Explain media files and library files

Are media file for windows 8 and library files for XP?

Here are typical layouts for the iTunes folders:
Essentially the library files are all things that aren't your media that the library needs in order to work, so includes the Album Artwork folder as well as the files mentioned above. The media files are the songs, videos, books, apps, etc. that are in your library. The red line indicates the media folder. Ideally all your media files should be located inside here. Although it is possible to store media files elsewhere it will be easier to backup, move or migrate a library in the normal layout.
The normal location for the iTunes library is <User's Music>, where the exact path to that depends on operating system and user name.
tt2

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How to copy only part of the music media folder and library to another Mac

Dear friends,
I run iTunes in Mac OS. The iTunes music media folder is now located in an external HD because it´s quite large (2T). The problem is that I´got a second Mac and I´d like to copy -in this second Mac, only part of my music using only its internal HD (300 Mb) . How can I do this copy while preserving art and play-lists?
Thanks in advance

tcynk00 wrote:
how I can transfer only selected pieces of music (all library will not fit anyway)
that's what playlists are for.
and how to maintain transfer process in future when I want to change the music on my nano.
add/delete track to/from the playlist you sync to your device.
JGG

I have 60 000 songs on a hard drive. The songs are referenced to the media file and not stored in the media file. I have moved the songs to another external drive. The itunes library has lost the link to the media files. How can I restore the links?

I have all my songs (60 000) on a remote drive. The drive is wireless networked. I installed a new router and had to map the drive again. Once this was done itunes could no longer locate the music. My music is not sitting in my media file but is rather referenced to the location of the music. Now that the location has changed due to the remapped drive how can I link the itunes library to the songs (media)again.
I have read many help comments and forums but so far nothing specific about relinking once the songs have already been moved and are referenced songs.
A step by step procedure would be helpful.
Thank you
Graham

I've uploaded a newer version that might catch that error. For some background on the script look at this thread.
iTunes remembers the location of each file in the database. If you right-click on a missing file, click Get Info, cancel when it asks you to try to find it, then look on the summary tab it will show you the last known location in the form file://localhost/<some path>. If you put the files back where they are expected to be, close iTunes and reopen, then iTunes will find them again. If not my script can attempt the task. When the script asks for a media folder you should respond with Z:\ since that seems to be where the artist folders are located.
tt2

HT1766 How can I backup the iPad to the non-C drive of the computer that runs the itune? I have already setup the library at a NAS and seems only media file are stored int he library. iPad backup still need to take use my C: drive that is running out o

How can I backup the iPad to the non-C drive of the computer that runs the itune? I have already setup the library at a NAS and seems only media file are stored int he library. iPad backup still need to take use my C: drive that is running out of space

Windows - Change iPad default backup location
http://apple-ipad-tablet-help.blogspot.com/2010/07/change-ipad-default-backup-lo cation.html
Windows - Changing IPhone and iPad backup location
http://goodstuff2share.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/changing-iphone-and-ipad-backup- location/
 Cheers, Tom

I have files in my iTunes media folder that somehow are not in my library. How do I get iTunes to scan my media folder and add missing files to my library without making a copy of each file in the same location?

I have files in my iTunes media folder that somehow are not in my library. How do I get iTunes to scan my media folder and add missing files to my library without making a copy of each file in the same location? If I use add file / folder to library, it scans the folder and then makes a copy of any file that is not in my library in the exact same location; I recal in older versions of iTunes being able to just drag my media folder into my library and it would update missing links.

Only the songs that are connected to iTunes will be copied when you consolidate to a new folder.
Splitting the media folder away from the usual location makes it harder to move iTunes in the future.
Are you go move everything back once you've tidied up or are you going to leave it that way? Either way I'd recommend you create an iTunes folder at the new location, an iTunes Media folder inside that, and consolidate to this new iTunes Media folder. You should also use the option File > LIbrary > Organize Library > Rearrange files in the folder "<Media Folder"> if you have not already done so.
tt2

I click on "add to library" and the file shows up in my iTunes media file, but not in my iTunes.

I click on "add to library" and the file shows up in my iTunes media file, but not in my iTunes.

That didn't work - I'm so confused - it just doesn't make sense. How could it be there, but not show up on itunes???

How to move iTunes Library/Media Files to external firewire Hard Drive and make it the master library, and then point iTunes to that when adding new content??

How to move iTunes Library/Media Files to external firewire Hard Drive and make it the master library, and then point iTunes to that when adding new content??

Copy your ENTIRE iTunes FOLDER to an External Drive...
Full Details Here > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
To Operate iTunes from the External Drive...
Start iTunes with the Option key held down and guide it to the new location of the library.
Be Sure the drive is Formatted Mac OS Extended (journaled)
Also... have a look at these 2 Videos...
http://macmost.com/moving-your-itunes-library.html
http://macmost.com/moving-your-itunes-media-to-an-external-drive.html

HT201272 I downloaded (2) Albums, can see them in i-tunes Media file, I click and drag them to i-tunes library folder and nothing happens. What am I doing wrong????

I downloaded (2) albums and they wound up in my i-tunes Media file. I try to drag them to the i-tunes music library and nothing happens. What am I doing wrong???//

Hello! I am not sure what you mean by the first part of your question, but you can't drag the music to the ITunes library. What I would do is make a folder on your computer and drag the music you want there. Then you go to ITunes, click on "File" on the top-left corner of the screen. Go down to "Add folder to library". Select the one that has your music and it will download to your ITunes library. Hope that helped!

HT203167 I found my media files. How do I get them back into my itunes library. I have tried :add to library" and copy & paste but that didn't work.

I found my itunes songs marked with an exclamation point in the media file. How do I move them back into the libary? I have tried copying and pasting but that didn't work. When I hit control, then click, there is no option "Put back" as suggeseted in the apple supoort article.

There are 9 different versions of iPhoto and they run on 9 different versions of the Operating System. The tricks and tips for dealing with issues vary depending on the version of iPhoto and the version of the OS. So to get help you need to give as much information as you can. Include things like:
- What version of iPhoto.
- What version of the Operating System.
- Details. As full a description of the problem as you can. For example, if you have a problem with exporting, then explain by describing how you are trying to export, and so on.
- History: Is this going on long? Has anything been installed or deleted? - Are there error messages?
- What steps have you tried already to solve the issue.
- Anything unusual about your set up? Or how you use iPhoto?
Anything else you can think of that might help someone understand the problem you have.

HT1751 How to transfer iTunes media files from external drive to another external drive and bring in the library from the main drive.

I have my iTunes media on an external hard drive while the library is on the main computer drive. I want to move both to a larger external drive. How do I get both together? When I consolidate, it only transfers the media files. Help.

Since I already consolidated, can I just move the library to the root level of the external drive then option click to point to that library? But using that method, all the media files are at the root level along with the iTunes folder. So nothing will be in the iTunes media folder itself. WIll that work?

Archive a playlist with media files and the song settings

I want to remove a body of songs from out of my library (Holiday and Christmas -- surprise, huh?) and yet have it ready to reimport next November, complete with song settings -- for example, I go through and amend the play volumes rather than using Sound Check.
If I delete the songs from my main library, but keep files, I realize I still have them, but do I have to go back into my folders next year and find all the songs again? ... by Artist, I guess, since that's how the folders are organized.
One year I burned the Holiday playlist with the media files as a data CD, and that worked okay, but didn't retain the individual volume adjustments I'd made.
Thanks

Are you trying to add songs to a smart playlist? If so that would explain the behaviour. To add songs to a smart playlist you need to adjust the rules or modify the tag so that it meets existing criteria.
tt2

ITunes Consolidation: Will it create duplicates of media files if they already exist in the new itunes destination folder but arent being referenced by the itunes library?

I have a macbook pro from fall 2010. I have been using my external HD as my primary itunes folder for the past 7 yrs ( i.e it is organized by itunes default categorization, etc). However, there is some overlap between my external HD itunes folder and my comps original itunes folder (probably 20-30% of my current library's media files were already duplicated there from when i first bought the HD and transferred files to the external, however they are mostly referenced from the external now). Also there are files in the comp's itunes folder that are not on my external (probably due to organizational mishaps and podcast downloads when not connected to the external, etc). I do not know how many files this is the case for.
Recently, i decided that i wanted to consolidate all of my itunes music into one concise folder on my macbook's HD to avoid these issues going forward. I also just bought a new external which i will use to back up my comp's itunes folder once i consolidate everything to the comp. But i plan on using the itunes folder on the comp going forward or at least using the consolidate fcn to avoid these issues.
Here is my dilemma. Prior to learning of the consolidate feature today, I changed the default itunes folder in settings to the original itunes folder on the macbook and then manually dragged all of the media files from my external itunes folder to the macbook's itunes folder. There were a ton of duplicates or overlapping folders with similar artist names, so i opted to have them merge all folders where possible. After doing this, i realized the itunes library still references these files that i dragged and dropped from the external since that is where my default itunes folder used to be. At that point i then read and learned of the consolidate itunes feature which seems like the best way to do this. But i am afraid that if i consolidate my library to my macbook's itunes folder now, will it create duplicates of the 4000 + media files i just dragged to the macbook's itunes folder which are already in the itunes library but being referenced from the old external??
Question: Is there a way that i can make these files i just dragged to the macbook's itunes folder become the ones referenced by the itunes library through the consolidate feature without creating duplicates of these 4000+ files? I want to avoid having three copies of these files (two duplicates in the itunes and the originals on the external). Furthermore, is there a best way to find out which files in the macbook's itunes folder are not being included in the library after consolidating everything to the computer's HD? Then after that, what is the best way to start backing this all up to my new external, so that this overlapping issue doesnt happen again? Im assuming i just need to make sure to consolidate first when changing itunes folders going forward. Thank you. I know that was a lot to read but hopefully someone can help with this issue.

In general:
- The best way to check if files are in a library is to drag the whole media folder to the library. If something was missed it will be added. If it is in the library is won't be added a second time.
- If you have a second copy of a file and iTunes does not currently list that specific file in its database then even if it is identical to one already in the database it will add it a second time. So if you have file xyz on the internal drive and the external drive and add them to iTunes you will end up with two entries for the same thing in iTunes because you really do have to copies of the files. While this can happen with two copies on a single drive, it will almost definitely be the case when you have a copy of a file on two drives because iTunes really sees them as two different things.
-Unless you know how iTunes works, avoid moving files yourself. Let the consolidate feature do all the file moving. Manually moving files can really mess up iTunes unless you know what you are doing and have iTunes set to not try to do it itself.
- There's no clean and easy way to delete duplicates. The best thing is to change practice so you don't create them. Here are references:
How to find and remove duplicate items in your iTunes library - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2905
http://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/dupin.php (commercial)
Posts by turingtest2 about different types of duplicates and techniques- https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3555601 and https://discussions.apple.com/message/16042406 (Note: The DeDuper script is for Windows)
http://www.hardcoded.net/dupeguru_me/

Transfer songs and library file from PC to Mac KEEPING them on external drive

I am struggling to find a definitive answer to this. I have all my files stored on an external hard drive on a PC.
I recently got a Macbook and want to transfer all my files to the new Mac.
I know that I will need a new Mac compatible external hard drive and that I will have to copy the files onto the new hard drive.
However I cannot find instructions on doing the transfer to the new Mac that explain doing this AND KEEPING the files on the external drive.
To clarify...I don't want to put them on the new Macs hard drive as I have around 300GB of music, I want to keep them on the external hard drive.
its probably very simple simple but am struggling to get a decent answer. have read loads of stuff that explain moving it to the mac hard drive ...buts thats not what I want to do!
thanks in advance

See Make a split library portable. A portable library can be stored entirely on an external drive and moved between Mac and Windows computers. iTunes takes a little longer to open the library the first time after each switch. If your drive is currently formatted to NTFS then you will need an additional driver to enable OS X to write to the drive, or simply clone the library to an HFS+ drive.
tt2

I need to move my ITunes files and library to an external hard drive as my C drive is getting loaded. Nothing under the move files topic adresses that except to say it is not reccomended.

Move files and library to external hard drive

Hello North Laurel Don,
The following article provides step-by-step directions for moving your iTunes Library to another location.
iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364
Cheers,
Allen

Why does Encore keep crashing and where are the media files?

I am having big problems with Encore right now. I have developed a rather complex DVD with something like 20 movies on it. The video files associated with these movies are all in .wmv format; about 4gb total in size and are stored on an external drive as is the Encore file with which I am authoring this DVD. This drive has a USB connection to my computer which I know is not the best but I have managed to author an earlier draft of this DVD no problem.
The problem now is that Encore keeps crashing. Also, in the process, a lot of disc space is eaten up on my "C" drive. I don't know why this is and where to go to delete these files. I have defragged my computer and my anti-virus scans are up to date. I am running a windows XP Home Edition O/S with an Intel pentium 4 CPU, 2.79 ghz with 2.5 gb of RAM. I went to edit>preferences>media>location in Encore and got that my media files are on my C drive in Adobe>library but, when I looked, they didn't seem to be there. Super frustrating! Also my computer is super-slow too. I deleted all temp files and there is no spyware to speak of, according to my virus scan software (Panda).
Does anyone have any ideas as to how to address this problem? Many thanks!
Lewis

Ah yes... CS4... if the OP is using CS4, the Roxio update is needed
Encore CS4 Roxio component problem http://forums.adobe.com/thread/400484?tstart=0
More on Encore and Roxio http://forums.adobe.com/thread/528582?tstart=0 or direct to
http://kb.roxio.com/search.aspx?URL=/content/kb/General%20Information/000070GN&PARAMS
Also
Long File Names Cause Crashing http://forums.adobe.com/thread/588273
And #4 Here http://forums.adobe.com/thread/666558?tstart=0
And This Message Thread http://forums.adobe.com/thread/665641?tstart=0

Explain media files and library files

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