ITunes Media Folder Frustrations

Hi,
I hate, hate, hate the way that iTunes sorts the library for you into Artist/Album/Song. While this is useful if you have many tracks for an artist but three folders for just one song is ridiculous and results in songs that you know, being squirreled away under artists that you have no idea even existed.
So, I have sorted my library in Windows Explorer into genres, i.e Breaks, Chillout, Orchestral etc. These folders are then sorted into artist/album if I have alot of that artists music, or if the artist only has a few songs the individual songs are left in the genre folder.
Now to listen to my music on my computer I simply add whatever genre to Windows Media Player or VLC. However I now want to update my ipod!
In the Edit-Preferences-Advanced section I have changed the location of my iTunes Media Folder to the external hard drive that all tracks are on. I have unselected 'Keep iTunes Media Folder Organised' and 'Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library'.
When I import songs I have been using 'Add folder to library' for each different genre. For some iTunes still creates a Artist/Album version of the songs. I think it MAY be the songs that it converts, but am not sure. Is there a way to stop iTunes doing creating Artist/Album folders and simply follow how you have set up the directory?
Thanks!!

Gentleman Fox wrote:
In the Edit-Preferences-Advanced section I have changed the location of my iTunes Media Folder to the external hard drive that all tracks are on. I have unselected 'Keep iTunes Media Folder Organised' and 'Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library'.
When I import songs I have been using 'Add folder to library' for each different genre. For some iTunes still creates a Artist/Album version of the songs. I think it MAY be the songs that it converts, but am not sure. Is there a way to stop iTunes doing creating Artist/Album folders and simply follow how you have set up the directory?
If you have unchecked both "Keep..." and "Copy..." then iTunes does not move or rename the files. It leaves them where they are, and creates an iTunes library entry that points to the original location, which is what you want.
The only exception will be if you add a WMA file. iTunes converts it to the designated format that you specified in IMporting preferences. The newly converted copy is added according to Artist/Album, which is exactly what you don't want.
If you are using your music across platforms, you must avoid WMA. The one format that is useful across almost every player program and phone is MP3. If you rip the CD in another tool, make sure you set it for MP3. You can add the MP3s to iTunes and keep your own folder structure, as I described above.

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What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
iTunes 9 [and later]: Understanding iTunes Media Organization - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3847 - plus supplemental information about organizing to new structure https://discussions.apple.com/message/26404702#26404702
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anyone?

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Understand how iTunes works. iTunes does not actively look for files. When you add a file to iTunes the location of that file is saved in the iTunes database (library file). When you try to play a track iTunes looks in its database for where the linked file is to be found and tries to play the specific file it has listed in that location. If you deleted the file then it no longer exists. I think even if you replace it with one that is identical, iTunes is still looking for that specific file. You can link the track listing to a new file using the process you have done. In theory iTunes should be able to find others but the files have to have been organized by iTunes in the past because it will be working on the basis of how it thinks they should be arranged. Additionally the files you replaced have to have exactly the same name as the ones you deleted because iTunes will expect them to be named how it would name them when they were first entered into your library

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I have an HP EX490 Home Server setup. I want to use the Music Share volume to act as the home for all of our music. I am using a MacBook Pro and my wife is using a Dell Windows Vista Laptop. I have my iTunes pointing to the iTunes Media Folder on the Music Share. The iTunes Library resides on my laptop in Music/iTunes/Library. I used the consolidate library feature and it moved all the music to the appropriate iTunes folder on the Share. Now I want to do that with the Windows Vista Laptop. I have the Vista laptop pointing to the Share for the iTunes Media folder location. The question is how do I add the files to her library? Do I "consolidate library" again or just "add folder to library"? Also do I keep the boxes checked "Keep iTunes Media folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" under the Advanced Tab in Preferences? Would greatly appreciate the help. Lots of music/videos and only want to do this once.
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Tom DePrenda wrote:
I used the consolidate library feature and it moved all the music to the appropriate iTunes folder on the Share.
Good!
I have the Vista laptop pointing to the Share for the iTunes Media folder location.
Good!
The question is how do I add the files to her library?
Go to your File menu and use the command Add Folder to Library. When the dialog comes up, point it to the Music folder in the Share area. But read on first...
Also do I keep the boxes checked "Keep iTunes Media folder organized"
You must turn off the "Keep..." option. Otherwise, when one of you changes a tag, iTunes will re-"organize" and the other person's iTunes will lose the link.
The "Copy..." option should also be turned off. As you add new music, put it where you want it. Then you must "Add File to Library" from each iTunes.

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This article should get you started:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive/48
The most important thing for a trouble free transfer is all you music files must be in your designated iTunes Music/media folder. That is set from the advanced tab in preferences.
If your current media folder is not set in preferences, you need to set it. If there are any music files outside the designated folder you need to consolidate your library.
The reason for this is that iTunes is extremely fussy about paths to files, but it can cope with a change in the path above the level of the designated media folder.
If you want to keep your current playlists etc, you will need to transfer your current iTunes folder containing the library files.
A simple way to do this is to install iTunes on the new PC then with iTunes closed drag the new iTuneas folder out of music to the desktop and replace it with the iTunes folder from the old PC.
You will need to adjust the permissions on the folder so your new account is the owner with full control.
Initially set the location of your iTunes music folder to the external drive and check that it all works.
Then you can move your files, by changing the location of your itunes media folder to one on the internal drive and then consolidating.
See this on moving the music folder:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364?viewlocale=en_US
If I haven't explained it clearly enough post back with any questions.

HT1364 I have moved my library to an external hard drive and changed the location of the iTunes media folder in Preferences, but every time I close and re-open iTunes, I have to do it all over again. How can I make the iTunes media folder change permanen

I have moved my library to an external hard drive and changed the location of the iTunes media folder in Preferences, but every time I close and re-open iTunes, I have to do it all over again. How can I make the iTunes media folder change permanent? I have an older machine with Windows XP.

I don't believe mounting the hard drive should be necessary, unless you have several external drives and want your computer to recognise them as folders, rather than drives. I've never had to mount a hard drive, ever. If you don't know how to do it, then it shouldn't be necessary now.
Try this:
Prepare iTunes so that it can see the external drive.
Make a note of which drive-letter the external drive has been allocated. (Look in Windows Exploer)
Look at the file location for a song. Make sure it plays (and therefore that iTunes has found it). Highlight it and select File/Get Info/Summary>Where: and make a note of the drive letter for that song.
Close and shut down the computer.
The next time you turn the computer on again, connect the external drive
Before you start iTunes - check the external drive in Windows Explorer. Is it ready, does it have the same drive-letter that it had last time? Can you go into the drive and see the files on it?
Once you can, start iTunes. (If the drive lettter has changed, you need to work out why before going any further.)
If iTunes fails to find your external drive, you need to check where iTunes is looking for your Library.
Select the same song you checked before (presumably iTunes can no longer find it). Follow the procedure for locating it. You should be able to see where iTunes thinks the file is. It's the drive that counts. Which drive letter is iTunes looking at? Is it the same one that it was previously (which should also be the same one that the drive has now).
What happens, which step do you have problems with?
Message was edited by: the fiend

Share itunes music across family without sharing other things in the itunes media folder!

I am sick and tired of itunes. seriously! apple just wont let go off its tight control over how I can configure my machine!
i have had to create 3 user accounts on my machine (which is the only mac in my home and only used by me) just because my mom and dad each have an iphone and would want to be able to backup and update their iphones. its simply impossible to get it done from the itunes of a single user account.
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i decided to just move the music folder to the shared folder and keep a referenced library but that means that when one user account downloads a track the others cannot access it as the track creates and exists in a new music folder inside the itunes media folder (which is not 'reseted' back to its original location).
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is there any graceful way of handling this?
Message was edited by: AceNeerav

iTunes: How to share music between different user accounts on a single computer - Apple Support
this article mentions nothing about the conflicts created by the apps.

ITunes Media Folder Frustrations

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