.
Once the download is complete, open your Downloads folder and double-click on Re-Embed Artwork v2.7.dmg to install the script.
Step 3: Install the Script
Next, you’ll need to install the script by placing it in the correct folder on your Mac. Here’s how:
Click the Spotlight icon (magnifying glass) in the top-right corner of your screen.
Type ~/Library and press Enter. This will open your user’s Library folder.
Navigate to the iTunes folder. If you don’t see an iTunes folder, create one by right-clicking and selecting New Folder, then name it iTunes.
Inside the iTunes folder, check for a Scripts folder. If it doesn’t exist, create one in the same way.
Now, drag the Re-Embed Artwork script file from your Downloads folder into the Scripts folder.
Step 4: Run the Script in iTunes or Apple Music
On older macOS versions, you’ll see the Scripts icon in the iTunes menu bar once the script is installed. For macOS Catalina and above, open Apple Music to see the Scripts option.
Open iTunes (or Apple Music on macOS Catalina and later) and navigate to the album or song for which you want to re-embed artwork.
Select the song(s) or album(s). If you don’t select any files, the script will attempt to re-embed artwork for your entire library, which could take a long time depending on its size.
Click the Scripts icon in the menu bar, then select Re-Embed Album Artwork.
Confirm that you want to run the script when prompted. The script will begin embedding the artwork into the selected files.
Why Use Doug’s Script?
The built-in Get Album Artwork option in iTunes only applies the artwork to iTunes’ database. This means that when you move or copy your files to another device or player, the artwork doesn’t come along. Doug’s Re-Embed Artwork script ensures that the artwork becomes part of the actual file metadata, making it visible to any media player or system that supports embedded artwork.
Storing Separate Image Files as an Alternative
Another option for organizing album artwork in your music library is storing separate image files alongside your music. For instance, some users place a cover.jpg or folder.jpg file in the same folder as the music tracks. While this can work for software that recognizes these filenames (such as VLC or Plex), it’s less portable since the artwork won’t travel with the file when copied or moved. Embedding is generally the best method for long-term consistency.
Wrapping Up
Doug’s Re-Embed Artwork script provides a simple and efficient way to permanently embed album artwork into your music files on macOS. This ensures that your album art appears across all devices and software, making your music library more visually appealing and well-organized.
While iTunes can often pull album artwork from its database, embedding the artwork directly into the files offers portability and consistency. Whether you have tracks from independent artists, obscure albums, or personal compilations, embedding the artwork ensures your collection is displayed beautifully no matter where or how you listen to it.
Make sure to check out Doug’s other scripts for even more ways to enhance your iTunes experience and keep your music library in top shape!
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