Merging two iPhoto Libraries from two different MACs

Can I blend together two iPhoto libraries? I have a library on another MAC and would love to move it to my laptop merging with the existing iPhoto. How I can do that? I just afraid to overwrite the original library.

marinamcdonagh\
Welcome to the Apple user to user assistance forums
Can I blend together two iPhoto libraries? I have a library on another MAC and would love to move it to my laptop merging with the existing iPhoto. How I can do that? I just afraid to overwrite the original library.
You need iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ - to merge iPhoto libraries
I recommend merging both libraries into a new library so if some problem occurs you do not mess up either original library - this of course requires adequate disk space for all three libraries
LN

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Merging iPhoto Libraries from two Macs

Does anyone have a way of physically combining (not just sharing) iPhoto libraries from two macs? I'm hoping there's an easier, smarter way of doing it than just exporting all of the photos from one and importing them into the other and then just doing the reverse. Is there software that does this smarter? Can get rid of duplicates, etc.?

Merge?
Do you mean 'sync' libraries
The general term means when two Libraries (A and B) are compared and files in Library A are copied to Library B, while files in Library B are also copied to Library A so that both Libraries are identical.
This is bi-directional copying and you cannot do this with automatically with iPhoto. No Syncing software is capable of parsing the iPhoto Library in this manner. One or both of your Libraries will be damaged if you try this.
The nearest you can get to syncing is to use iPhoto Library Manager to move files/Albums/Events plus assoicated metadata between Libraries. This process cannot be automated.
The Export/Import route will not get your versions.
Regards
TD

Syncing two iPhoto Libraries between two Macs

I'm looking for the best way of keeping my two iPhoto libraries on my two Macs synced at all times. Right now I'm doing this manually over my wireless network which is kind of time consuming...and I'm guessing there has to be an easier way of doing this on a Mac?
Any good ideas? Thanks...
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Jr Oakley
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
Exactly what do you mean by sync? Do you mean one way copying? As in I organise and import pics on one machine only, and would like the changes visible on the other?
Or do you mean I want to import and organise on both machines, and have the changes reflected on either? You cannot do this. If you try and sync the database files they will be corrupted.
So a little more info might help us help you.
Regards
TD

Syncing two iphoto libraries on two different macs

Hey
Can't seem to find an answer to this one so here goes. I am trying to sync my iphoto libraries that I have on two different macs of mine. One a mac pro and one a macbook. Both are running 10.5.7 and iphoto 8 with all the updates. I have sharing on enabled on both macs and in iphoto. I can do a manual drag and drop but I have 1000's of photos and that would take way to long to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Thanks

Use iPhoto Library Manager to move Events/Albums/Pics plus associated metadata between Libraries.
Regards
TD

Best way to merge multiple iPhoto libraries from several external hard drives into one, while deleting duplicates?

Problem: My wife and I both have MacBook Pros (MBPs). We take a lot of pictures and import them into iPhoto. When the storage capacity of our MBPs gets full, I have been moving our iPhoto libraries into external hard drives, which are now multiple (3 or 4). The problem I now realize we have been making, is that once the iPhoto libraries were copied onto the external hard drives, we were only deleting about half of the photos in each iPhoto library remaining in our MBPs (because we wanted to keep some of the important ones in our hard drives). Once the storage capacities of our MBPs got full again, I would repeat the whole process again and again. In essence I now have several large iPhoto libraries (each about 80 GB), each with multiple duplicate photos, divided among several external hard drives. And I am running out of space on my hard drive again. So what is the best way to:
a) merge all of these iPhoto libraries into just one, while simultaneously being able to delete all the duplicates? (or would you not recommend this?)
b) prevent this from happening again?
Thanks. BTW I am using OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.5 and iPhoto 8.1.2 (2009)

If you have Aperture 3.3 or later and iPhoto 9.3 or later you can merge libraries with Aperture.
Otherwise the only way to merge Libraries is with the paid ($30) version of iPhoto Library Manager
The Library Manager app can be set avoid duplicates.

Why do I have two iPhoto Libraries on two different disks?

I have two external hard drives. At one time in the past I created an iPhoto Library on disk one, and then later I created a new library on disk two since it was larger, and that became my primary library. Now I notice using Finder after several months that the iPhoto Library file icon on both drives is exactly the same file size, with exactly the same modification date and time. How is this possible? I now do not know which library to trust. Thanks.

If you find the library1 on disk 1 contains files that do not appear in the library2 on disk 2 and want to get them into the library on disk 2 you can do so with the paid version of iPhoto Library Manager.
Launch iPLM, load the two libraries into it and copy the photos from library1 into library2. Set iPLM's preferences to not import duplicates.
Click to view full size

Combining two iTunes libraries from two computers onto a third

Hi there -- I haven't seen anything in the archives that is this exact situation, but if you know where it is in there, please point me in the right direction!
I have two separate collections of iTunes music on two different older Macs. I want to merge these collections into one that will now live on a newer MacBook Pro with iTunes 11.1.5. I can figure out how to get one or the other imported onto the MacBook but not both together as one merged collection. I'm getting confused about how to get all the media and the library files transferred. Help!
Can anyone walk me through the steps of what I need to do this? It must be possible, right??
Many thanks in advance.

There isn't really a way to ideally merge them. Methods such as the one linked in an earlier post have you make sure your media are more or less in one or two locations by using the organize/consolidate step for each library, then adding media files from the secondary library to the primary one as new files. If you have a lot of content overlap you will end up with duplicates.
So, use consolidate/organize to make sure you have each iTunes library's content intact in one place on each computer. You don't need or want to consolidate to another drive or computer, just make each one internally complete. Choose a library to export intact. Copy the entire iTunes folder to the other computer. If the third/new computer has no iTunes content simply overwrite the iTunes folder there. If it has content then you'll have to do additional steps but I won't bother with those yet. Start iTunes in the new home and make sure the primary library is working (it should look identical to the original one). Now you can copy the media folder alone from the other computer. Copy it onto the Automatically Add To itunes folder on the new computer. It will add the files as new tracks. If you want to do some hand-weeding of particular duplicate albums you can also be more selective in what you add to the second library.
It is possible to export playlists from the secondary library and then import them into the new library. note that a playlist is simply a text listing of which files are in the list and the files will have to be on the new computer in the identical locations (the point of consolidating).

Sharing two iphoto libraries between two users on the same computer?

My wife and myself use the same MacBook with two different user accounts. We both checked the check box "Look for shared photos" in the iPhoto preferences, but my wife's library doesn't appear in my iPhoto and vice versa. How can we manage to do this?

Toni
For tis to work, you have to also check 'Share this Library' and log in to both accounts and have iPhoto running in both accounts, and switch between accounts using Fast User Switching.
Regards
TD

IPhoto sync from 2 different Macs

I like to sync photos from my Mac at home and in the office. But iTunes sync option only recognizes one library and wipes off the other when you try to sync.
Any idea how to get around this would be welcomed

The iphone does not have the option to manually manage like the ipod. When you connected the iphone, and tried to sync the movie or video, you should have received a notice stating "The iphone was synced with another library. Would you like to erase this iphone and sync it with this itunes library?"
This function does not touch anything that is in the info tab, but all other data, as in music, video, pod-casts, would be replaced. Which is what you experienced.
So, if you want to sync music and videos, they need to be in the same itunes library. If you want to periodically move the movies from one computer to another, I would suggest burning to dvd and adding to library on the other computer. This is also a good idea, because in the process you create a back-up of what you are moving.

Moving and Merging iPhoto Libraries From 2008 Macs to 2013 MacBook Pro

I have a late 2008 MacBook and an early 2008 iMac. Both are running Lion and iPhoto '08. I will be getting a new MacBook Pro Retina very shortly to replace my MacBook. I would like to move the iMac's iPhoto library to the new MacBook Pro and merge it with the MacBook's iPhoto library once that library is also on the MacBook Pro. I obviously need to get all iPhoto libraries up to date prior to doing this. I think I have a plan to achieve this, as follows, but I would appreciate your help:
1) Upgrade iMac to Mavericks (App store said that I need to do this prior to upgrading to iPhoto 9.5)
2) Upgrade iMac's iPhoto to 9.5
3) Use set-up assistant to migrate old MacBook to new MacBook Pro. This should upgrade the old MacBook's iPhoto library to the current iPhoto version on the MacBook Pro???
4) Move the iMac's iPhoto library to the MacBook Pro (6,604 photos, approximately 27 gb)
5) Merge the two iPhoto libraries using iPhoto Library Manager or Aperture (I have not decided which one yet)
Is this a plan that will work?
MacBook just has Ethernet and USB. iMac has USB, Ethernet and FireWire. MacBook Pro has Thunderbolt and USB.
I already need to buy a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter to transfer between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. I'd rather not have too buy another adapter just to transfer the iPhoto library from the iMac to the MacBook Pro.
Is there a way to do 4) on my wifi network using file sharing or some other method I may not be aware of just to transfer the 27 gb iPhoto library?
Thank you.

More simple.
Wait until you get the new machine. Copy the two libraries to the new machine. Open them, this will upgrade them to the same version. Then merge them.
Obviously, don't move them to the same folder, or rename one, so they don't overwrite each other.
To move an iPhoto Library to a new machine:
Link the two Macs together: there are several ways to do this: Wireless Network,Firewire Target Disk Mode, Ethernet, or even just copy the Library to an external HD and then on to the new machine...
But however you do choose to link the two machines...
Simply copy the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the old Machine to the Pictures Folder on the new Machine.
Then launch iPhoto. That's it.
This moves photos, events, albums, books, keywords, slideshows and everything else.
I would strongly caution you that Migration Assistant is not very reliable with iPhoto Libraries.

I just ran migration assistant, and now I have two accounts on my new iMac...how do I merge my iPhoto libraries?

I just ran migration assistant, and now I have two accounts on my new iMac...how do I merge my iPhoto libraries? Is there anyway to do it without using an external hard drive?

Yes there is.
1: Log out and into the account you later want to remove.
2: Open your Pictures folder and look for the iPhoto Library.
3: Right or control click on it, a menu appears and choose the option "Show Package Contents", it's really a folder.
4: Find the folder called "Originals", select it and use the Finder menu to Duplicate it.
5: Move the Copy of Originals to the Desktop. Close the window.
6: From the Finder menu, select Go Computer.
7: A window appears with your boot drive, double click it and on the Users folder inside.
8: Select the OTHER users folder and open the folder called Public, inside is a folder called "DropBox"
9: Drag the Copy of Originals to that DropBox folder, it will copy it.
10. Log out and into the other account and access the DropBox folder, your files can then be imported into that iPhoto user Library from within the program itself.

What is the best strategy for sharing iPhoto libraries between two macs?

I have an iMac and a new Airbook. I want to keep my iMac as the"main" iPhoto location, but want to also keep copies of the photos on my Airbook.
I could copy the library from one to the other to get the photos into the Airbook initially, but then how would I get subsequent ones in there? Is there a way to sync these two computers so that the photos flow from one to the other? One-way syncing would be ok...
Thanks.
Oh - and I use MobileMe if that helps.

There is an application that can sync two iPhoto libraries. It's SyncPhotos
Here's how it works:
1 - it compares the databases and/or album.xml files of Libraries A and B.
2 - the files in A that are not in B are imported into B by copying the original files from A into B's Import folder.
3 - it then does the same for B.
4 - metadata is not copied nor are Faces or Places.
It can be used to just copy from A to B and not sync both ways if desired. It will work with 2 libraries that are different versions, i.e. between an iPhoto 08 and iPhoto 09 library.
If you want to copy selected Events or Album from one to the other and keep the metadata, faces and places intact, you can use the paid version of iPhoto Library Manager. You would have to manually select the event/album to copy from A to B and do the same for B to A.
OT

HT4927 Can I merge two iphoto libraries?

Can I merge two iphoto libraries? Somehow when I restored one of my libraries from my time machine backup, I got two libraries instead of one. Can I combine these?

Not with iPhoto - Aperture can o rthe purchased version of iPhoto library Manager can
LN

Sync albums from two iphoto libraries to iphone

I have two iphoto libraries set up on my computer. One for family photos, one for my professional work. I switch between them by holding the alt key when I launch iphoto.
When I go into itunes to select the the albums from iphoto that I want to sync to my iphone, only the default library shows up with selectable albums, i.e. the family library.
How can I get albums from two different iphoto libraries onto my iphone?
thanks

one20,
The iPhone will not sync from two different iPhoto libraries, but you can create a folder on your computer and just drag all of the pictures you want on the iPhone into that folder. Then in the Photos tab in iTunes, sync that folder to the iPhone. Anytime you want to add/remove pictures from the iPhone, you can just add/remove them from the folder without changing your iPhoto libraries.
Hope this helps,
Jennifer B.

HT1660 I have two iTunes libraries on two different pc's (one windows and one Mac). Can I consolidate these on an external hard drive?

I have two iTunes libraries on two different pc's (one windows and one Mac). Can I consolidate these on an external hard drive?

I'm sorry I just saw the last post. I had two users on my hard drive, one for me and one for my daughter, but I am not sure what you mean by partioning my external????? I have heard the term before, but don't know how to do it. I am having serious crashing issues with this computer and believe I really need to do a clean install. I just want to make sure everything for both ipods is safe (is???? I think so, everything is......I hate when the English language does this to me!)

Merging two iPhoto Libraries from two different MACs

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