Adding Windows folders to iTunes library

Having some trouble figuring out how to add preexisting mp3's into the iTunes library. The mp3's are ripped from my own CD collection using Windows Media Player. For discussion let's say I have 50 mp3's in a folder I created called iPod1. I go to iTunes and under the File menu click on "Add a folder to library" - no problem iTunes recognizes the folder and adds them to the library. Adding additional songs to the library is where the trouble starts. If I add songs to the the original Windows folder (as I'd prefer to) when I attempt to add the folder with the additional songs to the iTunes library - all of the songs are imported including the originals giving me doubles of the originals. If I choose to create a new folder - let's say iPod2 - the song titles seem to be imported but sometimes iTunes can't find the new folder and they appear in the library with an explanation point in front of them. By reimporting that folder sometimes iTunes can find the song. I prefer not to have my mp3's scattered in a bunch of folders in Windows. Seems like I'm missing something here. Suggestions appreciated. Thanks, Rich
Dell Windows XP

Thanks - that makes sense. Ultimately the goal would be to have all of one's mp3 files in one folder in Windows and all of them in the iTunes library ... right? Right now I only have a portion of them in the library. There are a lot of them so it might be best to start all over - get them all in one folder and "Add that folder" to the library. Then any new files can be added individually (sorted by date as you suggest). I understand that I would lose current playlists etc. All above correct?? Rich
Dell Windows XP

Similar Messages

Adding Windows folders to iTunes library - 2 copies of song

Having some trouble figuring out how to import preexisting mp3's into the iTunes library. The mp3's are ripped from my own CD collection using Windows Media Player. For discussion let's say I have 50 mp3's in a folder I created called iPod1. I go to iTunes and under the File menu click on "Add a folder to library" - no problem iTunes recognizes the folder and adds them to the library. Adding additional songs to the library is where the trouble starts. If I add songs to the the original Windows folder (as I'd prefer to) when I attempt to add the folder with the additional songs to the iTunes library - all of the songs are imported including the originals giving me doubles of the originals. Any suggestions appreciated. Rich
Dell Windows XP

Thanks - that makes sense. Ultimately the goal would be to have all of one's mp3 files in one folder in Windows and all of them in the iTunes library ... right? Right now I only have a portion of them in the library. There are a lot of them so it might be best to start all over - get them all in one folder and "Add that folder" to the library. Then any new files can be added individually (sorted by date as you suggest). I understand that I would lose current playlists etc. All above correct?? Rich
Dell Windows XP

How to prevent iTunes for Windows from "Updating iTunes Library"? (Library is on a NAS and managed by iTunes for Mac. Now getting update wars between Mac and Windows versions of the player.

How to prevent iTunes for Windows from "Updating iTunes Library"?
My library is on a NAS and managed by iTunes on a Mac. I can connect from wife's Windows laptop using iTunes for Windows but every time I do, it Updates iTunes Library. Next time I log in from my Mac it Updates iTunes Library in return. It appears I'm experiencing "Update Wars" between the Mac and Windows versions of iTunes. I would like to allow my wife to stream iTunes songs to her new laptop but I don't want any updates from this source... prefer to manage the library from my Mac and not allow Windows to do any thing other than listen to existing playlists.
Thanks for any help/suggestions.

Connect the PC to the library on the NAS. Wait while "updated".
Under Edit > Preferences > Advanced make sure the media folder is correctly pointed at the media folder on the NAS. If not correct, close iTunes, wait a few moments, then open iTunes again.
Close iTunes on the PC. Do not open iTunes on the Mac.
Copy the library files, iTunes Library.itl, iTunes Library Extras.itdb, iTunes Library Genius.itdb, sentinel and the folder Album Artwork into an empty iTunes folder on the PC, for example C:\iTunes.
Click the icon to start iTunes and immediately press and hold down SHIFT. Keep holding until prompted to choose or create a library. Click choose and browse to the copied .itl file, e.g. C:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl
The library should now work properly on the PC, however check the setting for the media folder. If needs be correct, close iTunes and reopen.
Open iTunes on the Mac. It will update again, but that should be last time.
tt2

Windows can see iTunes Library, Mac can not see Windows library

All,
I'm having a bit of a dilemma here.. I think the following issues are sourced by the same root cause.
First i can't not get my iphone remote.app to be recoginized by my Mac OSx desktop, it works fine with my windows desktop(they are plugged into the same router and settings look good here so I'm discounting the router as the cause). Yes I have made sure to give access to itunes in the Firewall settings
Second, My windows machine can see my Mac's shared itunes library, yet my Mac machine can see my window's shared itunes library.
Any suggestions will be appreciated!and thankyou!

I had this problem recently, and it was because I had both the XP firewall enabled and the firewall included in my F-Secure client. Check your Windows machine to make sure you don't have such a firewall conflict.

Is there a way to put music (mp3) from my PC onto my iPhone (5c) without having to duplicate that music by adding it to the iTunes Library?

Greetings all, I am a brand new iPhone owner (my first smartphone in fact) and am very sad that I don't love my new device as much as I was beginning to. I've come into the Apple family with open eyes and heart, but I am heartbroken and mortified and what I've been learning this morning. I just spent five hours (no exaggeration) reading forums, downloading iTunes (which I don't really think I want, I am used to WMP and much more accustomed to it), downloading and installing an update, learning that certain options which were recommended are now gone unless you use secret commands (want to Add Folder to Library? Well, too bad! Unless you know the secret Ctrl-B handshake. Hope you didn't just spend tons of time adding items file by file before you learned that (by scouring the obscure forums for that information, since it's not common knowledge or readily accessible in iTunes now)!). Apologies for the sarcastic tone, still very frustrated with the whole process. I've seen support messages directing people to support pages with QuickTime videos; QuickTime doesn't install easily or quickly or work properly on my PC (perhaps I need to work with it more, buuuut...), it's all just seeming so....proprietary.
Is it really the way this works that I have to duplicate all of the music that is currently on my hard drive not just once but twice, such that I need to have it 1) on my hard drive in my music folder where it has always been (so that I can play it how I am used to, using WMP), 2) copied to my iTunes Library and then 3) "Synced" (whatever this really means...still learning obviously) / copied onto my iPhone? Thus taking up twice the space on my hard drive that it needs to?
There's really no way to simply have the phone take it from my hard drive? Apple seriously needs it to not only be existent on my pc, but duplicated into the iTunes Library (which is really just another folder, right?) in order to allow it to be put onto my iPhone?
Please please please tell me I am misunderstanding how this works. I really genuinely do want to love my iPhone and get accustomed to how it and the software it needs works, but this has been frankly a nightmare and has had me wishing for brief moments that I had gone with something more PC friendly. Please just tell me that it gets better, that you can have a PC that you use, and have an iPhone that you use and marry the two happily once you get used to the way to do that.

HydroThunder wrote:
Greetings all, I am a brand new iPhone owner (my first smartphone in fact) and am very sad that I don't love my new device as much as I was beginning to. I've come into the Apple family with open eyes and heart, but I am heartbroken and mortified and what I've been learning this morning. I just spent five hours (no exaggeration) reading forums, downloading iTunes (which I don't really think I want, I am used to WMP and much more accustomed to it), downloading and installing an update, learning that certain options which were recommended are now gone unless you use secret commands (want to Add Folder to Library? Well, too bad! Unless you know the secret Ctrl-B handshake. Hope you didn't just spend tons of time adding items file by file before you learned that (by scouring the obscure forums for that information, since it's not common knowledge or readily accessible in iTunes now)!). Apologies for the sarcastic tone, still very frustrated with the whole process. I've seen support messages directing people to support pages with QuickTime videos; QuickTime doesn't install easily or quickly or work properly on my PC (perhaps I need to work with it more, buuuut...), it's all just seeming so....proprietary.
Is it really the way this works that I have to duplicate all of the music that is currently on my hard drive not just once but twice, such that I need to have it 1) on my hard drive in my music folder where it has always been (so that I can play it how I am used to, using WMP), 2) copied to my iTunes Library and then 3) "Synced" (whatever this really means...still learning obviously) / copied onto my iPhone? Thus taking up twice the space on my hard drive that it needs to?
There's really no way to simply have the phone take it from my hard drive? Apple seriously needs it to not only be existent on my pc, but duplicated into the iTunes Library (which is really just another folder, right?) in order to allow it to be put onto my iPhone?
Please please please tell me I am misunderstanding how this works.
Okay.
You are misunderstanding how this works.
When you add songs to your iTunes Library, all you are in fact doing is telling iTunes where (on your computer) to find the music. iTunes does not create additional versions of your music (see * below). iTunes is a database (or catalogue) - it simply lists your music and knows where it is so that it can copy it to your iPod.
Synced - synchronise... to make as one, to make the same as each other. Well, that's what my dictionary tells me anyway. To make iTunes and the iPhone the same, to have the same music etc. on or in each. (Subject to your preferences.)
HydroThunder wrote:
I really genuinely do want to love my iPhone and get accustomed to how it and the software it needs works, but this has been frankly a nightmare and has had me wishing for brief moments that I had gone with something more PC friendly. Please just tell me that it gets better, that you can have a PC that you use, and have an iPhone that you use and marry the two happily once you get used to the way to do that.
Okay, I'l tell you that too.
It gets better. You can have a PC that you use, and have an iPhone that you use - and marry the two together blah blah blah.
Now that you have iTunes installed, at least you've got that far, although I can't quite imagine how it managed to take five hours. (You would have all these same issues if you were moving from iPhone to any non-Apple product.)
Secret menus, (CTRL+B etc.) - yes, there have been some very odd moves with all this "hiding menus" nonsense. But with the help of useful contibutors to these discussions, you will find iTunes easy. There are however, so many ways to configure iTunes, that everyone will tell you that everyone else's method is wrong.
So let's start with basics:
Once iTunes is set the way you want to view it, all you will need to do is add music to your iTunes Library, either by;
putting a CD into your computer's CD drive, and telling iTunes to import the CD. iTunes will make a digital copy, put it in a folder (in the iTunes Media folder) and list the album in your iTunes
buying music from the iTunes Store. The store will download the music to your Library.
Buying music from other sources. For example Amazon. Here in the UK, Amazon have a downloader which will download any purchases, place them in an Amazon folder and add them to your iTunes Library
Add other digital files by using the Add Folder to Library. (I can make sure you can easily find that, if you wish.)
Then - you can add songs to Playlists - if you wish. You do not have to add music to Playlists. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
Then - connect your iPhone to the computer, and let iTunes perform a Sync.
Your first ever Sync will need a little bit of configuration. A Sync will copy the new songs to your iPhone. It will also transfer back to your iTunes Library:
any songs purchased, on the iPhone, directly from the iTunes Store.
any apps purchased, on the iPhone, from the iTunes Store.
Play Counts. The number of times a song has been played, on the iPhone, since the last Sync.
Last Played date and time. You won't believe how useful this feature can be.
HydroThunder wrote:
There's really no way to simply have the phone take it from my hard drive?
That is precisely what iTunes is for - it's exactly what it does and how is does it. By the way, also don't let anyone tell you that you should use Manual Management to anage your iPhone. No one with any sense would use Manual Management. Why do housework, when iTunes can do it for you?
* There is one tiny issue in all this. If you leave your music where it is now, it may make it slightly harder for you to transfer all your music to another computer anytime in the future because it will be in various different palces on your current computer. There is a setting in iTunes to "copy files to the iTunes Media folder when adding to library", which will duplicate songs, but that's so that you can store all your music in one parent folder for easy transfer to another computer. Your choice. If you take it, once it's done, you could then delete the older copies in the other storage locations.
Of course, if you transfer all your media, files, documents to the new compurer, it shouldn't be any hassle really.
As for WMP. While you are used to it, now that you have an iPhone, why not try playing music in iTunes? It's really not that bad.
So - you tell me what point you have reached and what other information you need to help you with iTunes, what views you want in your iTunes Library. There are lots of ways to vieww your Library! You only need to tell us how you like to look at things, by albums with artwork, by a sonsg list but with the option of looking at albums, or Last played. On and On it goes!
I may be a bit biased in my choice of views, but I can still help you get the best out of iTunes. It really is a fantastic piece of software, despite the little annoying things Apple put into it.

Mac and Windows on same iTunes Library? NAS?

I moved my mac iTunes library to a NAS, hoping that all machines in the house (Mac and Windows) could access and update the library (but not at the same time because of file locking). So I moved the .itl and .xml files over to the NAS as well but some machines can only see parts of the library.
Is this not a supported configuration? How could I set up such a sharing library with update capability? Thanks in advance.

You don't need any software installed on the windows PC. Just plug it into the Ethernet port on the router to the Ethernet port on the NIC card. If you want the Fios software installed go to activatemyfios.verizon.net and click configure another computer and enter your fios user name and password. If you are having connection problems go to verizon.com/connectionwizard and install that software.

Can music already on an ipod be added to a new iTunes library ?

Hi Everyone - I recently purchased a laptop but have a dilemma with my iTunes libraries and iPods. My Nano was synched to my iTunes library on desktop PC, then I synched new classic iPod to same library, therefore both iPods had same music on them. I then set up iTunes on laptop and added some new music into the new library but then tried to merge Classic iPod (with old music) with new music in new library, but all it would allow was to synch them. This caused the problem I need help with as when synching, old music is erased and replaced with new music.
Is there any way of adding old music on an iPod to a second (new) iTunes library on a different computer ??
If there is, can you tell me step by step how to, as I'm still a novice with these things !!
Many thanks,
SC

This is copied from another thread. I think it is pretty clear. Here is the link to the thread as well. You will need to do this for each device if they all have different content on them.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/11527071#11527071
1) Without connecting your iPad to your laptop, start iTunes. Click on Edit. Click on Preferences. Click on Devices. Check the box next to "Prevent your iPod etc. from automatically syncing." Click OK.
2) Now connect your iPad to your laptop and start iTunes.
3) When iTunes starts, right click on your iPad under Devices in the left column. Select Transfer purchases etc.
4) After it finishes transferring all your apps to your new laptop, right click on your iPad and select Backup your iPad.
5) After it finishes backing up your iPad, right click on your iPad and select Restore etc.
6) After it finishes restoring, left click on your iPad , then click on the Apps tab on top, and check the box next to Sync Apps, then click on Apply below.
If everything on your iPad looks good after the sync, go back and click on Edit / Preferences / Devices and UN-check the box next to Prevent your iPod etc. The only other thing you may want to check is if your contacts, bookmarks, etc. are syncing correctly now. If not, go to the Info tab after connecting and make sure you indicate which features you want to sync with what sources.
If you have more questions, post back.

How do i delete one of my folders in Itunes Library

Hi im having a problem with my itunes library. I was messing around on Itunes and i found the "Add file to library" button and I clicked it because I wanted to move my music from my file folder to itunes and i went to sync the music and a pop up comes up and says "are you sure you want to remove exsisting music, movies, tv shows, books, and tones from this Iphone and sync with this Itunes library", I don't want to click ok because im scared its going to delete everything.
Bottom line I just want to delete the folder I made thats it nothing more nothing less. Any helpful answers and tips are appreciated. Thanks!
p.s: I have a Windows 8

You should post in the itunes forum as this has nothing to do with the iphone.

Recreating folders in Itunes library

I installed Itunes version 8 this past summer and found that my entire music library had been converted to HTML. I did a search on the web and found out how to get rid of the HTML and get my folders back in my library (ironically it was on the Apple web site). The instrucions were clear and concise and it did exactly what I wanted. I just built a new computer and transferred my music library (in the form of folders)on to my new computer and again it was converted to HTML. I have done a search for that same information to convert my library back to folders and I can't find it. Can anyone help?

Your post makes no sense at all.
entire music library had been converted to HTML
What was converted to html? The iTunes library consists of the iTunes library file, the iTunes folder and the music. It's not one thing than can be converted to html.

Can't sync all of my newly added songs from my itunes library to my ipod touch)4th generation)

I've added 10 songs to my itunes library and tried to sync them into my ipod touch 4th generation but only 2 can be synced. why??

It happens to me too, all the songs are there but they appear corrupted and don't appear in my iphone! HELP!!!!!

Accidently replaced folders in itunes library

For some reason I had certain songs by certain artists outside of my itunes folder, and not on my itunes player. So I highlighted these songs, which were all in folders with the respective band names on them, and dragged them to my iTunes folder (I know this was not the correct way to do it now). It asked if I wanted to replace and I, thinking it was the song I was replacing and not the whole iTunes folder named for the same band, said yes. I realized what I did, but I can't find the songs that were previously in the folders anywhere and iTunes comes up with a "can't find the file" error whenever I click on those songs that used to be in the replaced folders. Did I just irreplaceably lose thousands of songs in the course of a few dimwitted keystrokes? Is there any type of backup system to retrieve those files? They aren't in the trash and I can't find them anywhere.

Did I just irreplaceably lose thousands of songs in the course of a few dimwitted keystrokes?
Sounds like it.
When it asked to Replace the folder with the new one, it deleted the old ones.
When replacing like this, the files are deleted immediately. They are not moved to the trash.
Is there any type of backup system to retrieve those files?
I'd suggest you restore from your backup but you probably don't have anything on your computer (including the iTunes library) backed up, correct?
There are programs you can use to search your disks for deleted/erased files.
Here's one -> http://www.prosofteng.com/products/datarescueinfo.php

External hard drives, media folders and iTunes Library folder

Hello All,
I have an external hard drive with all of my iTunes media files and am wondering if I should also have the iTunes Library folder and related iTunes files on this same drive. Is this the preferred arrangement? It seems that backups would be greatly simplified.
If it is a preferred solution that all these files reside on one drive location, how do I set these files to the external drive?
Thanks in advance for any assistance?
Warren

Warren Willows wrote:
you specifically back up the "iTunes Library" to your thumb drive on an hourly basis
no, i back up my iTunes folder (which is devoid of media content as my music files etc. are on the external).
the +apple of my eye+ is the +*iTunes library file+*
which is the heart (database) of the iTunes library (which is the whole thing: media files, support files, artwork folder)
while your media files are on an external drive which you mirror to a second drive.
exactly.
Do you use Chronosync to mirror your externals?
yes.
Have you consider a NAS?
well, i have a test library on an external USB drive hanging off my TC. it's not a NAS exactly but pretty similar.
i found that a firewire 800 external HD @ 7200 rpm provides superior speed to any networked library which is important (to me) if you e.g. stream HD movies to an TV and don't want to experience a lot of buffering.
JGG

Formatted windows computer - no iTunes Library

Hi guys can anyone help?
I have had to format my computer and now I have no iTunes Library. Is it possible to transfer for iPod to iTunes?
Thanks all for your help.
Cheers
Bliss

what I should have said is...obviously I have no music in my iTunes. I want to know if I can transfer from iPod to iTunes?

After adding folders to iTunes library, now have duplicates of each song

I store all my music on a separate drive, M:\
I have a specific file structure setup that has worked for me for years, M:\Artist\Album
I recently received an iPod for my birthday, and started using iTunes. After adding my music drive (M:\) for inclusion into the library (without "keep..." and "copy..." selected, as to keep my current file structure intact), when selecting "File->Display Duplicates" just about every song in the library has a duplicate, one in the original folder "M:\Artist\Album", and another in "M:\Playlists\..\Artist\Album". I understand that basically somehow iTunes glitched and started in the "M:\Playlist" directory when adding to the library at some point, however I am at a loss as to how. In my actual folders I only have 1 copy of each song, so basically iTunes is making a symbolic link to each song and adding it into the library as a separate song.
I have over 9000 (must...resist...meme...) songs in my library, and removing and restoring takes quite a while. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to do this at least once now, but any ideas as to why or advice on how to avoid this particular problem in the future?
I am pretty set in my ways of my current file structure, since I don't use iTunes as my primary media software, so I would prefer to not have to resort to succumbing to just letting iTunes handle everything the way it wants (I pretty much hate that).
Thank you for any suggestions you may have.
EDIT: Is there a way to have iTunes rename/move files when adding to its library to specific folders via custom rules based on ID3 information (i.e. WMP rip settings)?
Message was edited by: kaziekama

If you have "Keep..." and "Copy..." unchecked, iTunes will simply reference the existing file, and will not change your file structure, as you correctly note.
I'm fairly sure that some other program is operating on your files. The "Playlists" folder that you mention has nothing to do with iTunes. On my PC, only Windows Media and Roxio use it.
To your question +"Is there a way to have iTunes rename/move files when adding to its library to specific folders via custom rules based on ID3 information (i.e. WMP rip settings)?"+ the answer is no. When iTunes rips a CD, it names the files as track number and title, with no option to do differently. And as far as placing the ripped files, they go in Artist/Album, with no option to do differently. As full-featured ripping programs go, iTunes is not even in the race.

Error when adding some albums to iTunes library

I get the following error message in iTunes:
"iTunes could not save to your Music Folder because you do not have write access. Check the permissions on your music folder and folders in your music folder, then try copying this file again"
Background:
- My Music Folder is on an external hard drive.
- The problem appeared after I conducted a fresh install of Mac OS X 10.5
The Problem:
- does always occur when trying to import a new album of an artist that existed before.
- sometimes occurs when trying to import a new album / artist.
Steps taken:
- updated read/write rights in the music folder, all folders above it.
- used the "apply to enclosed items" when updating read/ write rights for my music folder, but it didn't update those rights in the enclosed folders.
- tried renaming the library
- wanted to fix permissions but this option is grey in Disk Utility, even when I run it from the installation CD.
- repaired the disk in disk utility (many errors were found and it took ages)
Steps not taken:
- didn't update read/write right in all the folders within my music folder. (performing such a manual update on plus 350 folders shouldn't be considered a solution, there must be some other way)
Question: How to fix this problem? I understand that there is a problem with my old admin (from the previous install) being in charge of my external HDD. I can't remove that admin (it's listed as "unknown").
Thanks in advance for help. I see that I am not alone with this issue.

Select your external drive in finder.
press CMD and i
an info windows will open - what is reported as "Format" ?
anyway scroll down to the very bottom: "Sharing & Permissions"
set everyone's privilege to "Read & Write" and choose to "Apply to all enclosed items"

Adding Windows folders to iTunes library

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