Sync multiple iTunes libraries with iPod?

How do I sync several iTunes libraries (selectable by holding down ALT while starting iTunes) with my iPod Touch (4th generation)?
With limited hard drive space on my Powerbook I've chosen to create an iTunes library which more or less just contains podcasts and internet radio stations etc. and use an external drive for another library which contains all my music.
I was hoping I could switch between the different libraries and have my iPod sync to both of them, but alas I get a message when switching over to the "music" library that my iPod "belongs to" another library and that if I choose to use the current one everything will be erased and overwritten.
So how do I prevent this from happening while allowing me to add music from the second library?

I'm not sure if I've got it right but I've played around a bit after reading the above and come to the conclusion that I first need to check (turn on) the "Manually manage music and videos" (and most likely "Open Itunes when this iPod is connected") options in iTunes when I click on my iPod icon on the left column.
But much to my surprise I can still have iTunes automatically (or so it seems) sync my podcasts which makes things a whole lot easier than doing that manually for each podcast update!
For everything else (music, videos, PDF files/books/audiobooks, iTunes U, Ringtones etc.) I will need to manually drag and drop over to the iPod. To make things easier I created a playlist folder named "Manually transfer to iPod" with various playlists inside (just to make it easier to see what my iPod contains from that particular library and to organize things neatly).
And instead of dragging the items from each playlist over to the iPod I simply select the folder, then drag all the items on the right hand side (contents) over to the iPod.
I haven't tried switching libraries yet, but I assume I'll be able to add media from there as well without any problems.
Was this what you meant?

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Sync multiple iTunes libraries on one ATV

Is it possible to sync the itunes libraries from my two macs onto one appleTV? The libraries are unique.
When I try to switch source to sync....ATV says I will replace the contents from the previous sync with the contents of the other mac.

I don't have an ATV yet (should be arriving any day now), so I can't test this, but at the very least you should be able to stream from two different iTunes libraries on the same computer. This article mentions doing it:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305287
Apparently when there are multiple logins with multiple instances of iTunes running on the same machine, they use additional TCP ports that would normally get blocked by the firewall, if it's turned on. Maybe you've got the firewall turned on, and it's smart enough to open a hole for the standard iTunes port (3689) but not the extra holes for additional users (49152 and above).
24" iMac Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Is it possible to sync multiple iphoto libraries with the iPhone?

I have two libraries in iPhoto 08 but iTunes only lets me pick the default iPhoto library to sync with my iPhone. Is there a way to sync the iPhone with multiple iPhoto libraries?

You are correct. This used to work in the past although admittedly I haven't tried it for some time as it was of no direct use for my purposes.
If the goal is to see another MobileMe account's calendar(s) on your iOS device then an alternative would be to share the calendar(s) in question to yourself.
Example:
Assume you currently have MobileMe user account A on your iPhone.
Login to MM user account B with me.com which has the calendar you wish to have access to on your iPhone
Click on Calendars
Click on the Share button for the calendar you wish to see added to your iPhone.
Type in the MobileMe email address for MM user account A and set it for read & write access
Login to MM user account A on me.com
Go to calendars and accept the invitation to join the calendar you sent from MM account B
Go your iPhone (you may need to turn it on and off to make the calendars refresh ) and check your calendars, you should now have the other calendars added to your MobileMe account A's calendar
Note: You can repeat step # 3 for each of the calendars you wish to see on your iPhone.

How do I sync multiple iTunes libraries on the same PC?

I have a desktop at home running Windows XP Pro. I have my own log-in and my wife has her log-in. We both use iTunes. We both have iTunes accounts. How can we sync our libraries such that we have one (1) shared repository?

You can have identical libraries (contents, playlists and related information) if you set each user's account to reference the same .itl file.
Have a look at this article in the Apple Knowledge Base for details on how to do so.
By using the Choose Library option and linking the accounts to the same .itl file, the libraries will be the same and changes made to one will be reflected in the others.
If you don't want completely identical Libraries but just access to the same files to build separate Libraries with, see this article .

Choosing from multiple itunes libraries with ATV from same computer.

Hello to Apple universe. this question pertains to seeing and choosing from multiple librairies that i created through itunes on my one imac music server.
i created a second library on an attached external drive as my internal is almost full. I was wondering if there is a way to configure either itunes or ATV or both so that when I use ATV i am able to choose from which library to play from. i would appreciate steps to take or if this is an old topic, perhaps a referral link to the correct answer. Running Itunes v.10.6.3 on Imac running v.10.5.8 and ATV running v.6.2 Thanks for your time. John.

If you set up homesharing in iTunes on the Windows computer, using the same ID and password as used with your first library, then both libraries will show up under the computers heading on the Apple TV. When you navigate to the computers section you will be able to choose either library and hence any content from it.

Multiple iTunes Libraries with same media folder

I have an iTunes library on a 2TB Time Capsule that I share with my family. However, only one person can load the library at the same time, and everyone has to see each other's playlists/ratings/etc. What I am trying to do is have 4 libraries (one for each person) that all access the same Media folder, so that whenever someone adds music/movies/apps/etc. anyone can access all of it. Is this possible?

To be honest with you I have only synced a device once, 5 years ago, but I thought you could sync individual playlists from a single library. In other words, make a playlist for each device.

Multiple iTunes Libraries with Window XP

Trying to create and use two libraries under one user. I have an existing 30G ipod video and wanted to make a new library for an ipod Touch under the same user. Was instructed to hold the shift key while opening Itunes and was able to "create new library". Now I cannot open my old library. When I again hold the shift key while opening Itunes there is an option to "choose library", but I can't actually get anything to open. Any help?

The default location of the iTunes .itl file (on XP) is given in the following document:
What are the iTunes Library files?
If you browse to that location when you get to the "Choose library" screen, are you able to open your old library?

Problem with multiple iTunes libraries!

I've been using a program called PowerTunes that enables easily switching between libraries. I suspect that it may be the culprit of the multiple iTunes Libraries that I have. It's out of control! I've nested Previous iTunes Folders six layers deep!
In addition to this weirdness I've also got multiple plist files and temp files. It's a mess!
When I look at my backup iTunes folder it looks much cleaner. None of the nested folders (pictured above) or the temp files and multiple plist files. Can someone help me to understand this and restore my iTunes library to a normal state??
I've written the maker of PowerTunes but he's just one guy so who knows when I'll hear back from him. The more overt problems I am having include:
• losing ratings
• recently added items disappear
• when I switch libraries, iTunes wants to rebuild the genius library (every time!)
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!!

I'm noticing that with iTunes 8, iTunes now doesn't keep separate preferences for multiple library locations, which is really crazy. I wonder if it's a bug or if there's a reason they did that. so when you hold option and launch itunes to get to your other iTunes library, this "other" iTunes library is now using the "old" iTunes library's file location. So if you add music to them, then they get all jumbled together and you don't know what's going where.
I'm thinking this is the cause of what's happening to you. When you "keep music organized" or whatever, who knows where iTunes is putting the stuff now. It's really bad. I'm hoping somebody has a solution, or any ideas.

Multiple iTunes Libraries on same computer?

Hi,
My wife, daughter, and I all have ipods, each uses a different computer, my wife and I each use our laptops, and daughter uses the home desktop. Recently, the desktop has crashed and looks like we might need to re-format the drive (i.e. lose everything) and re-install Windows XP. She's got all her music on her iPod but unfortunately, no back up on a CD or DVD. Is there some way to re-create a new library for her from her iPod on to either of our laptops without causing conflicts with our existing iTunes libraries which are totally different. I.E. will the "sync" function work to recreate a library on a hard drive vs. going the other way around as usual.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

To create or access a second (or more) library, hold down the Shift key in Windows when launching iTunes. In the resulting dialogue you will get the option to create a new library or navigate to the other Library.
Note: You can only have one Library open at a time and iTunes will default to the last library opened if you don't use the keyboard command to choose one. The new library will be empty until you add content to it. To get back to your original library you need to close iTunes and open it again while holding down the shift key, this time choose to open an existing library and navigate to its location: Using multiple iTunes libraries -Windows
iTunes will only let you copy your purchases directly from an iPod to the computer, you'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
For everything else (music from CDs, other downloads and including iTunes purchases) there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. You'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos, podcasts and games as well. You can read reviews and comparisons of some of them here:
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
A selection of iPod to iTunes utilities:
TuneJack Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
SharePod Windows Only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod2PC Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
YamiPod Mac and Windows
iPod Music Liberator Mac & Windows
Floola Mac & Windows
iPodRip Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Music Liberator Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
Music Rescue Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iGadget Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iRepo Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Access Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
TouchCopy Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
There's also a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to a Mac or PC. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available on page 2 at this link: Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide

Multiple iTunes Libraries?

Is there anyway you can have multiple libraries (not playlists) for different iPods on the same computer? We don't want our music to mix...how can I fix this?

To create or access a second (or more) library, hold down the Shift key in Windows when launching iTunes. In the resulting dialogue you will get the option to create a new library or navigate to the other Library.
Note: You can only have one Library open at a time and iTunes will default to the last library opened if you don't use the keyboard command to choose one. The new library will be empty until you add content to it. To get back to your original library you need to close iTunes and open it again while holding down the shift key, this time choose to open an existing library and navigate to its location. Multiple libraries can prove tricky when using multiple iPods, if you don't use the keyboard command you can risk syncing to the wrong library: Using multiple iTunes libraries -Windows
Another option is to create a separate Windows account for each person on your PC. Different user accounts by definition would give you completely separate libraries. Each account has it's own iTunes folder, Library and iTunes Music folder and you load it with CDs etc just as you did with your original one. The iPod can be set to update however the owner chooses, sync all, manual or sync specific playlists.
Apart from these methods there are several other ways to use two or more iPods with one computer, have a look at this help page for all the suggestions and choose the method that suits you best: How to use multiple iPods with one computer

Have multiple iTunes libraries on one machine?

Hi,
I want to have multiple iTunes libraries on one machine (with two different hard drives, internal fore mp3s and external for AAC files). One library is composed of mp3s for an iPod, I want the other library to have AAC audio files for burning CDs. I would rather the libraries not be mixed.
I have read the article (#301748) for migrating an iTunes library and am preparing to migrate one of the libraries on to a external hard drive.
I have read about using Libra to maintain two different libraries on one machine. I was wondering if anyone does this and if they have encountered any problems? Is there a better solution?
Thank you,
TPK

It's one thing to want two music libraries on one machine and another to want two music libraries on one user account. For the latter, here's what I've done.
I created folders in my iTunes folder called, say, Main Library Folder and Second Library Folder. (These could be anywhere you find convenient.) I dragged my regular iTunes Library file into the Main Library Folder. Then I opened iTunes and created my second music library. When I finished that, I closed iTunes and dragged the just-created iTunes Library file into the Second Library Folder.
If I want to use my main iTunes library, before opening iTunes I drag an alias (Cmmd-Option-drag) of the iTunes Library file from the Main Library Folder into the iTunes folder. Then, when I open iTunes, iTunes reads my main library file. And of course, it works the same way for the second library.
Of course, you could just shuffle the actual library files into position in the iTunes folder from their holding areas, but I strongly preferred to get myself into the habit of relying on aliases, so I could leave the actual library file alone in their respective folders. You most definitely would not want to accidentally overwrite one of your iTunes Library files.
I'm sure one of the shareware products would do a more elegant job, but this just shows you that it's not a difficult process.
The alternative is to set up separate user accounts to access different libraries on the same machine. This has real benefits and, to me, should be the first option one considers. It's easier on the brain, as it sticks to iTunes' one-user-one-library model, and there's absolutely no risk of getting libraries confused. Fast User Switching on the Mac makes going back and forth between accounts easy. But if you really want to avoid using different accounts, and it's only you that has to keep things straight, the approach of jumping back and forth between different libraries in the same user account should be OK.

Sync Multiple iTunes

is there a way to sync multiple itunes
currently i have three different macs with three different itunes libraries
i want to store these all on an external hard drive and be able to access with each
is there an easy way to do this
thanks

There are a few utilities that can help you sync iTunes across different computers. You could begin your research by having a look at these for instance:
TuneRanger
SuperSync
syncOtunes

Multiple iTunes Libraries on single Mac

I have somehow managed to create libraries of music/podcasts/videos in 5 different places on my iMac. I would like to consolidate all of them into one spot that can be shared by all accounts. Is there a way to merge them easily, that is without copying song by song or rewriting the entire library, potentially losing some files that are more current? For example, I have 3 folders of the Killers, only 1 of which has all downloaded songs. Thanks.

If you want to do it that way, each person should have their own computer login which will give each person their own iTunes library.
This would be far easier than using multiple iTunes libraries in one computer login.
To do different content on each device, select the device in iTUnes (menu View > Show sidebar), click the tabs acroos top and select what you want to sync to that device. Do the saem for all devices.

Repair itunes library (damaged) file. Multiple iTunes libraries on an external harddrive. All libraries have been working fine. Do some "housecleaning" on a one of the large libraries 296GB. iTunes quit and now has damaged file. 296 GB still on HD.

How to repair itunes library (damaged) file. Multiple iTunes libraries on an external harddrive. All libraries have been working fine. Do some "housecleaning" on a one of the large libraries 296GB. iTunes quits and now has damaged file. 296 GB still on HD.

The duplication is unnecessary. Exporting creates a duplicate of the file. So now you'll have a duplicate of a duplicate. Exporting is not "working on" a file.
No it's not merging, it's exporting from one to the Finder and into another. No matter what lose something. If you export the Original you leave behind all the work you've done in iPhoto. If you export anything else, you lose the non-destructive editing and the ability to revert to the original. With merging you preserve that work. Yes, you can trash the old Library when you have completed the manoevre but no it's not the same thing as merging.
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue. But in brief:
Current gets you the iPhoto Preview, used for sharing via media browsers. It's a jpg, medium quality missing metadata. Original gets the file you imported, unchanged and then you can export different version of the current version at different qualities. If you choose to export anything except the Original you do not get a Raw. There's no such thing as an "edited Raw", and you lose the connection between the original and the exported version. That means you've taken a non-destructive workflow and turned it into a destructive one.
The Tiff will certainly be higher qulaity and less likely to suffer generational loss in future editing but the file sizes are vast, often more than 10 times the size of the jpeg.
Put it this way, it would be cheaper to buy Library Manager than the disk you'll need to contain all the Tiffs. Unless you plan on a lot of editing, I'd go for a high quality jpeg as a reasonable compromise.
To be clear:
So, I guess my new question is, how can I edit the Raw image and keep it in a RAW format that IPhoto recognizes so that I can reprocess without any loss at a future time, or is it that once you edit a RAW image, then it is no longer a RAW image?
Once you edit a Raw it can no longer be a Raw. End of.

How do I sync my iTunes to my iPod touch

How do I sync my itunes to my ipod touch

SYNCING with iTunes > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1386

Sync multiple iTunes libraries with iPod?

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