Time Capsule as Itunes Media Storage

I'm thinking about buying a Time capsule, but I want to know if that's what I really need.
1) My main problem is that I can't use my MacBook to hear music, watch movies or sync my Iphone 4 through my apartment 'cause my Library is in an External hard disk that needs electric power to function, so every time that I need to buy/hear music, watch a movie from my MacBook I have to be connected to my External HD. So, if I buy a TC can I sync/stream wirelessly my devices?
2) Also I have an Apple TV and much of the times I buy music/movies/videos from there. If I connect the Apple TV to the TC, My library stills in just one folder in the TC?
3) The TC is always on? or it starts up when a device is trying to connect to it?
Thank you very much in advance...

Please check out the following article to get one author's opinion on using the Time Capsule as a Media Storage device: theAppleBlog: Using Time Capsule as a Media Drive

Similar Messages

Time Capsule and iTunes library storage

My time capsule is attached to my iMac by yellow ethernet cable to my DSL router. This was set up by Apple over the phone and works fine. My Time Machine regularly backs up with little or not glitches and I also store my vast iTunes library on the time capsule as well.
As long as nothing much is happening (ie backing up), the iTunes library can locate and import onto my various iPods (including the kids ones' too) without any problems.
FOr some reason, it has decided that none of the tunes that are located in the iTunes Library can be found without manual input from me highlighting each and every tune/movie/song/podcast to get rid of the "!" by the tune.
Does anyone know an easier method of getting the Library of iTunes to locate these songs on its own. They are in the Time Capsule, the set-up has been working fine, but suddenly I have "lost" a huge amount of stuff which I will manuallly have to highlight, start and then move down to the next one, which is very very time consuming.
Hoping for some useful answers.
Many thanks
Frances

I connected it to the TC and wanted to start accessing my iTunes library from the FreeAgent (via Airport Extreme). This can be done right? From what I understand it can be done, but I just have to make sure that I access the HDD before I open iTunes. If I was to do it the other way then iTunes would default back to the HDD on the MacBook. What do you think?
Sorry for posting this twice.
Message was edited by: Austin Nichols

Using time capsule as a wireless storage drive on MacBook Pro with Tiger

I'm getting a time capsule 1Tb for xmas, do I just plug it into one of the ethernet ports on my wireless router/modem? What I plan to do is take all my data (itunes files, invoices, pictures etc) off my MacBook Pro (which only has a 150 Gb hard drive) and use the time capsule as wireless data storage. I will obviously need to back up the original data on the TC to another storage drive. Can I use the usb port on the TC to connect another external hard drive to back up to, or do I need a external hard drive with an ethernet port? And do some hard drive manufacturers ship their drives with software which automatically backs up data from other external drives even when the computer isn't turned on? Thanks for any answers.

No idea on TC at all.
And do some hard drive manufacturers ship their drives with software which automatically backs up data from other external drives even when the computer isn't turned on?
Yes & no, the Computer has to be on, but these drives come with several Backup tools...
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/
Like on the bottom of this page...
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATAFW800_FW400USB

Time Capsule as a Media Server

I repurposed an old 500Gb Time Capsule into a media server by placing an iTune Library (160 movies and 5000 songs) on its HD. I can access from any Mac in the house by pressing OPTION and selecting the iTunes Library.
Is there a way to access the iTunes library on the Time Capsule from an iPad or AppleTV? I can play a movie or music from a Mac and AirPlay it to an AppleTV but would like to 'cut out the middle man' if possible and access directly from an iPad or AppleTV.
Is it possible?

Yes, I’m using my TC as a media sever, both audio and video, without any problem. At my home I have two laptops running Windows XP, one Scaleo media center running Windows MCE and a MacBookPro running Leapord. It was a hasle keeping media and docs upto date for all and backups as well. TC solved the problem. Sharing videos , docs and pictures was straight forward. For sharing audio on iTunes, I had to make more than one attempt. Now I have same iTunes libraries on three computers sharing mp3s from TC, I can even play same song on two computers at the same time. Only thing I did was unchecked ”Keep iTunes forlder organised” and ”Copy files to iTunes folder when adding to library” under the ”Advanced” tab of ”Preference”.

I have a Time Capsule with 2tb of storage, and an I-Mac with 500Gb. (which is at capacity) Can I use the Time Capsule to store data in addition to backing up the hard drive?

I have a Time Capsule with 2tb of storage, and an I-Mac with 500Gb. (which is at capacity) Can I use the Time Capsule to store data from my hard drive that I want to access later in addition to backing up the hard drive?

Can I use the Time Capsule to store data from my hard drive that I want to access later in addition to backing up the hard drive?
Yes, but if you move the "original" data on your iMac to the Time Capsule....then the "original" data is now on the Time Capsule disk.
When...not if...the Time Capsule disk has a problem, you have no backups for this data.
Perhaps a much safer plan might be to add an external hard drive attached directly to your iMac. Then, move the data to that drive from the iMac.
Now, Time Machine will back up both your iMac and the external hard drive so you have "originals" on one drive and backups on another. Would that plan work for you?

Can I use the available space on Time Capsule to store media files?

I recently bought Time Capsule and set it up to do backups of my iMac (Snow Leopard).
Since, the Time Capsule has a 1TB HDD, I decided to use the Time capsule to store media files. However, when trying to resolve a Time Capsule issue with the Apple Care technician, he informed me that storing media files on Time Capsule is not recommended. He suggested buying an additional portable disk to store the media files. Wanted to confirm if this is truly the recommendation for Time Capsule.

The Time Capsule was designed for Time Machine backups and that is the recommended use for the device.
If you have plenty of space on the drive, there is probably no harm in using the drive for other data, but as space becomes tight, there is going to be struggle between Time Machine and other files regarding space allocation.
But if you are storing your media files on the Time Capsule disk.....how are you backing up these files?
The advantage in having a separate drive for your media files is that Time Machine will back up both your computer and the separate hard drive. Then you have backups for everything when....not if....a drive fails.

AirPort Time Capsule - 2TB is flash storage or ...

AirPort Time Capsule - 2TB is flash storage or ...SSD or HDD?
Can be RAID 1?

HDD. No it cannot be used in a RAID array.

Can we use Time Capsule as a Media Server????

Hi
I know time capsule is used for backups and you can connect your external HDD through USB to TC. Can we somehow use TC as a media server so that my PS3 picks up TC as media server and is able to stream all my digital files stored on my external HDD (connected to TC) to my PS3?
Can this be done?
Message was edited by: wickkd

Can we somehow use TC as a media server so that my PS3 picks up TC as media server and is able to stream all my digital files stored on my external HDD (connected to TC) to my PS3?
Sorry, but no. The TC is not a DLNA-compliant media server. However, it could be used as a media drive. (ref: Gigaom: Using Time Capsule as a Media Drive)

Using Time Capsule for Backup Drives, Storage, and an iTunes Server?

I have a 500 GB Time Capsule to accompany my Macbook. The Time Capsule connects to my household's existing wifi network and is not connected by a cord to my computer. I went through a great deal of difficulty setting it up, but now it's time to start using it. I just canceled my off-site backup service, so I really need and appreciate your help and advice.
I want my Time Capsule to perform a few different tasks:
1) Time Machine backups for TWO different user accounts on my Macbook
2) Additional file storage
3) iTunes server
Is this possible? If so, how would I accomplish it?

1) Time Machine backups for TWO different user accounts on my Macbook
Time Machine backs up the ENTIRE hard drive. It is not user dependent.
2) Additional file storage
Yes
3) iTunes server
You can use it to store your iTunes library. However iTunes will need to run on your MacBook to play the music.

Time Capsule for iTunes storage?

This is what I would like to do:
Assign all of my movie/TV show files to the Time Capsule to free up my MBP hard drive space. If I do that, can I still play the movies/TV shows on my Apple TV? And, can all this be done via wireless too?

The TC is fine.. as a backup for TM.. but it doesn't work great as a file store.. it has no way of backing itself up and TM cannot backup a network drive.
So using a proper NAS is a better idea.. or a Mac Mini as a media server. But that is a lot bigger layout.
A USB or faster if you have FW800 or Thunderbolt drive.. plugged directly into the MBP is much the better solution.. TM can then backup to TC.. and you can play the files to the ATV directly from the drive on the Mac.

I want a new and more powerful (non-Apple) wireless router but I still want to use my existing Time Capsule to continue with my Time Machine backups and I still need the Time Capsule's Network Attached Storage (NAS) features and capabilities

THE SHORTER STORY
My goal is to successfully use my existing Time Capsule (TC) with a new and more powerful wireless router. I need a new and more powerful wireless router in order to reach a distant Denon a/v receiver that is physically located in a master bedroom some 50 feet away from my modem. I need to provide this Denon a/v receiver with an Internet connection so that it can obtain its firmware updates and I need to connect this Denon a/v receiver to my network in order to use its AirPlay feature. I believe l still need the TC's Network Attached Storage (NAS) features because I am not sure if the new wireless router will provide me with the NAS like features / capabilities I need to share files between my two Apple laptops with OS X 10.8.2. And I know that I absolutely need my TC's seamless integration with Apple's Time Machine (TM) application in order to continue to make effortless backups of my two Apple laptops. To my knowledge nothing works with TM like Apple's TC. I also need the hard disk storage space built into the TC.
I cannot use a long wired Ethernet cable connection in this apartment and I cannot use power-line adapters. I have read that wireless range extenders and repeaters are difficult to successfully set-up and that they will reduce data speeds, especially so when incorrectly set-up. I cannot relocate my modem and/or primary base station wireless router.
In short, I want to use my TC with my new and more powerful wireless router. I need to stop using the TC to connect to the modem. However, I still need the TC for seamless TM backups. I also need to use the TC's built in hard drive for storage. And I may still need the TC's NAS capabilities to share files wirelessly between laptops because I am assuming the new wireless router will not provide NAS capabilities for OS X 10.8.2 (products like this/non-Apple products rarely seem to work with OS X 10.8.2/Macs to provide NAS features and capabilities). Finally, I want to continue to use my Apple laptop and AirPlay to wirelessly access and play my iTunes music collection stored on the TC's hard drive. I also want to continue to use my Apple laptop, AirPlay and Apple TV to wirelessly watch movies and TV shows stored on the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB. Can someone please advise on how to set-up my new Asus wireless router with my existing TC in such a way to accomplish all of this?
What is the best configuration or set-up to accomplish my above goals?
Thank you in advance for your assistance!!!
THE FULL STORY
I live in an apartment building where my existing Time Capsule (TC) is located in my living room and serves many purposes. Specially, my TC is at least all of the following:
(1) Wi-Fi router connected to Comcast Internet service via Motorola SB6121 cable modem - currently the TC is the Wi-Fi base station that connects to the modem and has the gateway address to the Internet. The TC now provides the DHCP service for the Wi-Fi network.
(2) Wireless router providing Internet and Wi-Fi network access to several Wi-Fi clients - two Apple laptop computers, an iPod touch, an iPad and an iPhone all connect wirelessly to the Internet via the TC.
(3) Wired Ethernet router providing Internet and Wi-Fi network access to three different devices - a Panasonic TV, LG Blu-Ray player and an Apple TV each use one of the three LAN ports on the back of the TC to gain access to the Internet.
(4) Primary base station in my attempt to extend my wireless network to a distant (located far away) Denon a/v receiver requiring a wired Ethernet connection - In addition to the TC, which is my primary base station, I am also using a second extended Wi-Fi base station (a Netgear branded product) to wirelessly extend my WiFi network to a Denon receiver located in the master bedroom and requiring a wired Ethernet connection. I cannot use a wired Ethernet connection to continuously travel from the living room to the master bedroom. The distance is too great as I cannot effectively hide the Ethernet cable in this apartment.
(5) Time Machine (TM) backup facilitator - I use my TC to wirelessly back-up two Apple laptops using Apple's Time Machine (TM) application. However, I ran out of storage space on my TC and therefore added external storage to it. Specifically, I added an external hard drive to my TC via the USB port on the back of the TC. I now use this added external hard drive connected to the TC via USB as the destination storage drive for my TM back-ups. I have partitioned the added external hard drive, and each of the several partitions all have enough storage space (e.g., each of the two partitions used by TM are sized at three times the hard drive space of each laptop, etc.). Everything works flawlessly.
(6) Network Attached Storage (NAS) - In addition to using the TC's Network Attached Storage (NAS) capabilities to wirelessly back-up two Apple laptops via TM, I also store other additional files on both (A) the hard drive built into the TC and (B) the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB (there are additional separate partitions on this drive for these other additional and non-TM backup files).
I use the TC's NAS feature with my Apple laptop and AirPlay to wirelessly access and play my iTunes music collection stored on the TC's hard drive. I also use my Apple laptop, AirPlay and Apple TV to wirelessly watch movies and TV shows stored on the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB. Again, everything works wirelessly and flawlessly. (Note: the Apple TV is connected to the network via Ethernet and a LAN port on the back of the TC).
The issue I am having is when I try to listen to music via Apple's AirPlay in the master bedroom. This master bedroom is located at a distance of two rooms away from the TC's current location in the living room, which is a distance of about 50 feet. This apartment has a long rectangular floor plan where each room is connected to the next in a straight line. In order to use AirPlay in the master bedroom I am using a second extended Wi-Fi base station (a Netgear branded product) to wirelessly extend my WiFi network to a Denon receiver located in the master bedroom and requiring a wired Ethernet connection. This additional base station connects wirelessly to the WiFi network provided by my TC and then gives my Denon receiver the wired Ethernet connection it needs to use AirPlay. I have tried moving my iTunes music directly onto my laptop's hard drive, and then I used AirPlay on this same laptop to connect to the Denon receiver. I always get a successful connection and the song plays, but the problem is that the connection inevitably drops.
I live in an apartment building and all of the many wireless routers in this building create a great deal of WiFi interference on both the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands. I have tried connecting the Netgear product to each the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, but neither band can successfully maintain a wireless connection between the TC and the Netgear product. I also attempted to maintain a wireless connection to an iPod touch using the 2.4 GHz band and AirPlay on this iPod touch to play music on the Denon receiver. Again, I was able to establish a connection and successfully play music, but after a few minutes the connection dropped and the music stopped playing. I therefore have concluded that I have a poor wireless connection in the master bedroom. I can establish a connection, but it is intermittent with frequent drops. I have verified this with both laptops by working in the master bedroom for an entire day on both laptops. The Internet connection in this master bedroom proved to drop out frequently - about once an hour with the laptops. The wireless connection and the frequency of its dropout are far worse with the iPod touch and an iPhone.
I cannot relocate the TC. Also, this is an apartment and I therefore cannot extend the range of my network with Ethernet cable (I cannot drill through walls/ceilings, etc.). It is an old building with antiquated wiring and power-line adapters are not likely to function properly, nor can I spare the direct power outlet required with a power-line adapter. I simply need every outlet I can get and cannot afford to block any direct outlet.
My solution is to use a more powerful wireless router. I found the ASUS RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router which will likely provide a better connection to my wireless Internet in the master bedroom than the TC. The 802.11ac band of this Asus wireless router is totally useless to me, but based on what I have read I believe this router will provide a stronger connection at greater distances then my TC. And I will be ready for 802.11ac when it becomes more widely available.
However, I still need to maintain the TC's ability to work seamlessly with TM to backup my two laptops. Also, I doubt the new Asus router will provide OS X 10.8.2 with NAS like features and capabilities. Therefore, I still would like to use the TC's NAS capabilities to share files on my network wirelessly assuming the Asus wireless router fails to provide this feature. I need a new and more powerful wireless router, but I need to maintain the TC's NAS features and seamless integration with TM. Finally, I want to continue to use my Apple laptop and AirPlay to wirelessly access and play my iTunes music collection stored on the TC's hard drive. I also want to continue to use my Apple laptop, AirPlay and Apple TV to wirelessly watch movies and TV shows stored on the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB. Can someone advise on how to set-up my existing TC with this new Asus wireless router in such a way to accomplish all of this?
Modem
Motorola SB6121 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem
Existing Wireless Router and Primary Wi-Fi Base Station - Apple Time Capsule
Apple Time Capsule MC343LL/A 1TB Sim DualBand (purchased June 2010, likely the Winter 2009 Model)
Desired New Wireless Router and Primary Wi-Fi Base Station - Non-Apple Asus
ASUS RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router
Extended Wi-Fi Base Station - Provides an Ethernet Connection to a Denon A/V Receiver Two Rooms Away from the Modem
Netgear Universal Dual Band Wireless Internet Adapter for TV & Blu-Ray (WNCE3001)
Addition External Hard Drive Attached to the Existing Apple Time Capsule via USB
WD My Book Studio 4TB Mac External Hard Drive Storage USB 3.0
Existing Laptops on the Wireless Network Requiring Time Machine Backups
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012) OS X 10.8.2
MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010) OS X 10.8.2
Other Existing Apple Products (Clients) on the Wireless Network
iPod Touch (second generation) is model A1288.
iPad (1st generation)
Apple TV (3rd generation) - Quantity two (2)

Thanks Bob Timmons.
In regards to a Plan B, I hear ya brother. I am already on what feels like Plan Z. Getting WiFi to a far off room in an apartment building crowded with WiFi routers is a major pain.
I am basing my thoughts on the potential of a new and more powerful router reaching the far off master bedroom based on positive reviews on cnet.com, pcmag.com and pcworld.com. All 3 of these web sites have reviewed the Asus RT-AC66U 802.11AC wireless router as well as its virtual twin cousin 802.11n router. What impressed me is that all 3 sites rated this router #1 overall in terms of both range and speed (in both the 802.11n and 802.11AC flavors). They tested the router in real world scenarios where the router needed to compete with a lot of other wireless routers. One of the sites even buried this Asus router in a media room with thick walls and inside a media cabinet. This Asus router should be able to serve my 2.4 GHz band wireless clients (iPod Touch and iPhone 4) with a 2.4GHz Wireless-N band offering some 50 feet of dependable range and a 60 Mbps throughput at that range. I am hoping that works, but it's borderline for my master bedroom. My 5 GHz wireless clients (laptops) will enjoy a 5GHz Wireless-N band offering 150 feet of range and a 200 Mbps throughput at that range. I have no idea what most of that stuff means, but I did also read that Asus could reach 300 feet and I got really excited. My mileage may vary of course and I'm sure I'm making some mistakes in my interpretation of their data. However, my Winter 2009 Time Capsule was rated by cnet.com to deliver real world performance of less than that, and 802.11AC may or may not be useful to me someday. But when this Asus arrives and provides anything other than an excellent and consistent wireless signal without drops in the master bedroom it's going right back!
Your solution sounds great, but I have some questions. I'm using OS X 10.8.2 and Airport Utility (version 6.1 610.31) and on its third tab labeled "Wireless" the top option enables you to set "Network Mode" to either:
Create a wireless network
Extend a wireless network
Off
Given your advice to "Turn off the wireless on the TC," should I set Network Mode to Off? Sorry, I'm clueless in regards to how to turn off the wireless on the TC any other way. Can you provide specific steps on how to turn off the wireless on the TC? If what I wrote is correct then what should the rest of this Wireless tab look like, or perhaps it is irrelevant when wireless is off?
Next, what do you mean by "Configure the TC in Bridge Mode?" Under Airports Utility's fourth tab labeled "Network" the top option "Router Mode" allows for either:
DHCP and Nat
DHCP Only
Off (Bridge Mode)
Is your advice to Configure the TC in Bridge Mode as simple as setting Router Mode to Off (Bridge Mode)? If yes, then what should the rest of this "Network" tab look like? Anything else involved in configuring the TC in Bridge Mode or is it really as simple as setting the Router Mode to "Off (Bridge Mode)"?
How about the other tabs in Airport Utility, can they all stay as is assuming I use the same network name and password for the new Asus wireless router? Or do I need to make any other changes to the TC via Airport Utility?
Finally, in regards to your Plan B suggestion. I agree. But do you have a Plan B for me? I would greatly appreciate any alternative you could provide. Specifically, if you needed a TC's Internet connection to reach a far off corner of your home how would you do it? In the master bedroom I need both a wired Ethernet connection for the Denon a/v receiver and wireless Internet connection for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Power-Line Adapters - High Cost, Blocks at Least One Wall Outlet and Does Not Solve the Wireless Need
I actually like exactly one power-line adapter, which is the D-Link DHP-540 PowerLine AV 500 4-Port Gigabit Switch. This D-Link power-line adapter plugs into your wall outlet with a normal sized plug (regular standard power cord much like any other electronic device) instead of all of the other recommended power-line adapters that not only use at least one wall outlet but also often block the second outlet. You cannot use a power strip with a power-line adapter which is very impractical for me. And everything about my home is strange and upside down. The wiring here is a disaster and I don't have faith in its ability to carry Internet access from the living room to the master bedroom. And this D-Link power-line adapter costs $90 each and I need at least two to make the connection to the Denon A/V receiver. So, $180 on this solution and I still don't have a dependable drop free wireless connection in the master bedroom. The Denon might get its Ethernet Internet connection from the power-line adapter, but if I want to use an iPhone 4 or iPod Touch to stream AirPlay music to the Denon wirelessly (Pandora/iTunes, etc.) from the master bedroom the wireless connection will not be stable in there and I've already spent $190 on just the two power-line adapters needed.
Extenders / Repeaters / Wirelessly Extending the Wireless Network
I have also read great things about the Amped Wireless High Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Dual Band Range Extender (Repeater) SR20000G and the My Net Wi-Fi Range Extender. The former is very powerful and the latter is easier to install. Both cost about $150 ish so similar to a new Asus router. However, everything I read about Range Extenders points to them not being very effective for a far off corner of your house wherein it's apparently hard to place the range extender in the sweet spot where it both gets a strong enough signal to actually effectively extend the wireless signal and otherwise does not reduce network throughput speeds to unacceptable speeds.
Creating a Roaming Network By Hard Wiring with Ethernet Cable - Wife Would Say, "**** No!"
Even Apple seems to warn against wirelessly extending your network (see: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4145#) and otherwise strongly recommends a roaming network where Ethernet cable is used to connect two wireless base stations. However, I am in an apartment where stringing together two wireless base stations with Ethernet cable would have an extremely low wife acceptance factor (WAF). I cannot (both contractually and from a skill prospective) hide Ethernet wire in the walls or ceiling. And having visible Ethernet cable running from room-to-room would be unacceptable, especially to the wife.
So what is left? Do you have a Plan B for me? Thanks in advance for your help!

Use time capsule drive for mass storage instead of time machine

I'm considering buying a new Airport Extreme with the time capsule drive. I'd interested to know if I can use the built in drive as an additional HD verses using it for a back up drive with time machine? I'm aware I can plug in a USB external drive for network storage, but would like to use the built one for storage as well. Anyone know if this is possible?

I just got a 2TB time capsule a few days ago to use as a "poor man's file server" for my iTunes library. Bob makes valid points, and I am aware of the limitations, but I think it will meet my needs for awhile. I am in the process of ripping a large DVD collection and my iTunes library is over 350gb which was starting to feel crowded on my MBA's 512gb SSD.
I have plenty of external USB and thunderbolt drives, but I wanted wireless access to the libary anywhere in the house. With the AC wireless on my 2013 MBA, I wouldn't really classify the time capsule as "quite slow", I'm seeing about 30MB/s for FInder file copies. I have a 1TB USB2 WD Passport drive and the speed is very comparable - about 35MB/s. Sure, it's not as fast as my thunderbolt drive at 190MB/s or SSD at 700MB/s, but it seems to work well for my content (I don't use HD video in iTunes).
The only noticeable issue is that the TC disk spins down almost immediately if it isn't in use, so you get a lag of a few seconds if you pause a movie for a minute. And it takes longer to start iTunes of course. For me, these were acceptable trade-offs to allow my library to grow to 2TB without any directly connected external storage.
I wanted an AC router regardless and the TC gives me a wireless disk for $100 more. In the future I can always add a "real" media server and let the TC do backups. But for now I'm happy with the way it works.

Time Capsule as iTunes server?

Hello,
I want to ask whether it is to use Time Capsule as an iTunes server - TheTime Capsule upload my iTunes library and run it through Apple TV without a computer. Is this possible? If not there is any product that would go to useiTunes as a server? thank you

The Time Capsule (TC) can perform as a Media Storage device, but it does not offer Media Server functions including performing as an iTunes Server. For that you would require either an iTunes Host device or a dedicated NAS device that has a iTunes Server built-in. An example would be the Western Digital My Book World Edition II.

Can I use Time Capsule for iTunes Library?

I have a Macbook Pro, an Apple TV, 2 iPads, 2 iPhones at home. Just bought 2TB Time Capsule today.
My kids purchased a lot of movies/TV shows from iTunes store, and it is building up lots of space in my MacBook. I also like to rip my CDs into Apple Losses Format to enjoy on my iPhone.
My Macbook is running out of space, I wonder if I can point my iTunes Library (Music, Videos) to Time Capsule. In other words, I hope to have access to my Music library whenever my iPhone is connected to my MacBook, and most importantly, the kids will be able to access their movies/TV shows from Apple TV / iPads.
Could someone please advice how to do that? Thanks!

Thanks!
Bob, if you don't me asking some details - if I will buy an external harddisk to store my itunes library:
1). Does it mean everytime I open iTunes (or before I connect any device), I have to ensure the external harddisk is connected vis USB?
2). Say I have some 50GB of data on my MacBook. If I modify Preference/iTunes Media Folder Location, will all the data be "moved" to the external USB drive automatically?
3). When we talked about "moving iTunes Media folder", does it include everything (i.e. my iPhone, iPad, backup, apps, etc), or it is just Music/Books/TV Shows/Movies?
Shamefully speaking, I might be a stupid dad - I used iPhotos to import all pictures/videos from Digital Camera, iPhones, iPads for a year, until last night I installed Aperture 3. I selected a folder "Pictures" and clicked Import from iPhoto Library, then I was shocked ....my Macbook HDD space shrinks from 40GB free to 1.29GB and still shrinking....as a result I had to move some of my music, videos to trash (to free up another 20 GB of space). Until Aperture finished importing all photos, I had only 2.5GB free
This morning, the first thing I did is to buy a Time Capsule, and try to free up spaces on my Macbook

Use external drive for Time Capsule backups AND file storage?

I have an external drive formatted by my MBP. I'm using it to store my iTunes music library and iPhoto pics. Can I use the drive for Time Capsule backups as well?

Yes, but that is not recommended. Storage and backup should be kept separate to reduce the chances of a disk failure. This is especially important because you cannot even partition a Time Capsule drive. Go get a separate drive for your storage needs. Get another drive for a second backup and use a different method of backup than Time Machine

Time Capsule as Itunes Media Storage

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for