How can I have iTunes read my music library from an external hard drive?

I am trying to use an external hard drive with more memory to store my iTunes music and movie library.  How can I get iTunes to read this external hard drive?

Move the library to the external drive in its entirety.
Then in Perferences > Advanced for iTunes in the box labelediTunes Media foler location point iTunes to the location of the library on the external drive.
Allan

Similar Messages

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    Hi there,
    You may find the information in the article below helpful.
    iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1589
    -Griff W.

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  • How can I edit iWeb on laptop while Library remains on External Hard Drive?

    I would like to know if there is a way I can keep my iPhoto Library on an External HD, but still be able (maybe using Thumbnails) to edit and organize iWeb updates when I am away from the Ext HD??
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    David:
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  • HT1296 How do I transfer my music library from my external hard drive to my new PC?

    I saved all my music to an external hard drive so that it could be moved to my new PC.  All my song titles are showing up on the new PC, but whenever I try to play something, it says the file cannot be found.  If I plug the HD in, it will play the music.  As soon as I unplug the HD, I can no longer play anything.  My music library includes both items purchased from iTunes and music I added from CDs I own.  Please advise.  Thanks!

    you moved your music to an E-HD and connect it to a new computer
    ahdn when you play something it will only play when the e-hd is connected ?
    if so yeah sure thats the whole point
    if you want it on the new computer first copy the music to the new computers hd
    and then add it to itunes
    some of us wish to move our media to NAS's to save storage on our computers
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  • Moving a music library from one external hard drive  / disk to another

    My music library is already on an external hard drive and I want to move it to another external hard drive (along with the music filkes). I have follwed the standard setps of chaning the itunes folder location, keeping my itunes folder organised etc. When I come to consolidate my library it doesnt find anything or copy anything accross? Is it just looking on my MAC drive do you think? How can I get it to look on my 1st external hard disk?
    Getting fed up with this now - must be the 4th time I've had to move libraries from one machine / disk to another and each time I always end up having to re rate music, or have lots of duplicates etc.

    Hey,
    There's a really good guide to moving your iTunes Library to an external hard disk on Lifehacker...
    Here's the link... http://lifehacker.com/238296/ultranewb--how-to-move-your-itunes-library-to-an-ex ternal-drive
    Cheers
    Rosco
    proposed | solution

  • How can I consolidate my music library with an external hard drive?

    I have moved my entire music library onto an external hard drive. However, when I want to copy a new CD at work, I often copy the music onto my laptop then have to manually transfer it to the external hard drive at home.
    I thought that "consolidate" library would do this automatically for me. The problem is when I disconnect the external, the next time I open iTunes it tells me "The folder containing the iTunes Library cannot be found and is required. Please choose or create a new iTunes Library." So I choose the iTunes library that resides on my laptop in the Music folder. When I go back to using my external music folder and try to consolidate my library nothing happens. I would like to use the "consolidate library" command to copy the music from my laptop to my external hard drive. Please help!

    Drag it to the internal drive.
    If it contains the iTunes database files, launch iTunes with the Shift key held down, click on Choose Library, and navigate to it.
    If it doesn't, drag it from there into the open iTunes application window.
    (108123)

  • Help! I need to open my iTunes library from my external hard drive

    Hey everybody
    I recently moved my iTunes library to an external hard drive. It worked great for a while; whenever I opened iTunes I made sure my hard drive was plugged in. Since then, I've used iTunes without plugging the hard drive in to sync my iPhone contacts, so there is also a local iTunes library without any files. My question: how do I tell iTunes to open the library on my external hard drive again? The hard drive is plugged in but iTunes won't open the library on the hard drive. I think there is some key I have to hold down while opening iTunes (?) it's not ctrl or option. Help! Thanks
    Ryan

    Yep. You're right. My problem was that I wasn't holding the option key down long enough... wow, epic fail... but thanks! I now have my music back!

  • HT1386 I have a new computer. I have copied Itunes library from an external hard drive. Itunes now tells me I cannot sync with my Ipod as it thinks the 20gb on the computer are different to the 20gb on my Ipod touch! What have I done wrong? How can I fix

    I have a new computer. I have copied Itunes library from an external hard drive. Itunes now tells me I cannot sync with my Ipod as it thinks the 20gb on the computer are different to the 20gb on my Ipod touch! What have I done wrong? How can I fix it?  Alan

    See:
    Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive: Apple Support Communities
    Sync Your iOS Device with a New Computer Without Losing Data - How-To Geek

  • I transferred my iTunes library from one external hard drive to another and added more music on the same day. How do I get rid of my duplicate files without going through them one by one which would take forever?

    Please help. I have transferred my iTunes library from one external hard drive to another plus added additional music now I have duplicates of the same music in many albums. How do I delete the duplicates without going through them one by one which would take forever? I understand how to get the "show exact duplicate" feature up on iTunes but, because they were added to the library on the exact day I can't seperate them I'm that manner. So each duplicate is right next to eachother in the exact duplicate screen.

    My DeDuper script is designed to help clean up. See this thread for background.
    tt2

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