In the Music app, go to File > Library > Get Album Artwork .
A powerful tool for advanced iPhone backups, file transfers, and iOS management.
: Open the Apple Music or Apple TV app. Your existing library will automatically migrate to these apps upon upgrading.
For many years, iTunes was the undisputed hub for media, device syncing, and music management on Apple computers. However, with the release of macOS Catalina and subsequent versions—including macOS Big Sur 11.7—Apple officially retired iTunes in favor of a specialized approach.
Starting with macOS Catalina and continuing through Big Sur 11.7, the "all-in-one" iTunes was split into four dedicated apps: : Your entire song library, playlists, and the iTunes Store : All your movies, TV shows, and video rentals. : Your subscribed shows and new episodes. : Audiobooks and PDFs. How to Sync Your iPhone/iPad itunes macos big sur 117
Any video content you previously purchased or ripped manually resides under the tab of the Apple TV app.
Look under the section in the left sidebar and click on your device. If prompted, click Trust on both your Mac and your device.
Apple continues to support macOS Big Sur with security updates, even though new features are no longer being added.
Here is everything you need to know about navigating your media library on macOS Big Sur 11.7. 1. What Happened to iTunes on Big Sur? In the Music app, go to File > Library > Get Album Artwork
If you still prefer buying songs over streaming, you can enable the Store in Music > Settings > General .
macOS Big Sur represented a significant architectural shift, introducing Big Sur's new UI design language and preparing the platform for Apple Silicon (M1). Within this environment, iTunes 1.1.7 operates as a Catalyst-based or lightweight wrapper application. Unlike its predecessor, it does not possess deep kernel-level audio drivers or library management databases.
Updated As of February 2026, macOS Big Sur (11) received a surprise security update (11.7.11) to maintain functionality, but the core iTunes application remains obsolete. This article covers how to manage your media library, device sync, and iTunes Store purchases on Big Sur 11.7.
Have more questions about legacy iTunes features on modern macOS? Check the comments below or visit Apple’s official support page for "Use the Finder to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch." Your existing library will automatically migrate to these
A critical use case for iTunes on modern macOS involves legacy hardware. While Finder handles modern iPhones, older iPods and legacy iOS devices often require specific drivers that the modern Finder may lack. In some instances, users have attempted to run older versions of iTunes via virtualization (Parallels or VMWare) on Big Sur to bypass this limitation, as the native iTunes 1.1.7 offers no support for classic iPods.
If you are looking for the "iTunes experience" on Big Sur 11.7, here is where to find every feature and how to manage your media. 🎵 Where Did My Music Go?
Moved to the Apple Books app under the "Audiobooks" tab in your library.
Do you need to on your hard drive? Are you looking to reclaim disk space from old backups?
To get the most out of iTunes on Big Sur 11.7, here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind:
However, your existing iTunes Library.itl file is not lost. It is automatically migrated to the new apps, which read the same file structure. 2. Alternatives to iTunes on Big Sur