If I move my music library to an external drive, am I going to loose my playlists

Hi,
I need to move my Music Library to an external hard drive.  Am I going to loose my playlists?

This User Tip by Terence Devlin describes options how to back up iPhoto libraries,
                 iPhoto and File Management
The simplest way is to copy the library to an external drive.
And sure, after testing the copy, you can delete selected events from your original library, then would your backup be no longer the backup, but your only copy of the deleted events. In that case you should use two backups, and preferably on different drives.
Also, do you know what to do, if I want to keep backing up newer, more recent photos I take into the same older library?
iPhoto does not support the merging of libraries. You would have to export the photos from th events and import them into your archive library. Or buy iPhoto Library Manager, that supports merging of Libraries.
Another way to keep your backup in sync with the original would be using clones of your disk as backup or TimeMachine.

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    (59635)

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    jimmyfox wrote:
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  • How can I burn an audio CD in iTunes with my music library on an external drive?

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  • How to move iTunes Music Library from an external HD to another?

    Yesterday I tried to move all my music from an external HD to a new bigger one.
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    I really need your help!
    This article http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307074 didn’t help.
    Stefano

    Sorry, I wasn't responding to you, just the original poster. I didn't look at the date on that posting and didn't realize that you'd added a post that wasn't quite the same problem. In future, you'll find you get better answers if you start your own thread. You're issue really is a bit more complicated.
    If iTunes currently recognizes all the music on both internal and the external drives, it should work. You have to make sure that both drives (old and new) are mounted. Make sure you have both "Keep iTunes music organized" (you probably already do) and "Copy files to iTunes..." (you probably don't) checked.
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  • How can I move my local iTunes music library on an external drive ?

    I have imported some of my personnal music CD's on the local drive of my Macbook. But now,  how can I move those on an external drive ?

    Just those few things or your whole library?  Very different processes depening upon details you have not yet provided.

  • How do I move my iTunes Library to an external drive and retain everything?

    I'm sure this is a common [stupid] question, but I couldn't find a clear answer and I want to be sure I'm doing it correctly.
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    Message was edited by: Sakahara

    Hello, Welcome to Apple Discussions.
    Below you will find more information about your options of relocating iTunes Library and backing it up.
    iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Music folder
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449
    How to use your iPod to move your music to a new computer
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329
    Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
    How to back up your media in iTunes
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1382

  • How can I move entire ITunes library to an external drive

    How can I move the entire file to a new external drive & still add new downloads & use from the external G: drive?
    Or can't this be done - I have the 80G Ipod & the files take up so much space that I want to move it to the new G: drive.
    I thought I had it figured out but nothing would play from the G drive, so I had to restore everything back to the C: drive.
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    This is actually the 5G iPod forum, not the iTunes folder.
    However, To move your iTunes music...
    1 Quit iTunes.
    2 Move the entire iTunes folder including music to the external drive.
    3 Restart iTunes holding the Shift key in Windows, Option key in Mac.
    4 iTunes will ask to Create new library or Choose existing library. Select Choose existing library and select the library in the folder you just moved.
    5 Move the old iTunes folder to the trash but do not empty it.
    6 Restart iTunes normally and verify the songs work. If they do, empty the trash.

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