How do I Create and Manage one library for several computers

As our family has grown over the years, we have 4 kids and 6 macs and duplicate images scattered thought all the separate computers in their own libraries. Is there a way to create and manage one central library that all computers access? That way we can reduce the headaches when we need an image and have to go to each computer and search it's library. Not to mention when we need to jump on a computer and it doesn't happen to be the one we have our library on and need to download our pictures and they end up forever lost on a different computer.

You cannot share a library over the network, since a library needs to be on a locally mounted volume, but you can put a shared library onto a "sneaker drive" and plug it into each of your mad in turn, see Apple's support document:
iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users  http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201517
iPhoto does not support to merge libraries. But iPhoto Library Manager can.
You can download it here:   http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/
See : http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/Help/merging%20libraries.html
Or, if you have Aperture, you can use it to merge libraries. Aperture 3.3: How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries

Similar Messages

  • What is the best way to manage one library on two computers?

    My wife and I recently bought Macbook's, switching from our previous Dell desktop. Now that we have two computers we want a way for both of us to be able to access our iTunes library from our respective computers and add music to our iPods. When I add our music into my Library and set my library to share this only seems to allow her to play the songs on her Macbook but not add them to her iPod. Adding our music to her own library raises the problem of new albums I download not appearing in her library unless she manually adds them. I would like a way we can keep all of our music in one folder (on our Time Capsule) but both be able to download music, have it show up on the other persons library, and add songs to our iPods from our own computers.

    When I add our music into my Library and set my library to share this only seems to allow her to play the songs on her Macbook but not add them to her iPod.
    Correct. You cannot sync an iPod to a playlist provided by iTunes Sharing. The track must be on the computer to which the iPod is being synchronized.
    I would like a way we can keep all of our music in one folder (on our Time Capsule) but both be able to download music, have it show up on the other persons library, and add songs to our iPods from our own computers.
    iTunes doesn't have any built-in folder watching capability, so without third-party software help, content added from one computer has to be manually added to iTunes on the other computer. Hazel says it can be set up to add content to iTunes automatically, but I haven't tried it myself.
    Alternatively, you can each have your own iTunes library on your own computers and use one of the several third-party utilities to keep the libraries in sync. If that's of interest, post back and I can provide links to the utilities I know of.
    Regards.

  • How do i create a separate media library for a different user with the same software and i pod?

    i currently have i tunes with my preferred music. my family member has a completely different taste of music. i set up an account name for that family member however we are sharing the software. how do i create a separate library. my library automatically appears under her account?

    this support article should help:
    How to use multiple iPods, iPads, or iPhones with one computer

  • Using one library for multiple computers and accounts (not store accounts)

    Okay, we currently have four macs in the house. One was recently bought: i7 iMac (late 2009), another is dying: (mid 2005 iMac), another is going somewhere else: (late 2006 iMac) and another is a laptop: C2D MBP (late 2008). We might add another computer into the mix some time later.
    Anyway, what I want to do is have one iTunes library which all of the computers can access (even guest's/friend's computers). We have a Time Capsule, and as I have heard one can make the TC the HDD for the iTunes library, I thought it best for it to be there.
    The only thing is, how can each computer (and the possible multiple accounts) each access the same library, without duplicating and messing anything up? Is that possible? If it is too hard for multiple computers to do this, I would still want the (late 2009) iMac to be able to use the same library for the two accounts on it.
    Thanks.

    Make sure everything you want to share is on the centralized drive (music, video, and books, but if any of you have mobile devices, keep the apps on your local drive). Mount the drive on your computer. (Remember, from now on you must do this before starting iTunes.) If iTunes isn't running, start it now.
    At the moment iTunes thinks the library is on the local computer and has all the music on it so that has to be changed. Click on Music in the left window pane, select all, and delete. This deletes all the music from the library and, if you choose, from the computer too. (Until you are sure this set-up is to your liking, don't delete the music from the drive.) Now go to Preferences and select the Advanced tab. Set iTunes to look at the music folder on your shared drive. And finally, select File>Add to Library to repopulate your iTunes library. This could take a while if you have a large music collection.
    Since you changed the music location, anything that is added to one person's library will be saved onto the shared drive so it isn't too much of a hassle to manually add music. You'll have to rebuild playlists which is a minor hassle but it’s a one time deal.

  • How to create a central iTunes library for several Macs/PCs?

    Hi!
    I have 2 PCs, one MacBook and hopefully soon an AppleTV. I want them all to use the same Data. On PC and Mac the songs should be available with Coverflow... same for Apple TVs BackRow.
    The Audio-Files should be stored on a Synology DS207 (NAS, small Linux-Server with FTP, AFP and SMB support, as well as DAAP).
    DAAP would be great, but AFAIK it cannot handle things like cover art...
    What about storing the local iTunes library on a mounted smb device? It is not so important to add files from every iTunes client to the library, but I every iTunes should have
    a library like a local library (covers...)
    Any ideas? Or does someone know a nice tutorial?
    best regards
    Andreas

    Let me get this straight, you have an external drive of some description that all computers can access and this is where your music files will be located.
    If so, one way to use the same music files on all computers would be to link the shared music folder to each iTunes library on the seperate computers - this can be done by dragging and dropping files or folders (make sure that you've gone to preferences - general and deselected "copy to iTunes library when adding.") However - this method would mean that each computer has a different library!
    (You could always get one library linked and create all your playlists and then see if you can copy that library file and place it in the iTunes folders on the other computers - but this may not work if the file path is different - but worth a shot)

  • How can I copy and paste a caption for several pictures that are all the same?

    I'm trying to understand the process of importing, labeling and organizing pictures I'm importing from my iPhone into iPhoto 11.
    So far I am importing only pictures that relate to one another; ie taken at the same event.  I have 18 pictures from one hike.  I'd like to label each of those pictures the same; ie "hike at Bear Creak 2/15."  Can I copy and paste the same label to all 18 pictures?  How would I copy and paste?
    There are lots of You Tube videos on the subject of iPhoto and that's how I learn best.  If you know of a really basic one to watch I'd appreciate it. 
    I think I have to take a class at the Apple Store on this basic organizing because it's really escaped me in the 9 months I've had this Mac (switched from PC.)
    Thanks,
    Ginny

      I have 18 pictures from one hike.  I'd like to label each of those pictures the same; ie "hike at Bear Creak 2/15."  Can I copy and paste the same label to all 18 pictures?  How would I copy and paste?
    Ginny,
    select all 18 photos at once in iPhoto on your Mac and then use the menu entry "Photos > Batch Change"
    That will change the titles or descriptions of all photos at once.
    -- Léonie

  • How can I chose and manage the addresses from which my emails are sent?

    My ISP lets me have an infinite choice of addresses by putting whatever I like in front of the @ in my email address.
    I want to use this to create and manage separate accounts for myself, my wife, and two voluntary associations for whom I act as secretary.
    How do I I set this up?
    Thanks in advance.

    Look for Manage Identities in Thunderbird's Account Settings.

  • I have a new iMac and i created two libraries on iTunes. how do i copy songs from one library to the other?

    I have a new imac. I created two libraries, one for me, one for my kids. how do I copy songs from one library to the other library?

    Not easy unless you're just content with adding some files to the other as new files but lose playlists for those files, and playcount, and ratings, etc.  If you're okay with that, you can drag the media folder from one library to the other. If you use default settings and want to duplicate the media, just drag it. If you want to add the media but leave it where it is currently located, hold down the option key while dragging to the library window.
    Otherwise:
    PowerTunes - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powertunes/ (commercial software)
    syncOtunes - http://homepage.mac.com/oligrob/syncOtunes/syncOtunes.html

  • How do you take pictures from one library and put in another library??

    How do you take pictures from one library and put in another library??

    Options:
    1. Export from iPhoto A to the Finder, then import to iPhoto B
    This gets the photo over, but no versions, no edit history and not all the metadata
    2. Use iPhoto Library Manager
    This gets everything: versions, edit history and all the metadata.
    Regards
    TD

  • HT204053 I have one apple ID that my entire family has been using.  How do I create new apple ID's for each of us and move the appropriate content to each new ID from the original apple ID now that we all have our own devices?

    I have been using one apple ID for 4 family members.  Up until now it hasn't been a problem but now that we all have our own devices how do I create new apple ID's for each of us and them move the approprioate things from the original apple ID account to the new ones for each of us?

    stuartx4 wrote:
    Thanks Csound1, wish I have seperated everything from the beginning but when your kids are little and start buying music etc it just didn't seem like an issue.
    That has a familiar ring to it

  • I have an extensive aperture library on my computer's hard drive and I want to break it up into separate smaller libraries on external hard drives.  How do I take projects from one library and add them to another one?

    I have an extensive aperture library on my computer's hard drive and I want to break it up into separate smaller libraries on external hard drives.  How do I take projects from one library and add them to another one?

    Coastal,
    Frank gave you the exact answer to your question. 
    However, I would like to ask if you are indeed asking the right question.  Do you really want different libraries?  The implications are that you have to "switch" libraries to see what's in the others, and so that your searches don't work across all of your pictures?  If so, then you asked the right question.  If not, you may be more interested in relocating your masters to multiple hard drives so your library gets smaller, instead of breaking up the library.
    nathan

  • How can I have multiple accounts and only one library

    How can I have multiple accounts and only one library that all the purchased items feed into?

    ask your wireless provider.

  • It wants to verify my account and won't take the password, how can I create a new one or verify the existing one?

    I cloud wants to verify my account and won't take the password, how can I create a new one or verify the one it won't take?

    If you can't remember the password, reset it at...
    iForgot.com

  • How to create and manage the log file

    Hi,
    I want to trace and debug the program process.
    I write the code for creating log file and debugging the process.
    But i am not able get the result.
    please help me how to create and manage the log file.
    Here i post sample program
    package Src;
    import java.io.*;
    import org.apache.log4j.*;
    import java.util.logging.FileHandler;
    public class Mylog
         private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger("Mylog.class");
         public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
         try {
           // Create an appending file handler
            boolean append = true;
            FileHandler handler = new FileHandler("debug.log", append);
            // Add to the desired logger
            Logger logger = Logger.getLogger("com.mycompany");
            System.out.println("after creating log file");     
              catch (IOException e)
                   System.out.println("Sys Err");
            }Please give the your valuable suggesstion... !
    Thanks
    MerlinRoshina

    Just i need to write a single line in log file.

  • How to manage one library with two accounts

    how to manage one library with two accounts

    you can only be logged into one account at a time on the iTunes store. However, you can authorize your computer for both accounts, making your computer work with both. In the menu bar just click [Store > Authorize Computer]

Maybe you are looking for