Can I play my music from external hard drive through itunes?

If this is possible How would a (NEW TO iMac) user do this? Otherwise if that is not possible, how do you export music files from a seagate external hard drive to itunes.

Expanding Niel's answer a bit...
in iTunes, go to iTunes->Preferences->Advanced and insure that "Copy files..." is NOT checked.  Then you can add all your music to your iTunes library by dragging the parent folder into the "library" window at the upper left (if you're using iTunes 11, do View->Show sidebar first).  You can also do "File->Add to library...".

Similar Messages

  • Can't play music from external hard drive through iTunes on Windows 8?

    I recenty bought a new laptop running Windows 8 with a small internal hard drive, so I don't want to store all my music on it. I backed up my iTunes library onto an external hard drive, but when I plug this into my new laptop I can't play my music no matter what I do.
    I have tried:
    - selecting the newly created iTunes library by pressing Shift when opening iTunes and playing a song directly through the iTunes player. It selects the song, comes up with the speaker icon next to it to indicate it is playing, but the time doesn't count down and no music plays
    - I have gone into Advanced Preferences and specified the iTunes media folder location, still no songs play
    - coped a single song onto my new laptop desktop and tried to play this through iTunes, Media Player and the Music app. Media player says "Windows Media Player encountered a problem while playing the file". The Music app says it can't find any music on the computer, so when I select the music folder from my hard drive, it says "Can't Play. Make sure your computer's sound and video cards are working and have the latest drivers, then try again".
    I know my laptop can play sound and video as I can watch YouTube videos with no problems. I went to Windows Update, and there are no available updates, I already have every available update.
    I have also plugged in a different external hard drive, with different music files on it, and have encountered the exact same problems. It seems I can't play any music at all on this laptop. I know the files are not corrupted, as I can plug both hard drives into a different laptop that runs on Windows 7 and play the music on them with no troubles. Could it be a problem with the files compatibility with Windows 8?
    I can also access my iPhone backup through this iTunes library on the new computer, so I know there is no problem with my backup.

    I am experiencing a similar problem in Windows 7 64bit.  Since my laptop has a 128gb SSD, I have loaded my iTunes library on to an external drive.  I can sync my iPhones and iPads from this library, and the songs play fine from those devices.  However, when I select a song from my library, and click the play button, nothing happens.  iTunes does nothing.  I have also tried right-clicking mp3s in my library and selecting "Play", with no results.  I do not receive an error message of any kind.
    I have also noticed that some of my mp3's within iTunes denote the Time as 00:00.  The same mp3's will play and register properly using other mp3 players on my computer, and they also play normally on my iPhones and iPads.
    I am running Windows 7 x64 on a Lenovo T530, in iTunes 11.1.3.  Everything else in iTunes appears to function normally.  I can listen to internet radio stations without an issue, through iTunes, and they play as they should.  I have tried three different external drives, with different drive formats, and they all have the same issue.  If I copy my iTunes library back to my internal drive, iTunes will play my mp3s.
    I did not have this issue with iTunes 10, so I am assuming it is something that has occured within the last few updates.
    Has anyone found a fix for this?  Unfortunately, I am forced to use iTunes 11 because of my iOS devices, otherwise I would revert to iTunes 10.

  • How do I get music from External Hard Drive to iTunes?

    Hi, I recently got an external hard drive to free up some memory on my powerbook. I put all of my music on there and deleted it from my computer, following the article about "Moving your iTunes folder". It copied most of the songs and worked temporarily, but then I had to erase my hard drive, because I was having some issues with a few programs. So now I have my "iTunes Music" folder on my external hard drive, and when I choose that as the source of music for the library and try to consolidate, nothing happens.
    So, how can I use the folder on my external hard drive for my iTunes library? I even tried reloading it onto my PowerBook hard drive and importing from there, and it didn't work... Any help would be fantastic.

    if your main library is on your external, then when not connected, you wont have access to it.
    so first decide, where do you want to keep the files.
    E.g. In my case, I keep my files on "C:\iTunes Music".
    I have a backup on external "Z:\iTunes Backup". If I format my laptop, this is how I restore everything.
    Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced.
    The iTunes music folder in selects as "C:\iTunes Music"
    I have checked Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized, and also Copy Files to iTunes Music folder when adding to ibrary". Click OK to save and close preferences.
    My iTunes list is now empty. I go to file, and select "Add Folder to Library". From that window, I select "Z:\iTunes Backup". iTunes then copies everything from the backup to "C:\iTunes Music". For me, backup is backup, I dont need it to play music.
    Now decide this. If you do not want to keep music on C:, but want to only connect the external to update music on your ipod, do this:
    In preferences, set iTunes Music folder as "Z:\iTunes Backup", and uncheck Copy files to iTunes Music folder, since they are already there. Then in files, select Add folder to library again to build and update the list.

  • How do I transfer my music from external hard drive to itunes library?

    Hello everyone!
    How do I transfer my .mp3 files from my external hard drive to my itunes library?

    Drag them into the open iTunes application window. You may need to copy them to the internal drive first or organize the iTunes library afterwards.
    (65802)

  • Can't copy my music from external hard drive to new MacBook Pro hard drive. "This operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items."

    I already tried going to "Get info" and "apply to enclosed items" but that doesn't work. I can copy over about 2gbs of music into my iTunes library but after that, it stops and I get the error. Please help. Any information that would lead to a solution would be great. Thanks!

    Hi..
    Best to post your topic in the iTunes for Mac community here.

  • Old laptop died, got latest itunes on new laptop and recovered all music from external hard drive but ipad not recognised as device when plugged in? Do i reset my ipad2!!!

    Old laptop died, got latest itunes on new laptop and recovered all music from external hard drive but ipad2 not being recognised as a device when plugged in so can't sync? Do i reset my ipad2?!!!! Its only taken 7 months to get to this point.
    My ipad is set to sync via wifi but it is still trying to look for my old laptop which has been trashed..but i have deauthorised it and removed it from my account and still not recognised.
    Please help (an extreme novice to Apple products)

    Sync Your iOS Device with a New Computer Without Losing Data
    http://www.howtogeek.com/104298/sync-your-ios-device-with-a-new-computer-without -losing-data/
    iPad not appearing in iTunes
    http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/assistant/itunes/
    iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Mac OS X
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1591
    iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1538
    IOS: Syncing with iTunes
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1386
    Apple - Support - iPad - Syncing
    http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/syncing/
     Cheers, Tom

  • How can I move my project from external hard drive to my macbook pro?

    How can I move my project from external hard drive to my macbook pro? every time I try to do some editing, the sequence is very slow, thanks in advance

    Try here...
    Setting-up a new Mac from an old one, its backups, or a PC

  • I would like to play music from my iPhone 5 on the speakers attached to my computer at work. I don't have the authority to download itunes onto the computer. Can I play the music from the phone without having itunes on the computer?

    I would like to play music from my iPhone 5 on the speakers attached to my computer at work. I don't have the authority to download itunes onto the computer. Can I play the music from the phone without having itunes on the computer?

    KiltedTim wrote:
    The cable would be much cheaper than the Scotch!
    But much less fun or satisfying.
    Signed,
    An IT guy 

  • ITunes can not find my music on external hard drive

    Had to redo my hard drive; had all music on external hard drive; copied iTunes folder onto external hard drive. Now that my desktop hard drive is clean, and new iTunes downloaded, it can not find my music on the external drive which I have always used. Is there some setting I am missing, do I have to copy music onto CPU?

    Hold the SHIFT key while launching iTunes. You will get the option to navigate to the iTunes folder on your external drive. In the iTunes folder point it to the iTunes Library.itl file.

  • Transfering Music from external hard drive

    Thought I copied music files from external hard drive to new computer sucessfully, but when I try to play music on computer I get an error message telling me that the original file can't be found and do I want to locate it. Looks like everything is there, artwork, playlists, but can't play. Help. Thanks!!!

    Hi,
    These Links may be just what you are Looking for...
    iTunes on External Drive
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
    Moving your iTunes Media Folder
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364
    Cheers,

  • Moving Music from External Hard Drive

    I just rebooted my pc and I am trying to put my iTunes music from my hard drive back on the computer. How do I do this? Do I just drop and drag directly from the hard drive to the itunes folder in explore or do I have to bring both folders out to the desktop. Thank you!!

    Do I just drop and drag directly from the hard drive to the itunes folder in explore or do I have to bring both folders out to the desktop.
    Neither. You need to use the Import function inside iTunes, or drag the folder to the library in the open iTunes application window.
    (47964)

  • Copying Large Blocks of MP3 files from External Hard Drive to iTunes

    I'm trying to copy large numbers of MP3 files from my external
    hard drive to iTunes. I tried putting them in the iTunes music folder but this did not work. Then I tried selecting blocks of the songs and dragging and dropping them in iTunes. This also did not work because when I select a large block of files and then click on them (holding down the mouse button) to drag them, then they become "unselected." So, I guess my question is 2 fold: Why can I not copy and paste these files to some folder on the Macintosh Hard drive where they will be recognized by iTunes (show up in iTunes) and what is wrong with my clicking and dragging technique? Am I losing it?

    If you are trying to add tunes to your library then do the work from within iTunes not via the Finder. Droping the tunes into the iTunes folder will not create a reference for iTunes to find the tunes. You should be able to drag-drop the tunes/folders into the main iTunes window.
    It is usually easier to use the 'keep' and 'copy' features selected. This way iTunes will keep your tunes organized and all in one place. If you work from in the iTunes interface then you will likely not go wrong.
    From the iTunes File menu select 'add to library' (+O) and navigate to your ext HD and iTunes should bring those tunes into your library.
    MJ

  • How to play itunes music from external hard drive

    How do I either play continuous music from my external hard drive, or make itunes recognize my external hard drive as the library.

    Hi Jim
    I've recently upgraded to a macbook Pro and I copied all data, profiles etc across from my old macbook. I have also created a second account in my mackbook Pro. I am able to play my iTunes music from the external HD in the 'old' account, but not in the 'new' account, despite trying what you've said above. On the external HD, there are two folders: iTunes music and iTunes media. I have tried selecting each of these, but both times, I get this message: "An iTunes library file could not be found in the folder "iTunes Media". Please choose a different folder." ... Please can you help?
    Many thanks in advance!

  • Playing music from external hard drive, iTunes

    Hello all,
    After years of wanting to own a MacBook Pro, I finally have one.  This is the first Mac computer that I have owned so I am still new to everything.  One issue that I  am having is an issue that I have had over the years on Windows, that always took me hours to get straight.  I am going to explain  how my iTunes has been setup on all of my previous computers so that hopefully you guys can make sense of what I am trying to accomplish as I could not find a solution on here.
    The way iTunes is set up on my Windows PC's was that all of my music was on my external hard drive.  Whenever I would want to use my music through iTunes, I would have to plug in my external hard drive and once it boots I can now play music.  Without the hard drive plugged in I can only see all the information about my music on iTunes but I cannot play it since the hard drive is disconnected.  I am trying to do this same setup with my macbook but I am having difficulty accomplishing that.  I honestly do not remember how I did it on my Windows PC other than it took forever.  I kept getting duplicates but after trying multiple times, I got it to where there were no duplicates and everything was fine.
    What steps do I go about in order to be able to see all my music information on iTunes but having the actual music file on my external?  I like it this way as it saves my internal hard drive storage and I don't mind having to plug in my external when needed.  I have only attempted once so far to do this procedure on my new MacBook, I failed.  It transferred all of the music and worked just how I wanted it to work.  However, it created a duplicate of every song, which there is thousands of, so I deleted everything and now iTunes doesn't have anything.  Any help is appreciated, sorry for the long post.

    So after messing around for awhile I finally figured it out and got everything working how I want it and had it on my Windows machine.  It took me forever to find the iTunes library file as it was not in its default location on my Windows machine.  I finally figured out what needs to be done and it is really easy like you explained.  I discovered that my issue is: 1. The default location of these common iTunes files is not in its default location likely due to me moving it the last time I did this from my prior Windows machine and 2. My external hard drive needs to be cleaned up, at least my music section.
    What I am going to do in the future is purchase a new external hard drive specifically for my Mac backups and music.  I will have to take a day and transfer my huge library to the new drive so that I ensure everything is organized and kept clean and not make this process more difficult than it should in the future.  I am however missing some of my tracks (noted with the !) I do believe that this is due to me accidentally changing the file paths on my external at some point in the past and left certain files on my Windows internal drive.  This issue is solved though, hopefully.  I appreciate your help.
    BTW:  I am loving my 15" rMBP, I wish the price didn't hold me back as long as it did.  

  • How do i get itunes 11 to stop adding music played from external hard drive to itunes library

    I use itunes 11 to play music from my external hard drive and when i am finished using the hard drive and disconnect it the artist and songs appear in the itunes libary and when i click on it to play them it cannot locate the file and i assume this is becuse under the advanced prefrences tab i unchecked the auomaticly add played music to itunes library. I do not want my external hard drive music to be added to itunes library which at this point it does not but it is still showing the music in the library even though it cannot be played this is very fustrating please help. how do i get the artist and songs played from the external hardrive from appering in the itunes library.

    Do you have a working copy of the library anywhere? The key file is called iTunes Library.itl and normally exists inside <User's Music>\iTunes. This is the file that knows what is in your library and each of the playlists, and holds ratings, play counts etc. Changing the media folder path in preferences tells iTunes where you'd like it to store media in future. It doesn't magically connect iTunes to any media that might already be there, or fix links to media that has been moved, or make it pick up a non-existent library file. If the worst comes to it you will need to import the media into the new empty library.
    See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device if you have any of these to recover ratings, play stats and playlists, and to associate your device with the new library.
    tt2

Maybe you are looking for

  • Why can't I use the creative cloud connection file syncing?

    I hear people raving about it on twitter, so why am I only seeing a 'coming soon' message in the files tab of my creative cloud interface? I would very much like to use the file syncing to work between two computers! What is going on here? Is there s

  • How do I add URL links in my chapters?

    I'm making an enhanced podcast, and I need to know how to create these URL links with in Final Cut Express HD. I think it has something to do with creating chapters.

  • PPro CS6:  Source Monitor Dropping Frames

    Greetings, Currently I'm working off an iMac, OSC 10.8.4, 12 GB RAM, with i7, and ATI Radeon 1GB video card.  I haven't noticed it recently until today for some reason, but my source monitor keeps dropping frames like crazy after about 5 seconds of p

  • Set multiple Region Keys to one Region within Map component?

    Does anyone know if multiple region keys can be tied to one specific region within a Map component? Example - My data contains the following values that i'd use as Region Keys (these are codes in my table that stand for cities within Taiwan):      1)

  • Should I use "clean up my mac 2" to make my mac run faster?

    My mac is running super slow.  I keep seeing ads for "clean up my mac" and "clean up my mac 2".  Should I use these programs? Is there something else that is recommended? I have deleted my download folder, but that didn't help much.