How do I move iTunes to a new external drive?

I just got an external hard drive and want to move iTunes and all associated files (music, TV shows, movies, etc) to the new drive which is labeled as my F:\ drive. How do I do this?

I have changed the path as per the article, as well as consolidated the library. I also deleted the original copies of the music files off the C:\ drive. I also found in that same folder "Previous iTunes Library" - about 6 of them - all .itl files and dated going back to 2004. I'm assuming they are from previous versions of iTunes as I've upgraded to newer version. Do I need these Previous Libraries? Or can they be deleted as well?

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How do I move iTunes library to an external hard drive to use less space?

How do I move iTunes library to an external hard drive to use less space?

Our iTunes guru Terence Devlin advises the following:
1. Quit iTunes
2. Drag the iTunes folder from your internal hd - located in ~/Music folder - to your external hd. DO NOT delete the original one from your internal hd... yet!
3. When the transfer is complete, press and hold the Option(alt) key and fire up iTunes.
4. A "Choose iTunes Library" window will come up. Click on the "Choose Library" button.
5. Navigate to where the iTunes folder is located in the external hd.
6. Within the iTunes folder, select the iTunes Library file and click Choose...
That's it. iTunes will now display all your playlists, songs, movies, podcasts etc. At this point, should you wish, you can delete the iTunes folder from the internal hd to free up space.
More info:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
Or if you prefer a more complicated explanation:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive

I have a laptop with a bad hard drive, my iTunes library is on an external hardrive. How do I move iTUnes to a new computer and have it work?

I have my iTunes Library all saved on an external hard drive. I have iTunes on the desktop of my laptop. The hard drive in my laptop is going bad. How do I move iTunes to another computer and be able to use my external hard drive? This may be easier than I might think. I hope so.
Thanks

Hey oob,
Thanks for the question. You may find the information in the following article helpful in moving your iTunes library via external drive:
iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Thanks,
Matt M.

How do I Move iTunes to a new PC?

This relates to the thread at http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=895833. I posted there, didn't receive a reply, and thought others might be able to help. It would probably help if you scanned the first two postings to the thread...
I wrote:
Holy Smokes:
I appreciate your detailed workaround post. My question is this: I use iTunes to keep everything organized (though I'm well aware of the shortcomings...) and can use the simple solution that Chris from CA posted, but I don't have room to consolidate everything. My read on consolidating is that you copy from wherever you have your music located (and right now my music is outside of the MyMusic/iTunes folder, as that backs up to my work server) and so you have to have enough room for all of your music to be copied (and then you delete it from its prior location). That's how Apple describes it in, e.g., http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301748. I ain't go that kind of room. Is there any way to make the move to a completely different PC by following the simple option? From the posting I just linked it sounds like you MUST consolidate whether you use you iPod to move things or use an external drive.
Of course, I can use your workaround, but I thought I'd ask first. Many thanks.

I'm pretty sure if you have itunes on the other computer and if you have an ipod you can just plug it in and it will ask you something like do you want this library to be the default one for your ipod. If you dont have an ipod maybe a flash drive will work im not sure.

Trying to move iTunes library to new external hard drive

I'm trying to move my iTunes library to a new, second, external hard drive and I'm not having much luck. I have two G-Tech 500 GB external drives. One is my Time Capsule and the other one I plan to use to house my iTunes and iPhoto libraries -- I want to free up space on my internal drive.
The iPhoto library moved over to the new disk with no problems. iTunes, on the other hand, keeps hanging up, with the "beach ball of death" and a lot of file error messages. I began moving my iTunes library onto the external drive by following these steps:
• Open iTunes
• Go to Itunes Preferences
• Click the Advanced Tab
• Note where the Music Library's located under iTunes Media folder location
• Navigate to the folder and drag the library onto the external HD.
The plan was to then go back over to iTunes and input the folder location in the iTunes Preferences so iTunes can find the library again. However, the simple drag-and-drop just isn't working. My iTunes library is about 10,000 songs and videos; if I have to do this album by album (which seems to be working, but I'm still having the occasional hang-up and freeze) it will take weeks! Has anyone had this problem before, and if so, did you find a fix?
Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for taking the time to look -- Tom

the support article Dennis pointed you to would consolidate your media files to the external but keep the iTunes folder on your startup disk.
another approach would be to copy the entire iTunes folder to the external and run your library from there (this assumes that all your media files are currently in <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music/iTunes/iTunes music).
so, if you're willing, start over yet again. before you proceed, erase the external using disk utility and make sure it is formatted for Mac (make sure the partition map scheme of the drive is GUID and the volume is Mac OS extended (journaled)).
now copy the entire iTunes folder (not just the iTunes music folder) to the external using the finder. when the copying has finished, launch iTunes while holding the option key, click on +choose library+ when prompted, and select the iTunes folder on the external.
once you're satisfied everything worked as expected, you can delete the contents of your local iTunes music folder.
JGG

Can't Move iTunes Library to an external Drive using instructions given

Hi Guys.
I want to move my library to an external drive. However when I click Edit, then Preferences, then Advanced, as per the instructions, there is no inner tabs that give me the option of clicking on General as illustrated in the instructions and I can't proceed. What am I doing wrong? How do I move the library permanently to the external drive to make room on my computer?
Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
Keith

Thanks for clarifying that there have in fact been changes to the Advanced tab. That's what threw me. I've successfully transferred the library to the F drive and all is well!!
It's only a small thing, but I'm just wondering what method I should use to transfer the remaining folders which didn't transfer with the full library.
I have basically just followed the instructions, excluding the going into the General menu of the Advanced tab. I selected the new location, which came up as the new location for the library in the window of the advanced tab. I clicked OK and then Consolidated the library.
Many thanks,
K.

How do you move itunes to a new computer, keeping the songs in the library?

I have a laptop now and would like to move the itunes from my home computer to my laptop. Is there a way to move it and keep my purchased songs in the library?

Probably the most straightforward way to get iTunes onto your second computer is to network it with the first one and copy your iTunes folder across. Start by consolidating your library. When you consolidate, any songs in the iTunes Library that are not in the iTunes Music Folder are copied to the Music Folder and the Library is updated to point to those new files. Files already in the iTunes Music Folder have no changes made to them: Copying all your iTunes files to one location - Windows
Copying the whole folder brings with it the iTunes Music folder and also the iTunes Library (iTunes Library.itl in Windows) database file which holds all the information about your songs (Playlists, Ratings, Play Counts, Last Played, Date Added, etc). You'll get more information including the Folder/File structure in this article: What are the iTunes library files?
When you copy the iTunes folder make sure you put it into the default location on the new computer. On a PC this is \Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\My Music\ (or C:\Username\Music\ in Vista). You should also use the same version of iTunes on both computers.
You can also use this method with an external hard drive, you drag the folder from the first computer to the external drive and then from the drive to the second computer.
If you have and iPod, some iPods can be used as an external drive and you can use them to move your iTunes (this option isn't available with the iPod Touch): How to use your iPod to move your music to a new computer
If you have any iTunes purchases in your library don't forget that you'll need to authorise your new computer to play them. Also if you are disposing of the old one remember to deauthorise it so you don't use up one of your allowances: About iTunes Music Store Authorisation and Deauthorisation

How do I move iTunes to a new Mac without loosing my ratings and plays?

I don't have a new Mac yet, but before I buy one I'd like to know how to transfer my iTunes library.
I am really depending on my ratings and plays so I don't want to loose them.
So how should I do it? backup? home sharing?
And another question: I have my iTunes library on my external hd. Could I install the whole iTunes on the external hd and then use itunes on any Mac with the hd plugged in?

paulkreuzer wrote:
so just to get it right: you mean copy the iTunes folder to new Mac INSTEAD of installing iTunes there?
iTunes will be installed on your new Mac. there will be an iTunes folder existing there but it will be devoid of content (just the default files).
by replacing this default iTunes folder with the one from your old Mac, you are copying the +*heart & soul+* of your library to the new machine: the all important *iTunes library file*.
the iTunes library file contains info such as playlists, playcounts, ratings, etc.
click here for information.

How to Move iTunes Library on an External Drive to Another Computer

How do you move your iTunes library (including all your playlists) if your iTunes media files—movies, TV shows, music, etc.—are housed on an external drive, rather than the local drive on your computer?
The usual advice concerns copying media files from one computer to the next, e.g.:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
But if your media is on an external device, you don’t want to copy it, just access it from a new device. You could plug the drive into your new computer and drag the media into iTunes, but then you would lose your playlists and other information.
Fortunately, you can transfer an entire iTunes Library using the Export/Import function. The essential information is found in an Apple support document, “iTunes: How to re-create your iTunes library and playlists”:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1451
Using this information, we can create a procedure for transferring both the media files that are on an external drive and the iTunes Library that goes with it.
Here is the procedure:
1. On the old computer, Export the playlist, using File > Library > Export Library. Transfer the resulting file to the new computer.
2. You might want to note the number of music files, TV shows, etc. you have on the old system. Select View > Show Status Bar, then choose the “List” view, and this information will be shown at the bottom of the iTunes window. Also disable sharing, etc.; you may want to deauthorize the computer as well.
3. Close iTunes on the old computer, dismount and disconnect the external drive(s). (Yes, this will work with media on multiple drives).
4. On the new computer, close iTunes and delete “iTunes Library.itl” in the iTunes folder.
5. On the new computer, Connect and mount the external drive(s).
6. Open iTunes on the new computer. Choose Preferences > Advanced. Deselect (uncheck) both “Keep iTunes Media Organized” (because it’s already organized on your external drive, right?) and “Copy files to iTunes Media folder” (because the files are on the external drive). Then set your iTunes Media folder location to your media folder on the external drive and click on “OK”. (Note: don’t close iTunes after this step, because it will automatically reset your media folder to your local machine rather than the external drive).
7. Choose File > Library > Import Playlist and choose the file you exported from the old computer. This will import all the media you had on the old system into iTunes (no need to manually move anything from the external drive). The import will probably take some time. (If you see that iTunes is copying files, you probably messed up Step 6; you can stop it and go back to Step 4 without harm).
8. After the import, you can check the numbers you noted in Step 2; if there is a discrepancy that bothers you, check out the scripts “Music Folder Files Not Added” “List MIAs” and at http://dougscripts.com/itunes/.
9. When everything is satisfactory, you can recheck “Keep iTunes Media Organized” and “Copy files to iTunes Media folder” in Preferences.
10. You may now want to enable sharing, sync iOS devices, etc. Also be sure to set up your backup strategies on the new machine (you *do* have backups of your external drive(s), right?). If you already had some media on your new computer and you want to incorporate it into the external drive, choose File > Library > Consolidate.
11. Oddities:
* iTunes Extras must be manually imported.
* Some of my movies & TV shows imported as “Home Video”.
* Mobile applications did not import (presumably because no iOS device was synced).
* Books that were once handled by iTunes are now handled by iBooks and will not import (to let iTunes see them again, you’ll need to add them manually to iBooks, then choose File > Move Books from iTunes). Audiobooks import okay, but you may have to authorize your Audible account.

Or:
Copy the iTunes folder from the old computer to the same location in your user area on the new one. Attach the external drive and start iTunes. If you have put it in your Home > Music folder the application will automatically know to look for it there and becausse you are using the same library it will be configured to look for media on the external drive.

How do I transfer itunes library to new hard drive running lion os

I have a Mac Pro with 2 hard drives in it.
Hard drive #1 has Leopard OS and my iTunes library on it
Hard drive #2 has Lion 10.7.4 OS and this is where I want to move my iTunes library to from hard drive #1.
How can I due this insuring that all playlists, etc. transfer seamlessly. I will then only be using the new Lion OS
to run iTunes (and this will also communicate with Apple TV, etc.)
Thanks!

Copy the entire /Music/iTunes/ folder from old hard drive to /Music/ on new hard drive.
Start iTunes.
That is all.
You can also leave it where it it, hold Option, launch iTunes.
Slect Choose library... and select the iTunes folder on the Leopard drive.
This will be your iTunes for both OS, whichever you boot into.

My old hard drive is dead and I need to move iTunes to the new hard drive

My computer's old hard drive contained some corrupted Windows files. A friend was able to get my husband's iTunes file off the old hard drive and it's saved in the My Music folder on the new hard drive. Can someone please give me super easy to understand instructions on how I get the iTunes stuff onto the new hard drive? I don't want to mess anything up because he has such a large number of albums in the iTunes folder. Thank you in advance!

It sounds like you just have 2 formatted drives (SSD, HDD) that are not configured as a Fusion drive. If so, you have to manually move files from the SSD to the HDD and visa versa.
If your system would have come configured with a Fusion drive (SSD and HDD 'fused' together) then OS X would maintain file movement from the SSD to the HDD without user intervention.
Look here then scroll down to Introducing Fusion Drive for a brief explanation.

Move itunes library to new hard drive

ok i recently got a new harddrive because i ran out of space on my old one. i have started everything over fresh and i want to take EVERYTHING from my old iTunes and put it on my new harddrive. One thing i have tried is taking the itunes>music folder and copied onto my ipod (enable disk use) and then put it on my new hard drive. well my problem is that i dont have the same number of items and its missing all of the ratings and play counts and any of the small details like "skip during shuffle". another problem is that all of my videos are under the movie category, which will take me forever to organize. please help me because i really do not want to organize my whole library again

Then you want to clone your original HD to the new HD. See below - same concept as moving between two computers, you just do it between two HDs on the same PC..
How to Copy and Move your Music Files from One Computer to Another
This is the conceptual framework with related and important links. Apply and adapt it to your specific situation and equipment resources.
The safest, quickest, and most optimal method to move your Library to a new computer is to actually clone the entire ‘iTunes’ folder (directory) structure, rather than just copying just the song files. By copying the entire ‘iTunes’ folder and all sub-folders, you capture not only the music files, but the all-important ‘iTunes Library.itl’ database file (usually located in the ‘iTunes’ folder), which contains all the data about your songs (Playlists, Ratings, Play Counts, Last Played, Date Added, etc). See: What are the iTunes Library files?
Install iTunes on the new computer. Then go back to your old computer and move (copy) the "iTunes" folder which usually resides inside your "…\My Documents\My Music" folder from the old computer to the exact same place (both Drive Letter and complete Path) on the new computer. When you open iTunes on the new computer it will look and behave exactly the same way it did on the old, Play Counts, Ratings, Comments and all!
NOTE: It is usually safer moving files between computers with the same version of iTunes!!
iTunes Files to Copy and Move to your New PC
1) All music files in their current folder structure (usually located in and under the ‘iTunes Music’ folder)
2) The Library database file: ‘iTunes Library.itl’ located in the ‘iTunes’ folder
3) The Library XML file: ‘iTunes Music Library.xml’ located in the ‘iTunes’ folder
4) Any XML playlist files you created for Playlist retention
5) The two iTunes.pref files (optional)
-- C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunes.pref
-- C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Apple Computer Inc\iTunes.pref
6) The XML file of Ratings, Play Counts and Last Played attributes saved from the main Library and created by Otto’s SaveRatings script (also optional, but recommended):
“Download this: http://ottodestruct.com/itunes/SaveRatings.zip . It's a program, just run it like any other program. Run it on the machine where you're copying the info from BEFORE you move the files to the new machine. Click the "Save Ratings" button and it'll create a ratings.xml file. Now when you move the files, move the program and this file as well. Then after you make your new iTunes library, run it again and click the "Restore Ratings" button. Voila, all your information is back in the Library. Well, most of it anyway, it's not perfect. It'll tell you what songs it couldn't figure out though, and there's usually not very many.”
Here's a list of methods to copy and move your music files from one computer to another:
1) Use an External Hard Drive (ExHD) to move the complete files and Folder structures from one computer to another (my preferred option). You can clone’ the entire ‘iTunes’ folder structure in one very easy step. Also great to have available for complete backups of your Library. External hard drives now run less than $100 for 200-250GBs of storage. See This Link
2) Directly connect the two computers....
- 2a) Connect them through a Router &/or Network
- 2b) Directly connect using an Ethernet cable: Straight for using at least one Mac; or Crossover for PC/PC Instructions here.
- 2c) Connect them via a USB-to-USB Network Bridge. Example here. There are various types out there (use Google).
....Then copy the files from one computer to the other.
3) Use the iPod as a transfer device, as this extensive Apple link explains. It will be a bit easier if your iPod has a larger capacity than your music collection, otherwise you will need to perform multiple copy/move transfers. This well written process also works fine while using any other data transfer medium (ExHD, Flash Drive, DVD, CD, Zipp, Jazz, etc.).
4) Burn several DVDs (at 4.7GBs each) with your music data files and folder structure, and load them onto the new computer. Re-writable DVDs are more cost effective (if your DVD drive can manage these types).
5) Burn 6x more on CDs (at 700MB each) than in #4 above and load the files and folders on the new computer. Re-writable CDs are more cost effective (if your CD drive can manage these types).
6) Use a larger USB Flash drive (1GB - 4GB) to move the files and folders. Best if the flash drive is larger than your Library, otherwise you will need multiple copy/move transfers.
These are links to various additional instructions on performing the transfer (read them all, but some listed steps may not be required depending on your specific situation):
Switch from PC to Mac Using the iPod
hudgie: Migrating iTunes for Windows to a new PC
How to copy music between authorized computers

How can I move iTunes music folder to another drive?

I have iTunes version 7.1 running on a notebook with Windows Vista. My iTunes music folder is becoming too large for the C; drive and I am having problems successfully moving it to the D: drive.
I know the folder is in the D: drive because I can see it there. I have followed guidance on how to link it to iTunes: Edit / Preferences / Advanced / General / Change (choosing iTunes music folder on the D: drive) / OK. I have also ticked the "Keep iTunes Music folder organised" box, as well as the "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" box. Nevertheless, when I open iTunes my music does not appear in the library.
What am I doing wrong?

Firstly there is more than one kind of iTunes Library file:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93732
Secondly you should consolidate your library:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iTunesMac/7.3/en/670x.html
The following link will give you the instructions to move iTunes to an EHD. These instructions need to be followed EXACTLY.
The 2 metadata files within the main iTunes folder must stay on the main drive of your system as that is their "home", they can't be moved.
Now read this:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301748

How do I move iTunes content from my hard drive back to the cloud?

I travel a lot for work and have been using my MBP to watch movies on the plane. Obviously, this requires me to download them to my hard drive. With a smaller SSD, though, I'm finding the need to free up some space. Does anyone know how to remove a movie (or any iTunes content) from my hard drive while making it still available through iCloud streaming?

If these are iTunes purchase, you don’t move them to the cloud. They are already there.
Just delete them in iTunes.
They will still appear in iTunes with a cloud icon.
Note if you delete a movie, you will not be able to stream it while on the plane...
-> https://www.apple.com/support/itunes/in-the-cloud/

How can I use iTunes without connecting the external drive that has all my music on it?

I have all my music on an external drive. Sometimes I would like to access iTunes, for purchases and other, without having that drive plugged in. I used to be able to do this, but something has changed and I can no longer figure out how. There must be a way.
Thanks

Well, you can always ignore the fact it will automatically direct anything to a new blank library it will create on the internal drive. Just let it do it (as long as you keep track of any purchases that download, or maybe you can turn off automatic downloading ) The next time you need to use it with the external drive hold down the option/alt key while starting iTunes and select the library file on the external drive.
iTunes Store: How to enable Automatic Downloads - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4539

How do I move iTunes to a new external drive?

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