How do I transfer my iTunes library from an external drive to my new macbook air?

I have an 8 year old MacBook Pro that has a small hard drive.  So 8 years ago I put all my songs (35GB) on an external drive.  I just bought a MacBook Air that has 256 GB of space and would like to transfer all my songs, movies, etc. to it and stop using the old hard drive.  Can anyone help me with how to do this?  Thanks.

Choose Go to Folder from the Finder's Go menu, provide ~/Music/ as the folder's path, and drag the entire iTunes library, including the database files, to it.
Alternatively, you can drag the entire library to any location on the internal drive, launch iTunes with the Option key held down, and choose it.
If you only put the songs and not the database files on the external drive, drag it to the internal drive and from there to the library in the open iTunes application window.
(114452)

Similar Messages

  • How can I transfer my iTunes account from my old PC to my new macbook air

    How can I transfer my iTunes account from my old Windows PC to my new Macbook Air?

    There are a few methods that you could use described on this page : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

  • HT1751 Hi.        I want to transfer my iTunes library from my pc to either my new MacBook Air or ideally to an external hard drive that I use as a backup for my Air. I would want to be able to sync the iPod with the library on the hard drive. I

    Hi there
    I would like to transfer my iTunes library from my PC to my MacBook Air or if possible to an external hard drive that I use to back up my Air.
    I understand that you can't use the same hard drive for PC and Mac.
    Would really like to do away with the PC and sync the iPod to the Air.
    Am about to purchase a new iPod nano as my Classic is broken.
    Would appreciate any feedback please!!

    You can't write to it because it's formatted as NTFS which OS X will read but not write to. If you want to continue using the drive with both a PC and OS X you will need to download and install NTFS-3G so you can then write to it from your Mac. You can get NTFS-3G at:
    http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/24481/ntfs-3g
    If you want to use the drive exclusively with your Mac then move the data off it and reformat it in Disk Utility (Applications - Utilities - Disk Utilities) as Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)

  • How do I transfer my iTunes music from my old pc to my new macbook?

    how do I transfer my iTunes music from my old pc to my new macbook?

    See Here
    Move iTunes Library from PC to MAC
    http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/move_itunes_windows_mac.html

  • What is the best way to transfer my music library from my windows pc to my new macbook air?

    what is the best way to transfer my large iTunes library from my windows pc to my new macbook air?  Not all purchased, many from CDs I owned

    Moving a library: Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its sub-folders and files) intact to the other drive.  Hold down the option (alt) key (shift on Windows) and open iTunes.  At the prompt to create or choose a library choose the copied iTunes folder.
    If this is to a new computer and you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music  then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there.  (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)
    Windows users see tip at: https://discussions.apple.com/message/18879381#18879381
    Consider moving everything from your Windows PC to your Mac in a single move, including your iTunes library: About Windows Migration Assistant - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4796 - Learn about how to use Windows Migration Assistant to migrate your files from a Windows PC to a Mac.

  • How do I move an iTunes library from one external drive to another?

    I need to move my iTunes library from one external disk to another, because the original disk is about to fail. So, I went into iTunes Perferences --> Advanced, and set the library to a new, empty folder on the new drive.
    Nothing changed. I expected all my music to vanish from iTunes, so that I would have to re-import it. However, all the music remained, still on the old disk. At this point, if I were to recreate the library on the new disk, I would have all of my music twice.
    Is it possible to move an iTunes library from one external drive to another, or am I stuck with my original choice until I buy a new machine? If I can move it, can one of you clever folks explain how it could be done?

    Paul Seymour1 wrote:
    However, those are all dealing with old versions of iTunes that still contained the Advanced --> Consolidate Library command which is no longer part of the app. (I'm on iTunes 10.6.1.)
    Consolidate is still part of iTunes.
    It is in iTunes menu File > Library > Manage library > Consolidate.
    The article you linked to is old and it is (and was) a hacky way of doing it.
    Just copy the entire /Music/iTunes/ folder to new location, hold Option (Mac) or Shift (Windows) when launching iTunes.

  • How can I transfer my iTunes account from my old laptop to my new macbook?

    I just got a new macbook and want to have the same itunes account for my iphone and macbook on my macbook, but I can transfer my itunes account from my old laptop to my new macbook. Please help? xx

    Here you go: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4527

  • How do I import an iTunes library from an external drive if that drive has been simply removed from a dead computer, without prior measures being taken to ensure it is possible to transfer the library over?

    Basically, my issue here is, I had a fully functioning iTunes on my previous Acer laptop which I used to store my music for my iPhone, I have over 2000 songs on this iTunes and as the laptop suddenly died due to motherboard failure, there was no way to follow out the instructions given by apple on how to properly transfer one iTunes library to another.
    The only source of music I have comes from source files on the HDD, which, stupidly I chose to organise myself.
    A large quantity of this music was deleted from the iTunes library but stayed on the HDD in the source folders (I do not know why)
    By simply dragging my music folder from my HDD to a new iTunes, all the files do go over, however many of them are duplicated (due to 320>120 bit rate MP3 creations) and a number of them are simply not wanted.
    Is there a way to transfer my old library straight into this new one? bearing in mind I have all the program files and everything that had iTunes running on my old computer stored onto this USB drive?
    Thank you!

    When I have done this, all I did was network the two machines and copy the contents of the iTunes folder to the other machine, and that's it.
    My understanding (which may not be 100% correct) is that the one file that is absolutely necessary is iTunes Library, and that the XML file is actually a copy auto-generated from the iTunes Library, appearing in a different format only for non-iTunes apps that take advantage of the iTunes Library data.
    As far as I know, if you simply have the Library (database) file and all your original music files, iTunes on that computer should operate as it did on your old computer. I believe that the Album Artwork, Genius Data, and XML files can be regenerated from the Library file. Not sure about the Extras file.

  • How can I Transfer my iTunes Library from my old computer to my new?

    I just bought a new MacBook Pro (my first Mac) and I am trying to figure out how I can get my library from my iTunes off of my old computer onto my new one?  I thought that it was saved by accounts, so when I signed into my iTunes on my new MacBook, all of the songs would be there or automatically transfer into it.  This did not happen.  Is there a way to do this?  I want all my music and movies back!
    Thank you.

    See Here for one way
    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
    Or...
    From your Old Computer... Copy your ENTIRE iTunes FOLDER to an External Drive... and then from the External Drive to your New Computer..
    An Added Bonus is that you will then have a Backup of iTunes...
    Backup iTunes to an External Drive
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
    Also there is this
    By Turingtest2  See this User Tip. for Backing Up to Ext Drive
    If your Old Computer is a PC... See Here...
    Move iTunes Library from PC to MAC
    http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/move_itunes_windows_mac.html

  • HT204053 how do I transfer my itunes library from my ipod touch to a new computer

    how do I transfer or copy music from my itunes library from my ipod touch to a new computer

    The ipod is not a storage/backup device.  The sync is one way - computer to ipod. The exception is itunes purchases ; Dile>Transfer Purchases
    Copy everything form your old computer to your enw one.

  • How do i transfer, my itunes library from my old computer to my new mac pro

    Ho do i transfer , my itunes library from old netbook  to my mac pro

    Here is apple's guide to transferring an itunes library. 
    Hope this helps.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

  • How can i transfer my iTunes library from the iPod Touch to my new Windows 7 computer?

    My old computer died and I need to move the iTunes library from my iPod Touch to the new Windows 7 computer - how can I do that?

    Try this post.
    tt2

  • How can I move my itunes library from my old computer to my new macbook pro. It contains purchases music and music I have downloaded from CDs.

    How can I move music from my itunes library on an old computer to my new macbook pro without having to buy another application? Some of this music is purchases in itunes, some is downloaded from CDs. I need a easy fix. Not computer genius.

    See here: iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
    B-rock

  • How do I transfer my pdf files from my ipad ibooks to my new macbook air?

    Is there anyone who might help me to transfer my pdf saved in my ipad 3 to my new macbook air? Thank you.

    It should transfer them all, I don't have as many as that on my devices but it's always copied them all.
    Where are you seeing the 103 e.g. if the iBooks app on Mavericks then are you looking at the List or All Books view or view Collections ?
    You could try disconnecting it and rebooting both your Mac and iPad and then retry it and see if they all then copy over.

  • HT4796 so how do I transfer my itune library from my back up to my new iMac as the old windows PC is dead ?

    How do I transfer my iTunes backed up library to my new IMac when the old windows PC is now dead -hence why I purcahsed the Imac.

    iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
    do not confuse moving your whole folder and library with moving just media files as in
    iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Media folder - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449
    Quick answer if you let iTunes manage your music:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive.  Start iTunes with the option key held down and guide it to the new location of the library.
    Macworld - How to transfer iTunes libraries between PC and Mac - http://www.macworld.com/article/46248/2005/08/shiftitunes.html

Maybe you are looking for