What is the ITC2 file format?
ITC2 is a proprietary file format associated with Apple iTunes. ITC2 files store music album artwork cache data used during Cover Flow browsing and playback. ITC2 files can also contain album metadata alongside the cached image. The main role of ITC2 files is to store artwork images locally so they do not need to be fetched each time a song or album is viewed or played. ITC2 files are saved to the local Album Artwork folder - on Windows, located under %AppData%\Apple Computer\iTunes\Album Artwork.
Differences with its predecessor
ITC2 is the successor to the original .itc format. ITC2 introduced metadata support and content encryption, among other smaller changes. Unlike the original .itc files, ITC2 files are encrypted, with the encryption tied to the iTunes library, making direct artwork extraction non-trivial. ITC2 files are internal cache files managed automatically by iTunes; if deleted, iTunes regenerates them. On macOS Catalina and later, iTunes was replaced by the Music app, which uses a different artwork cache mechanism; on Windows, iTunes 12.x continues to generate ITC2 cache files.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWITC2 files are generated by iTunes itself and contain only album artwork. No executable content. Safe to delete - iTunes will regenerate them. No known malware vectors associated with this format.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open ITC2 files
Windows2 apps
iTunes
Free Do not open ITC2 files directly - iTunes manages them automatically. To view/export artwork: right-click a track in iTunes > Get Info > Artwork tab > drag artwork to desktop. 
ITC2 Converter (web tool)
Free Upload .itc2 file to extract embedded artwork as JPG/PNG. Third-party tool; use only with non-sensitive personal artwork. 
macOS2 apps
iTunes (macOS Mojave and earlier)
Free ITC2 files are managed automatically. To access artwork: right-click track > Get Info > Artwork.
Music (macOS Catalina+)
Free Music app replaced iTunes on macOS Catalina+; does not use ITC2 format. Access artwork via right-click > Get Info. Technical details
deep spec| File type | Proprietary binary image cache (Apple iTunes album artwork) |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Magic bytes | 69 74 63 61 ("itca") at offset 0 - iTunes Cover Art binary signature |
| Byte order | Big-endian (consistent with Apple/iTunes binary format conventions) |
| Encryption | Yes - tied to the iTunes library/account; predecessor .itc files were unencrypted |
| Compression | None - artwork stored as raw JPEG data within the binary wrapper |
| Internal image format | JPEG (RGB, 24 bpp) |
| Max artwork resolution | Up to 1400 × 1400 pixels |
| Typical size | 10 KB - 500 KB per cache entry (varies with artwork resolution; iTunes caches multiple sizes) |
| Storage location (Windows) | %AppData%\Apple Computer\iTunes\Album Artwork |
| Cache behavior | Auto-generated and managed by iTunes; files deleted by the user are automatically regenerated |
| Platform | Windows (iTunes 12.x); macOS through Mojave (iTunes ≤ 12.x) |
| Introduced | ~2007 with iTunes 7.x and the Cover Flow view feature |
| Superseded by | macOS Music app (Catalina+) uses a different artwork cache; ITC2 remains in use with iTunes for Windows |
| Released | ~2007 (iTunes 7.x, with Cover Flow feature introduction) |
| Latest version | N/A (format discontinued; iTunes for Windows last version 12.x; macOS iTunes replaced by Music app in macOS Catalina 10.15, 2019) |
ITC2 conversions
Community Q&A
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