Is it possible to Sync an iPod (or iPhone) with a Shared Library?

Question

I know this is a silly, basic question, but 6:30 AM is just too early for me to keep digging for the answer.
So, I have several computers at home. ONE of them is used to purchase and store all of my iTunes music. This same computer is used to sync several iPods. The entire library on this computer is shared. Two other computers in the house are Authorized on the same account and regularly play music stored on the "first" computer.
So here's the rub.
My duaghter just got a new iPhone. She has her own MAC. I'd like her to begin using her own computer to sync her iPod and iPhone.
Is it possible to sync her iPod and iPhone using HER computer (that is authorized on my account) and MY shared library?

Answer 1

I don't think it is possible to sync an ipod to a shared library for copyright reasons. Sharing is great and simple for accessing and listening to other computer's music over a network, but to sync your ipod - I believe can only be done from that particular itune's music library. But here's how I work around this so that I don't have to have my 90 GB Music Folder copied on multiple computers:
Copy these files from your main computer (the one that has and controls your master itunes library) into the same location on any other computer on your network (say your daughter's computer): user/music/itunes/iTunes Music Library.xml & iTunes Library. Before copying them over to daughter's computer, remove the old files (maybe keep somewhere else just in case) and have itunes shut down. Then start up itunes on your daughter's computer and it should look identical to the main computer's itunes (and the same as the shared library). What you've esentially done is created a separate itunes library data base that can be managed on your daughter's computer but one that accesses the same actual music files that are on the main computer's Music Folder. To check go to Preferences/Advanced and you'll see that the Music Folder location is pointing to the same file as on the main computer (whose Music Folder is now being used as a sort of network music despository). You'll notice that when your daughter's computer starts itunes and plays a song, the main computer's hard drive where the Music Folder is stored will mount on her computer. So the main computer obviously has to be turned on, or more accurately, the location of the Music Folder (could be on an external hard drive) must be accessible over the network. Your duaghter can now create her own spearate playlists and sync her ipod to her own library which is accessing the same song files (Music Folder) as the main computer. And both of you can be playing from itunes at the same time independantly.
Here's the tricky part that takes some coordintation: Since you'll both be accessing and adding to the same huge Music Folder, you'll need to coordinate with eachother if you want to be able to have each computer's itunes database "see" any music that the other person has added or purchased. For purchasing or adding music to the music folder, both of you should have in Preferences/Advanced the "copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library" selection checked when purchasing music or adding music via burning. If your daughter, for example, buys an album and has this preference selected, then it will go to the Music Folder and she will have access to it. But the other computer doesn't know that this was added to the music folder and it won't show up in that computer's itunes. For itunes to knwo a song is in it's Music Library it has to add it to it. SO, from this other computer, go to File/Add to Library and navigate to the location within the Music Folder and then select the newly purchased album and it will now show up in this itunes as well - BUT before you do this you should UNcheck the "copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library" preference so that the album is not duplicated in the Music Folder. Then if this computer wants to purchase an album, you need to have this checked again. Basically if your doing the original adding you have to have the "copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library" checked. If your simply letting your itunes know that something was added then have the "copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library" unchecked before you add it to your library. And if someone creates a playlist that the other wants, you can still share eachother's libraries (even though your accessing the same Music Folder) or even export the playlist and import it into the other computer.
Sounds tricky but it's actually pretty easy and allows each person to sort of control his/her itunes and sync their own ipods/iphones all from the same Music Folder.