What You’ll Need to Downgrade iTunes
If you’re convinced that you want to downgrade, here’s what you’ll need:
A backup of your entire iTunes library. An iTunes Library.xml file created by iTunes 11 (or whatever version you want to downgrade to). A free program called App Cleaner (Download it here). A copy of iTunes 11 (Download it here).
How to Downgrade from iTunes 12 to iTunes 11
This article only covers downgrading on macOS X. For instructions on how to do this on Windows, check out this article.
Downgrading Isn’t Ideal
Downgrading isn’t possible for a software upgrade you don’t like. For instance, you generally can’t return to earlier versions of the iOS after a new one is released. That’s because the iOS has to be “signed,” or authorized, by Apple to be installed. Luckily, iTunes doesn’t have this restriction. If you want to go back, you can, but…
Why You Shouldn’t Downgrade iTunes
Even though you can downgrade to iTunes 11, that doesn’t mean you should. There are a few important reasons to consider sticking with iTunes 12:
Reverting to an older version of iTunes brings back the old interface you prefer, but it may also cause problems. For instance, iTunes upgrades are often released at the same time as new iOS devices, and the two need to work together. As a result, an older version of iTunes may cause problems syncing with newer iPhones. Downgrading iTunes is complex and you may not have all the data you need. For instance, the iTunes Library.xml file — which contains all of the basic information about your library, such as playlists, play counts, star ratings, song and artist names, etc. — is tied to the version of iTunes that created it. So, if you’ve got an iTunes Library.xml file that was created by iTunes 12, it can’t be used with iTunes 11. You’ll either need to recreate your library from scratch or have a version of the file created by iTunes 11. Because you’ll be using an older version of your iTunes Library.xml file, any changes you made to your library between making that backup and completing the downgrade to iTunes 11 will be lost. You’ll need to re-add music and other media, and will lose metadata associated with those files, such as play counts or new playlists. Downgrading iTunes on Windows is a somewhat more complex, and different, process.
Downgrading Caveats
Because downgrading iTunes is so complex and has so many dependencies, this article can’t account for every scenario on every user’s computer. These instructions provide a good general outline for how to downgrade but proceed at your own risk.
