Backing up iTune library

how do I move my iTunes from my eMac's hard drive to an external hard rive and or vis versa.
Thanks

William hello,
to reinforce what you have been told and to help you understand it better... this just happened to me so if you follow my brief story you will pick up the thread okay.
I was working with two computers the other day an iMac and a iBook both had big libraries on and their own playlists etc. and OS X 10.4.3
iMac is streaming iTunes 24/7 ( currently over 500 hours non stop since last iTunes upgrade if any one wants the URL let me know)
I hooked the two together, the iBook has the standard iTunes setup
Home > Music > iTunes folder iTunes Library and xml file, iTunes Music folder 6600 songs. ... The iMac is a test bed and 8900 songs not in any folders, in a shared folder with RW for all .... The Home > Music > iTunes folder iTunes Library and xml file, setup is there plus another 20 libraries all named what they do and stored in a folder and an empty iTunes Music Folder.
I want the iBook to take over the streaming without breaking the connection
1. Open iTunes Folder iMac, Duplicate iTunes Library (iTunes running)
2. Drag dupe to iTunes folder iBook (iTunes NOT running)
3. Put iTunes Library and XML files on desktop.
4. Change name of Dupe to be iTunes Library
5. Double/click on file
all done I'm now listening on the iBook once I sync the end if a song from the playlist currently 'On Air'... I have to be careful to also switch the program that is handling the steam as well... You of course do not have this concern I only mention it to show the stability of the setup
The key is, OS X 10.4.3 has all the power to keep track of it all and if iTunes finds what it expects to find at startup time it all ticks very very well.
Read this post
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=158843
would welcome any questions you may have William.
take care ... TP

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I upgraded to iTunes 10.5 and now I can't back up iTunes library to disc. In previous versions it was in file library backup to disc. In iTunes 10.5 that is gone!

I upgraded to iTunes 10.5 and now I can't back up iTunes library to disc. In previous versions it was in file>library>backup to disc. In iTunes 10.5 that is gone!

Some of us have our enture itunes library backed up on CD/DVD - what a waste of time and effort as now presumably you can't use these discs to restore itunes on a new computer! WHY NOT APPLE?
Very unimpressed with itunes 10.5/ios5 - wifi tracking apps have been removed from the store (and won't function in ios5), it's impossible to sync photos (I have spent a whole day trying to sync my iphone 3GS with itines 10.5) to no avail and now, no CD backup facility.
I have never had problems with apple before - I was thinking of upgrading my whole system from PC to Mac but now I am doubtful - if this is typical of apple software, I will stay with windows!

I lost songs on my itunes library n i have same songs kn my iphone. So how can i get them back to itunes library?

I lost songs on my itunes library n i have same songs kn my iphone. So how can i get them back to itunes library?

See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
tt2

Back up itunes library

i've backed up itunes library then went back to update cd using option( only back up items added or changed since last back up)using an unformatted disc or formatted i get messages : please insert isert blank disc or disc is not blank. so either way i can't update the disc. the ony way i found to do it is to use a formatted disc and go to source folder and copy from there. not ideal.

If you want to back up everything to an external drive, copy the entire iTunes folder.
Or you can use any backup program to do the same.
Is it also possible to back everythign up in MP3 format to a CD or DVD?
iTunes prefs -> Advanced - Burning.
Set to Data CD/DVD.
Create a Smart playlist where Kind contains MPEG audio file.
Click Burn.

How Can I Roll Back my iTunes Library?

I'm guessing it may no tbe possible at all, but here goes.
What I would like to do with my music estate is roll back my current iTunes library file, automatically updated to iTunes 11 when updated on MPBr when this was my only PC using iTunes. Now I have three and some iOS devices too. My library has been moved from windows machines to macs and is several years old and has received 100s of hours of tweaking to get it just right.
Now my server is a PowerPC mac and I can only go as far as iTunes 10.6.xx, I want this to be always on and share the library with other PCs accross home sharing (i will sync iPhones over the wi-fi with this PC too, though it may not play with iOS7, so perhaps not).
I want to see the iTunes library on the macbooks, probably through Home Sharing, I also want to be able to sync the iphones, but only have a single copy of the music files on the server. is this possible? This will just be for when out of the house as I can also use home sharing in the house for music.
Thanks

You say you want to do this with multiple devices. Let's say you have a new iPhone 5 that requires iTunes 11. You will not be able to sync that if your base iTunes is iTunes 10.6 since your hardware will require at least whatever version of iTunes was current at the time of purchase. You're seeing this with your iOS7 phone. Anyway, unless all your hardware is old enough to use the lowest version of iTunes you need to run, you may be out of luck. You cannot share the library. Sharing media is different, and relatively easy, but it will be complex to ensure all the multiple libraries are kept up to date.
You also can't roll back iTunes libraries to earlier versions unless you kept a backup of your library from the point to which you wish to revert, or it is still in the previous libraries folder.

How to back up iTunes Library

How do I back up my iTunes library to an external hard drive (my backup drive)?

Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive.

How do I back up itunes library to an external hard to free memory on my Macbook?

I have just noticed that a majority of my memory is being used by my itunes library. I was told that I can transfer and use an external to free up space on my macbook.I am in need of some type of step by step or a good link to walk me through it.I don't want to lose any of the movies or music I have accumulated, I am fairly new to the Apple world and just need some beginner help. Thanks

Nah that's fine I think.
The other thing to make sure of, is that you aren't doubling up on your music/video/podcasts.
If you have a neat folder where all your stuff is great. But if you have set itunes to Copy files to iTunes Media Folder when adding to library, then there is going to be 2 copies. Your original, and your copy, as far as I can remember.
You should double check that.
Because your backups will be backing up twice as much.
Also note, time machine backups back up all files that have been changed. If you are downloading a 5GB movie, if you download an extra 4MB and do backup again, it will backup another 5GB file.
I always have my download folder as not part of the backup due to this.
You could also add a 2nd HDD in your Macbook: http://eshop.macsales.com/owcpages/datadoubler/

What is the best way to back up itunes library

I have my imac time machine program set to back up my computer every day to an external hard drive. I recently updated itunes and I lost some of my songs. I tried to find them in time machine but I couldn't find them. itunes support was good and I was able to download them again but I'm wondering what is the best way to back up my songs so I don't have to ask to download them again. I have a lot of podcast that I don't want to keep hard copies of they aren't as important to me.
As of now I have all the songs burned to a music cd but I just want to know if others think that time machine isn't the best back up for itunes and the cd's are the way to go.
Thanks for the help.

see _*The Complete Guide to Backing Up your iTunes Library*_.
JGG

How do I back up Itunes library to External HD?

Hello:
Anyone who read my prior post knows that my internal CD-RW Drive crashed. I am now forced to find another method to finally get around to backing up my itunes library which currently has about 2-3 GB of music. When I open itunes and go to file it gives me the option to backup to disk. Obviously with the external HD I will not be backing up to disk. Can anyone assist me with the following:
1. How will I backup my data to the external HD once I get it today (I am not all that computer literate so as detailed as you can be would be much appreciated).
2. If I ever need to restore my itunes music back onto itunes how do I accomplish this?
3. Will backing up my itunes also back up all of my podcasts or just music that I purchased or downloaded from CD, ect.
4. After I backup today on the external HD can I then open another itunes account on my wife's computer (which is brand new and much faster supporting USB 2.0 where mine is 1.1) and transfer all of my data to her computer so that I do not have to use my computer anymore?
THANKS FOR THE TIME READING THIS!!! I greatly appreciate any replys and have a safe and happy new year!

Its pretty simple to do. Long as you have some extra space to spare on your INTERNAL harddrive (aka the C drive in windows) because you will want to consolidate the library.
In iTUnes when you goto Advanced>Consolidate library it will COPY all songs listed in itunes to the "iTUnes Music" folder, located in My Music>iTUnes.
All purchased items from the itunes store are already in this folder, so itunes will not copy them.
Once this is done all you need to do is goto My Music rightclick the "iTUnes" folder and select copy.
Now open "My Computer" double click the external drive there, rightclick in a blank field and hit "Paste". this will put the whole itunes folder on the external drive with all your music AND the "iTUnes Library.xml" file.
Now use the "Safly remove hardware" to remove/eject the external drive from your PC (This will be a little small green arrow icon in the lower righthand corner of windows, where the clock is).
Far as your wifes computer goes, you may have to create your own user account in windows first UNLESS she doesn't use itunes or you want to combine all your music with hers on her user account in windows.

How do I get back my Itunes library after it suddenly disappeared?

Looked at my ITunes library last week to try and make a new playlist but all my years of music/videos etc has disappeared without me doing anything? I have had very bad luck with Time Machine as well and realised not long ago that for 4 years it has only been backing up 'Desktop' and not the whole computer. I backed up all my photos and docs on various DVD's and CD's once I realised but I cant see that I backed up my Itunes library. I am only hoping that on the 'Desktop' external hard drive back ups that I can find it again? If it is on there, how do I get it off as I have heard that you can not retrieve certain items from an external hard drive especially with Time machine although I have never needed to before. Do you think all my songs etc have gone forever now??....Help!!
Im not even sure what version of I Tunes it was. I am running Mac OS X 10.5.8 on a 2008 Macbook

If you didn't knowingly change libraries then it is more likely that your original library file become corrupted and was replaced with an blank copy. It should be possible to restore your previous data as follows.
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps you shouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library as iTunes Library (Corrupt) and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
The images are from a Windows system but the principle is just the same... Depending on when you initially installed iTunes the library files may, or may not, end with a .itl extension. Be consistent with the file that you are replacing.
See MusicFolder Files Not Added and Super Remove Dead Tracks for tools to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
tt2

Backing up itunes library to a hard drive

I want to back up my entire itunes library to my hard drive but can only find instructons on backing up to cds, i have a very large library and dont want to lose any of my songs, please help
thanks

The instructions you saw are for using iTunes to back up to CD or DVD. You do not need them for backing up to an external hard drive. Just close iTunes. Make sure the hard drive is connected to the computer. Go into Windows Explorer, or "My Computer." Copy your entire "My Music" folder to the hard drive, along with anything else that you wish to back up.

Can't Back up iTunes library - DVDs keep getting rejected

Have just upgraded to iTunes 7.1. Tried to use the Back Up function mentioned in "What's new...". Unfortunately, every time I try to back up the iTunes library to a blank DVD-RW, the computer fails to work out what the disc is and then spits it out. Why would that happen?
Are some brands of DVD-RWs incompatible with Macs? Have tried TDK 4.7GB DVD-RW & Panasonic 4.7GB DVD+RWs. Both rejected.
Any advice appreciated. Apart from buying an External HD; too strapped for cash!
PowerBook 17" Mac OS X (10.4.8)

DVD-R or DVD-RW, either should be fine; it's the +R disks that won't work.
The fact that -RWs won't work suggests to me that you may have a hardware problem with the drive (it's quite possible for a drive to be able to work with CDs but fail with DVDs or vice-versa). In any case, it's not an iTunes problem, so you might want to take the issue up in the PowerBook DVD forum. Someone there may be able to suggest something to try to determine if it's an OS or hardware problem.

HT1751 Hello, can you help? I have backed up iTune library to an external hard drive, but want to set up periodic back ups every month. Do I have to follow the "Consolidate file" procedure every time I back up, and does my original back become over writte

Hello can anyone help? I have sucessfully backed up my iTuines library to an external hard drive, but when backing up in the furture (Monthly) do I have to follow the same procedure again, and will this place an additonal copy of my iTunes library on my hard drive, so duplicating the back up and so rapidly fill my hard drive.
Ideally what I would like, is for the lateset back up to over write the original so saving space on my external hard drive. Many thanks ......Steve

The "consolidate" command has nothing to do with making backups. You use that command when you have had content in multiple places and you wish to have it now all in a single iTunes folder. If all of your content is already in the iTunes folder, then the "consolidate" command will be of no use to you. You will make further backups using whatever method you normally would use to make backups of your data in Windows.
Regards.

Backing up Itunes library to external backup hard drive

May have missed this... but I just bought an external hard drive for use as a backup. It didn't come with backup software. For now, I just copy and paste personal folders. What do I copy to backup my itunes library? Itunes internal backup apparently only backs up to CD or DVD. Can I not back up some weird voodoo protected version of my music to an external hard drive wthout having to copy to DVD? I mean, that would go through a lot of DVDs over a year wouldn it?
Mike

Hi, Mike.
Assuming you haven't changed any of iTunes' default settings, everything you need to back-up - the iTunes Music folder, the Album Artwork and the iTunes Library files - is found in the iTunes folder at C:\Documents and Settings\ user name \My Documents\My Music\iTunes .
So, again assuming you haven't changed the defaults, all you have to do is copy the iTunes folder to your external.
If you've changed the defaults, it can be a bit more complicated.

Backing up iTunes Library to an external hard drive

i have an iomega portable firewire/usb 2.0 hard drive and i've been trying to figure out how my back up my itunes library on it but my attempts have proved futile... help?!

you don' need to have the same hard drive as me to respond... just if you have some idea of how to back up itunes to an ehd!

Backing up iTunes Library to New External Hard Drive

I need to move the location of my itunes library as my external hard drive has become full.
I have been backing up my "computer" (i.e. internal hard drive) and the itunes library stored on the external hard drive with TM.
Once I move the library, I will be backing up the new music library. As I understand it, TM will treat this as a completely new backup. Once this is done, I would no longer need or want the older backup on TM -- what's the best way of deleting the older backup since it takes up an enormous amount of space -- i.e. it's 250 gigs -- and then the additional 250 gigs for the NEW music library backup.
Thanks

Helen Berman wrote:
I need to move the location of my itunes library as my external hard drive has become full.
I have been backing up my "computer" (i.e. internal hard drive) and the itunes library stored on the external hard drive with TM.
Once I move the library, I will be backing up the new music library. As I understand it, TM will treat this as a completely new backup. Once this is done, I would no longer need or want the older backup on TM -- what's the best way of deleting the older backup since it takes up an enormous amount of space -- i.e. it's 250 gigs -- and then the additional 250 gigs for the NEW music library backup.
Hello again, Helen!
First, see this: moving your iTunes Music folder
Are you moving the iTunes library from one external to a new, larger one? If so, give the new drive a different name than the old one, even if only slightly different (this is for you, not TM!)
Once the data is moved, eject and disconnect the old drive, and leave it alone for now.
Go into Time Machine and delete all backups of the old drive. You'll need the procedure in #E3 of the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of this forum, to see them. Select the folder representing the old drive, click the "gear" icon in the Finder window's toolbar, select the +*Delete all backups of <folder name> option.+* You'll get a confirmation prompt, then one for your Admin password. Make a large pot of coffee, as that will take a while! If you exit from the TM display, you'll probably see a progress bar for the deletion.
Be sure the new drive isn't listed in the +Do not back up+ box in TM Preferences > Options. If it is, remove it. Then run a backup, and TM should back-up the new external in full, along with any changes to your internal. Make another pot of coffee!
Once that's done, be certain everything was backed-up properly: check sizes, and messages, and browse the backups.
If I were you, I'd keep that old one around, "just in case," until I really, really needed it for something else.

Backing up iTune library

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