HT1751 Is it possible to use single external iTunes Library from multiple computers (my mac book, pc, mac mini)

Hi,
I recently decided to maintain my itunes libraries distrubuted onto different computers. (such as mac mini, mac book, pc)
I am planning to consolidate one of my iTunes library, move it to external source and configure external hard drive to be used by my iTunes library permanently.
For this purpose, I bought 5big NAS pro network storage hardware. I completed all basic setup and now I need help on designing access methodology.
Question is : Does external iTunes library supports to be used by more than one iTunes application? if not what will be the closest solution to save storage and ease of library management?
Thanks in advance
Serhan

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ITunes, Single ReadyNAS iTunes Library and multiple computers ....How To ??

Hi folks.
I've recently installed a ReadyNAS Duo on my home network and moved my iTunes library onto it. But so far I haven't touched the actual database files located on my iMac.
What I'd like to do is have the ability to access and add songs to this single library from either my laptop or my iMac. I'd also like to be able to plug my iPhone and my partner's one into either my laptop or iMac and have it sync with this single library located on my ReadyNAS.
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Any help/suggestions welcome.
Cheers,
Dave.

DDtB wrote:
Any help/suggestions welcome.
i'll take your word for it
perhaps this read will provide pointers.
JGG

Transferring external iTune library from one computer to another

I am having great difficulty in changing my external iTunes library from my old MBP laptop to my new iMac 5k.
My entire iTunes library is stored on an external drive and can be accessed directly with my MBP. When I started up iTunes on my new iMac, it created a new empty library in the MUSIC folder. What I want to do is connect my new iMac to the external library directly. I can see it when I turn on HOME SHARING but only when iTunes is running on my MBP, which is useless since my MBP will now be seldom used. I have of course on the iMac, changed the library location in the advanced preferences to the external location, to no avail. I do not want to keep any media files on the iMac for capacity reasons.
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Surely this ought to be a simple job, transferring an external iTunes library from one computer to another! Am I missing something obvious here?

Wow, what a quick response! Thanks, Limnos. I guess it was bleeding' obvious, and I should have thought of it before. Such a simple solution!
On a related matter, I also have just realised that the iTunes iOS backups are saved on the internal computer drive in a folder called MOBILESYNC rather than on an external drive, thus chewing up a lot of capacity on my SSD. Others reading this response may be interested to know that it is easy to have iTunes save the iOS backups to any external drive using a symbolic link in this directory. Go to
http://support.digidna.net/hc/en-us/articles/203504123-Storing-your-iPhone-Backu ps-on-an-Alternate-Location
for the details.
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Any possiblity to use single Inbound Service Interface with multiple Receiver Agreements

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HT1751 Getting 2 logins on the same iMac to use an external iTunes library

The initial state is that we have two users on one iMac, each of which has (I think) it's own iTunes library. The desired end state is to have one iTunes library on the external drive that both uses can access because all purchases are made using my Apple id regardless of which user we have displayed. To gain hard drive space, I just transferred my iTunes library to an external Thunderbolt drive, and iTunes for my user login appears to be correctly configured and accessing everything. The library folder created during the transfer process is called "iTunes Media." However, when I tried to point my 15 year olds user id on the same iMac to this same external library, all of the library content in her iTunes disappeared. The iTunes folder is there, but there are no subfolders or content inside it. When I try to change libraries on my daughter's id, iTunes won't let me select the iTunes media folder on the external drive because neither it nor any subordinate folders have the .itl or .xml extensions. I am a novice with Apple products and don't know what happened to the missing iTunes folders associated with my daughter's user id. The ideal situation is if I could find the library and merge the content with the new one on the external drive. If there is no other way, we may have try to recreate her content and add it again. I need help getting both logins using the same external iTunes media/library folder and, if possible, recovering the missing content. Please put your advice in layman's terms for those who are somewhat technically impaired. Thanks!!

See if this helps. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1495
Also, you will no longer be able to sync contacts and calendar via USB with Mavericks. You can only do that now with iCloud.

Using single iTunes library for multiple computers

With the new Airport Disk utility, can I attach an external hard drive with my iTunes library and have multiple computers point to that library as the library for each?

BKRonline wrote:
neptune2000 wrote:
A BIG WARNING (...) If you are a good guy and use ONLY one computer to read/write (i.e., to copy music to it) and all the others are read only (which cannot be enforced in software), then you're OK. Consider yourself warned.
just to clarify...
Use ONE computer and ONE COMPUTER ONLY for purchasing / adding new content to the 'master' iTunes library area. Use ANY OTHER COMPUTER that's looking at that 'master' iTunes library for reading (playing back).
Yes. If you can enforce it by "persuasion", not software
Would there be a conflict if someone rates songs from other computers etc?
Yes. If they both rate at the same time.

Accessing a single itunes library from multiple macs using a NAS???

hi, at the moment i have a imac g5 holding all my itunes library files on its hard drive. i'm about to buy another mac to locate downstairs, and also have itunes on my windows laptop.
i am thinking of moving the itunes library to a networked attached storage device, something like the buffalo terastation. does anyone have experience of this? does it work well over a wireless network? (802.11g)
how easy is this to set up, and make each mac point to the library on the NAS device? are there any problems with ripping cds to the NAS device, or multiple macs accessing different songs at the same time?
what would i need to do on each mac to make if see the library if i moved it to the NAS?
sorry for the questions, but i know what i want to do, just not quite sure how to do it!
thanks, andy

hi,
sorry i haven't tried this. i've now resorted to
buying a mac mini, attaching an external firewire
harddrive and using itunes sharing. still means i
have to have the mac mini on all the time, so not
ideal. i decided not to buy the nas for the time
being. i'm still interested in hearing if it works on
other peoples systems tho!
There are others who have done something similar in that they created a shared folder on one computer and opened access to that shared folder to all other computers. The result was that only one computer could listen to the library at a time. I would assume the same thing would be true if using a NAS due to the file locking iTunes imposes. Anybody want to take a ride to the Apple Store and see if one of their reps have done it??

Using an external itunes library

How do I point my itunes library at an external drive? I want to free up space on my macbook.
I want to copy the library that I have already.

See this Apple article: iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Music folder, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449

Sharing (synchronizing) a single iTunes library over multiple computers

Okay, i've been looking all over for a simple answer to this problem for a while and haven't found a solution that doesn't involve paying for third-party software or a lot of seemingly unnecessary hassle. Here's my situation:
I have an older 12" PowerBook G4 and a brand new MacBook Pro. I also have a Time Capsule and a 30 gig iPod, but i'm not sure whether they will be helpful or not for my situation. When i got my MacBook Pro, i let Leopard transfer all my info, so now both computers have the same login information, music library, iPhoto library, etc... But not for long, naturally. I want to use my MBP at home primarily and will spend most of my time on it, but i will also frequently be out and will be taking my PowerBook along as it is both more portable and less of a concern if something happens to it. What i want to do is to set things up so that my iTunes library (including playlists, ratings, and other metadata) is kept synchronized across both computers (perhaps via the Time Capsule?) and that any changes made on either mac will at least eventually be mirrored on the other without causing duplicates or loss of any files. I don't need to keep separate versions or sizes of iTunes libraries either; the hard drives are each large enough to hold the entire thing.
On a side note, the iPod only needs to be able to sync from the MBP, i think, though it would be nice to have the option to sync from either. Sadly, it’s not large enough to hold the whole library, so i can’t use that to go back and forth or anything.
Also, i wouldn’t mind if the library were only stored on the TC and the PB, since the MBP should be able to access the TC 99% of the time, but in that case the PB would have to compare its own library and metadata to that of the TC, while i’m not sure how the MBP would store its iTunes database on the TC and not its own drive. I imagine that, with the current implementation of iTunes at least, it would have to be all on the MBP and the PB, with the TC version merely a backup. In most cases, i should be able to reach both my TC and my MBP from the road over the internet, but i still want to have the library on the PB hard drive for when i don’t have a connection.
I wouldn’t mind a “master, slave” type setup either, with the MBP being the master, since with the only working optical drive and a faster connection, it will be doing most of my importing- but it’s important that the playlists and everything are the same and it sure would be nice if i didn’t have to remember not to make any changes from the PB. I don't plan on buying any music from the iTunes store and my entire library is DRM free, so that won't be a problem. Both systems are running the latest versions of all software and operating system (though i hear this may change with Snow Leopard...?)
And while we’re at it, doing the same or similar to my iPhoto, iCal, Addressbook, Documents, etc. would be nice. Perhaps something can be done with the entire Home folder that would accomplish all of this? I’m not sure if the fact that one is Intel and the other is PowerPC would put a hitch in that method though. There are some settings, such as the totally different trackpads, etc. that will not be the same, plus i’ll be using a lot of programs solely on the MBP, which is why cloning the drive is not an option.
I’d like to find a way to set this up using just Automator and maybe some Applescripts if possible, but if i do have to bend and go third-party, it would need to be solid.
I know my situation is unique (I’ve found a lot of people trying to synchronize libraries, say, with a spouse, etc. WITHOUT syncing the metadata- or people wanting different libraries on different computers to feed into the same pool, but those are very different cases, obviously) but i’m sure there are plenty of people out there with several different macs of their own who could benefit from this solution. Any help you can give towards this would be appreciated. Thanks!

I have a similar problem. Wish I had an answer but am struggling with a similar problem. My situation is this: I have a Imac and a Macbook Pro. I have the same 4 accounts on both and I sync them through '.mac'. It works fairly well. My goal is to get one Itunes library accessible from the 2 computers and the 4 accounts per computer. I am also using Time Capsule/Machine as well. I currently keep the Itunes library on an external drive (not TCapsule). So, my problem is this:
1. How to update from multiple accounts accross the two machines?
2. How to access Itunes store from all of the accounts on machine 2?
I am now trying to set up individual Itunes libraries for each account on machine 1 and share to machine 2.
In any case, this is not pretty and needs to be reachitected to support a multiple user environmet.

Using Aperture Library from Multiple Computers

My Aperture library is on an external drive and I have used multiple computers to add files to the library. Unfortunately when I use a different computer than the origin it tells me that the masters are unavailable and I cannot use the image. It tells me they are offline . Any fixes?

If you put the library entirely on the external drive then no, you won't be able to view previews when the hard drive is disconnected.
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http://www.bagelturf.com/aparticles/ref/index.html

Using One iTunes Library on multiple computers.

Hey guys,
I've currently got my iTunes library saved on a Time Capsule and use it with my mac mini.
I want to be able to use the same library on my macbook pro. have set up iTunes on both computers so that it looks for the library on the Time Capsule so at the moment both machines can play all the media.
However if i buy track using the mini and add it to iTunes it saves it in the right place and plays fine but how can i update the library on the macbook as so it can see the new songs that have been added?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Kind regards

Another detail with this setup is that if you've got an iPod or iPhone that you want to load music to, you'll need to connect it to the computer that is the 'host' offering the music library for share. If you use the 'client' computer, then it won't let you install your mp3s to your iPod from the 'shared' library on the other computer.
In my setup, which is similar to what you're describing, it looks like iTunes lets me connect my iPhone to either computer and install mp3s.
Seth

How do I put all of my iTunes music from multiple computers / devices onto one external hard drive?

I have two desktop macs, a macbook air, two iPads, and two iPhones. I have one Apple account that I use for all music - including music my college aged kids download. My problem is that I would like to get all the music into one library, delete the duplicates, then have the external drive store all the music. Is there a practical way to do this? This way I can set up my devices so that they all have the same music and playlists. Is this the best way to handle this situation?

The cheap and easy way is to just add all the media files as new items to a new library configured to store all on the external drive (start iTunes with the option key held down and tell it to create a new library on the external). There won't be any automated way to prevent duplicates. You're doing manual spring cleaning. Of course if you add all the items as new items you will lose things such as playlists, date added, last played, etc.
I got these off the web so cannot rate them for you:
PowerTunes - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powertunes/ (commercial software)
syncOtunes - http://homepage.mac.com/oligrob/syncOtunes/syncOtunes.html

Is there any way to access a single iTunes library on multiple computers simultaneously?

Hi,
I'm looking to set up a system whereby my music would be stored on a single computer kept on 24/7. There would be approximately 7 client computers that would access this master computer to play music from. However, the tricky part is that it would have to be able to do so simultaneously. This would be for a dance studio where there are 5 studios that run classes all at the same time and would need to be able to access music for their given classes. I don't believe this is available on iTunes but there may be other software that would be capable of this. Thanks in advance.

Also look into Music Sharing. Since this is primarily so the groups can play music they don't need editing capability for the library file which could be a single version on a computer not even in a classroom (preventing accidental editing).
iTunes: How to share music and video - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2688 - about Music Sharing and Home Sharing
Distinguishing music sharing and Home Sharing - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6056435
Music Sharing - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2688
iTunes: Setting up Home Sharing on your computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4620

How to use a Itunes Library between multiple computers

Hi all,
I have never posted a question to this apple forum, so forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask.
My situation is as follows:
I have a Synology DS214play NAS, also attached to my network is a wired Imac (late 2013 model) running the latest software and wireless connected macbook pro.
What I want to achieve is to manage my music on both my Imac and my Macbook, the itunes library file(s) and music are stored on my NAS.
What Im able to do is to manually select the Library file on one devices and it retrieves all the contents and I can start listing and adding music.
However if I want to also listing to my music on another device at the same time, Where I also select the library file its giving me this message:
What this message is telling:
"The File 'iTunes Library Extras.itdb' is locked, this file is located is located on a secure disk or you don't have the privilege to write to this file.
Sorry for the bad translation.
I have tryed everything so far but it doesn't help,
I hope you guys and girls can help me with this.
Regards Jordy from the Netherlands

I want to also listing to my music on another device at the same time
A library file can only be opened by one running copy of iTunes at a time. You have to quit iTunes on the other computer.
You can have two library files sharing the same media, but then you have to keep two libraries up to date with each other.

Is it possible to use an external hard drive to use the music collection at home and at work?

I recently started using iTunes both on my home notebook as on my desktop computer at work. I also discovered it is not possible to download the songs I bought on both machines. It's a pitty, but I can understand Apple's point of view.
I was thinking of bying a small portable USB powered hard drive to store my music collection on but I'd like to know whether this is possible before I buy myself a USB drive only to find out it's a waste of time and money. I assume it is possible the USB drive is assigned a different letter on each machine, but I think I can work around that. But is there anything else I need to keep into account?

Sync iPod/iPad/iPhone with two computers
Although it isn't possible to sync an Apple device with two different libraries it is possible to sync with the same logical library from multiple computers. Each library has an internal ID and when iTunes connects to your iPod/iPad/iPhone it compares the local ID with the one the device normally syncs with. If they are the same you can go ahead and sync...
I have my library cloned to a small 1Tb USB drive which I can take between home & work. At either location I use SyncToy 2.1 to update the local copy with the external drive. Mac users should be able to find similar tools. I can open either of the local libraries or the one on the external drive and update the media content of my iPhone. The slight exception is Photos which normally connects to a specific folder on a specific machine, although that can easily be remapped to the current library if you create a "Photos" folder inside the iTunes Media folder so that syncing the iTunes folders keeps this up to date as well. I periodically sweep my library for new files & orphans with iTunes Folder Watch just in case I make changes at one location but then overwrite the library with a newer copy from the other. Again Mac users should be able to find similar tools.
As long as your media is organised within an iTunes Music or Tunes Media folder, in turn held inside the main iTunes folder that has your library files (whether or not you let iTunes keep the media folder organised) each library can access items at the same relative path from the library folder so the library can be at different drives/paths on different machines. This solution ensures I always have adequate backups of my library and I can update my devices whenever I can connect to the same build of iTunes.
When working with an iPhone earlier builds of iTunes would remove any file not physically present in the local library, even if there was an entry for it, making manual management practically redundant on the iPhone. This behaviour has been changed but it will still only permit manual management with a library that has the correct internal ID. If you don't want to sync your library between machines on a regular basis just copy the iTunes Library.itl file from the current "home" machine to any other you want to use, then clean out the library entires and import the local content you have on that box.
tt2

HT1751 Is it possible to use single external iTunes Library from multiple computers (my mac book, pc, mac mini)

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