Can I have 2 music libraries on the same computer?

I have an iPod and my wife would like to purchase one aswell. All of my music resides on my desktop. Our tastes in music differ a bit so she would like her own library and I would like mine. If we purchase a new iPod can we have two libraries?
Thanks.

When the iPods belong to different people, there are basically three ways of using multiple iPods on a computer and these involve:
a) Sharing a single iTunes library
b) Creating Multiple Libraries in a single user account
c) Creating multiple user accounts.
Note: When you are sharing an iTunes library, you don't have to set each iPod to update in the same manner, you can mix and match from the options below as each iPod has it's own update settings
Sharing a Library and/or User Account
If you want to share the one library, you can set either or all of the iPods so that they only get updated with only certain playlists (you can update from more than one if you wish): Loading songs onto iPod automatically - Windows
Choosing the update option "Sync Music - Selected playlists" allows you to create a playlist specifically for the iPod and drag the tracks you want into it. If you tire of the list and want to change it, you just add or remove the songs you don't want. The ones you take out out remain in the library to be used some other time if you choose. You can read more about playlists at these links:
iTunes: Creating playlists of your favorite songs
How to create a Smart Playlist with iTunes
Or you can choose to update any or all of the iPods manually and just drag whatever content you want to them: Managing content manually on iPod
Loading the iPod shuffle differs slightly but it can still be used with the others, for details have a look at this page: Loading songs onto iPod shuffle - Windows
Multiple Libraries
It's also possible to have multiple libraries in a single account. To create or access a second (or more) library, hold down the Option key (or Shift key in Windows) when launching iTunes 7. 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. This 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
Separate User Accounts
Another option is to create a separate User account for each person on your PC or Mac. Different 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
I don't use Windows so I can't give you a step by step on that one, however I can point you to another web page which should help you out. You can read about Windows user accounts here: Using Windows XP User Accounts

Similar Messages

TS2972 I have multiple libraries on the "same computer" with two different desktops, can't I share between two libraries on the same computer?

I'm trying to use home sharing to share content between libraries so some of the combined content in a given library, can be synced to an ipad. Instad of having mulitple computers, i have multiple libraries on the same computer using two desktops. How do I share within the same computer?

iTunes must be running for home sharing to work. There is no way to have home sharing running simultaniously for two users on the same computer.
Simply add the media files using File > Add File/Folder option in iTunes.

My daughter and I each have iTunes libraries on the same computer, how can I move some songs from one library to the other?

My daughter and I each have iTunes libraries on the same computer, how can songs from one library be moved to the other?

So, if she purchased a song from iTunes in her library, I will also have to purchase the same song to add to my library?

I have multiple libraries on the SAME computer.

I have multiple libraries on the SAME computer. How can I share these libraries? I do not see the SHARED tab when i open iTunes. Where is this tab?

home sharing works between two or more computers on the same LAN.
if you're talking about libraries on multiple user accounts on the same computer, peruse how to share music between different accounts on a single computer.
if you mean you're working with multiple libraries on the same user account, check out PowerTunes or iTunes Library Manager.

Can you have 2 IPods on the same computer

I have an IPod and was going to buy one as a gift for my friend but we share one computer, so I was wondering if there was a way to have 2 Ipods on the same computer, possibly even using the same software because we share mine right now. Before I purchase I need to know.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300432

Can't merge "duplicate" libraries on the same computer

MAC PRO
OSX 10.6.8, Aperture 3.2.4
I'm trying to merge two libraries on the same mac (different drives). The libraries were duplicates at one time but have since changed - I've added photos to both of these libraries (unintentionally) to the point where both are different sizes and not true duplicates any longer. Trying to merge the two libraries back into one isn't allowed as Aperture says it's a duplicate "of the library currently running."
I have been able to export an individual project as its own library then merge it into the same project in the other library but not everything all at once.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I discovered the fix for this issue. Supposedly the problem occurs when an Aperture library is moved or copied via Finder rather than using the Import/Export function with the Aperture itself. Since that is accurate for my situation, I'm assuming it's true.
In order to merge libraries that were once the same, first create a new library for each existing library. To do this go to File/Switch to Library/Other/New. Choose "Create New" in the dialog box, select a volume to place the new library, give it a name unique for that library, and hit "Create." In the new library, go to File/Import/Library/Project and select a library that you want to eventually want to merge. Import this library. You'll need to do this for every library you want to merge. Once all of the libraries have been imported into new libraries (think of this as just a laborious way of simply renaming the files), then you should be able to merge the libraries together. Be aware you that must create new libraries for all libraries you want to merge. Just creating one new library and attempting to merge the contents with another won't work. In my case, Aperture went through the "process" of merging, very quickly, but none of the files of the second library actually merged into the first - and no error message will appear.

How do I merge different music libraries on the same computer. I have Iphone and an ipod

I have an Iphone and my wife has ipod nano. We both have different music libraries. Itunes on my mac doesnot allow the merging of libraries. Is there a way of doing so without lossing the music

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 .

I have two libraries on the same computer but different logins, there is my user account for the computer and then there is my grandma's, how do i get my music without having to resync on both libraries?

this computer has two logins, my grandma's (which is the administrator) and mine, itunes is on both logins but on my login i have some music there and hers i have my other music.. i want to be able to redownload my music on my ipod touch with out having to resync back and forth between libraries.. how do i combine the libraries because if i go with one or the other i lose my music i have purchased, on both libaries the music belongs to me not my grandma,
Also, a few weeks ago, I loaned the IPOD to somebody and they told me that evidently the IPOD had been hacked and that it had lost all the music. When I got it back, I re-synced it and got some of the music back. After talking to other people, I now suspect that my "friend" tried to do something he wasn't suppose to to and the IPOD shut down or that he was trying to create an Apple ID of his own without paying for it. Now that I have it back, I just want to get the music back that I paid for that is already associated with my ID and that is in my two libraries. I can see them in there (on the computer), I just can't access them to download them on the IPOD. Can you help?

There are actually a few methods for using more than one iPod on a single computer: How To Use Multiple iPods with One Computer
Just to summarise what's in the link above:
Method one is to have two Mac or Windows user accounts which by definition would give you two completely separate libraries.
Method two is to set your preferences so that either one or both iPods get updated with only certain playlists within one library. If you've had no success with this you can have a look through the guide on this page: Loading songs onto iPod automatically
Another option when using a single library is to set one or both of the iPods to manual update: Managing content manually on iPod
You can read about Windows user accounts here: Using Windows XP User Accounts

Help...how do I keep 3 different Music Libraries on the same computer?

I have huge music folders and I don't want them all in one iTunes Library because it makes finding anything REALLY laborious. What I want to do is have 3 different and completely isolated Music Libraries in different places on my computer. Then I can simply move them to and from the My Documents\My Music\iTunes Music folder when I want to switch between them...but I'm not sure about the best way to do this.

To create or access a second (or more) library, hold down the Shift key in Windows when launching iTunes 7. 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. This 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

Copying music libraries across the SAME computer??

As a user of Windows XP there are several different personal desktops corresponding to everyone using the computer. Each user desktop is different and personalized and over the years of using itunes i created my own music library on someone elses user desktop, now that i have my own desktop and blank itunes library, i want to transfer the music that is already on our computer from the one user profile to my user profile. if that makes any sense, or is in any way possible, I would love input. the idea of re-building my entire library is really overwhelming. Thank you!
Sony Windows XP

take the files or folder where the music is located, and then put them in "shared documents". you can access the shared documents by any user on the computer. then, go to iTunes, and click "file" and "import files". go to your "shared documents" folder, and highlight all the files you want in your new iTunes library. it should be pretty easy.
Windows XP

How can I have 2 ipods on the same computer

I bought a 7th generation ipod for my husband for Christmas. We have been trying to figure out how we can have both ipods on 1 computer.

Click here for options.
(74632)

I have music files by the same artist but they are listed in itunes in more than one album hod can i add then to just one album pf that artist

I have music files by the same artist but they are listed in Itunes in more than one album hod can i add then to just one album of that artist I am using windows 8.1 .

iTunes will group songs into an album when:
All songs have the same value for the Album and Artist field, or
All songs have the same value for the Album and Album Artist field
All songs have the same value for the Albumfield and the Part of a Compilation flag is checked.
If you want to group all the songs by one artist into a single "album" you can do so by following one of these rules. However, it may be more useful to create Playlists to group music like this and retain the original release information. One Smart Playlist for each artist you're interested in would meet this need without over-writing information about the source albums.

Can you have two iPods on the same account

I have an Itouch and an old classic that I want to load different music on. Can I have two ipods on the same account? Thanks

I have a iMac, MB Pro, iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad Mini, iPod 4th all on the same iTunes account. Is that what you mean?

HT3819 Can you home share with two libraries on the same computer?

Can home share be used with two libraries on the same computer?

iTunes must be running for home sharing to work. There is no way to have home sharing running simultaniously for two users on the same computer.
Simply add the media files using File > Add File/Folder option in iTunes.

HT1766 can you have multiple iPhones in the same iTunes account without overwriting each phones content?

Can you have multiple iPhones in the same iTunes account without overwriting each phones content?

Hi sandexpress,
As Ocean20 indicates, you want to make sure that you have automatic syncing turned off. In iTunes Preferences under Devices, make sure you have "Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically" checked. Then connect each iPhone, and make sure that "Manually Manage Music and Videos" is checked on the Info page for each of them. Then go into each page for each device, and select what you want to sync to that particular device. (you would do this one device at a time - complete the steps for one of the phones, then connect the next one and do the same thing).
With this kind of setup, you can modify what will sync at any given time for a particular device once you have connected it to iTunes, but before you click on the Sync button at the bottom of the screen. If you want to change some sync options on a particular device, you would just go into the page you wanted to change (Music, Photos, Apps, etc.), make your changes, and then Sync.
If you do not have any changes, you can just hook up the phone and click on Sync.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
GB

Can I have 2 music libraries on the same computer?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for