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.
Is it just a case of moving the *itl & *xml files from my iMac to the ReadyNAS and pointing both the iMac and laptop to their new location ?? or will this interfere with syncing the iPhones?
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

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Can I share one iTunes Library with multiple computers on a network?

Can I share one iTunes Library with multiple computers on a network?
note: one library universally shared, not Home Sharing (one library each, shared to each.)
I want to share one library stores on my server and access it through various local computers. When I buy a song from a computer (non-server), I want it to be added to the library (stored on server). I want it to auto copy to my server, for organization. I want to be able to sync my phone from any computer.
Most of this I can do, if i figure out how to use one universal library for all my computers.
Any ideas how I can do this?

eyeinit,
You can authorize your iTunes account on up to 5 computers at a time.
However, purchased music is downloaded to the first machine to download it, but these articles have more information on moving your music between authorized computers:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93063
This one is for moving all your music using an iPod as a storage drive
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173
Hope this helps,
Nathan C.

Same iTunes Library on Multiple Computers

I was wondering whether someone could help me out a little here. I have 3 computers at home. A MacBook Pro, a Windows Vista Laptop and a Windows Vista desktop PC. Both my Wife and I have iPods (mine an iPhone and hers an 8Gb 2nd Generation Nano).
What I want to be able to do is access my iTunes music collection (the music files are currently stored on the MacBook) through any computer in the house (I have wireless through Time Capsule). This I am told is easy through iTunes sharing, however this does not allow you to connect your iPod to any machine and update it, as sharing does allow this.
Is there a way of storing the iTunes library and files on one machine, like a central server and then you can play music from any computer (perhaps using iTunes on that machine) and you can also plugin your iPod/iPhone into any machine in order to update it?
Looking forward to hearing peoples suggestions on this one.
Thanks.

Hello
Try this website:
http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/13/one-itunes-library-on-multiple-computers/
I have been using this solution with my Library and Music situated on a NAS for awhile now with great success.
Hope this helps.
Kevin

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.

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I have two computers, a Windows 7 laptop and a new iMac. iTunes on both computers are signed into the same Apple ID. I currently have my iTunes library on my laptop, but I would like to also have the exact same library on my iMac. For instance, if I download a new podcast to my laptop, it should be placed on my iMac as well. When I delete the podcast, it should be deleted on the iMac too. When song metadata is updated on my laptop (play count, lyrics, etc), I want it updated on the iMac automatically.
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iCloud has made this situation more interesting. I know iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match will keep music files in sync among various devices (including metadata?), but what about podcasts or movies or files not purchased via iTunes? I know there are plenty of details that are yet to be released concerning iCloud, but do you think it will solve this problem entirely, or will manual labor be required to obtain the exact same library among multiple computers?
I have considered only using my iMac to maintain my library, since it is always on and I could use Home Sharing to listen to music on my laptop since they are on the same Wifi network. However, I feel it would be best to keep the same library on two computers for when I take my laptop on vacation away from my home network.
What would you suggest for this situation?
Thanks!

sorry about the slight irrelevence of this post on this thread....i saw this much older post you had in my explorations and it is almost to a "T" my issue currently and i was wondering if you ever came to a conclusion or had any tips or resolution paths i could explore. your original message:
     I have 2 computers I'd like to set up Home Sharing on. One is Windows XP and the other is Windows 7.
     I set it all up but then the libraries never show up. Nothing happens.
     The computers are on the same network and I can successfully share files and a printer. Both computers are      authorized using the same account. Both are signed into that account.
     I don't know why it's not working. Can you please help?
          Thanks!!
is EXACTLY my problem with the only variable being that both of my computers run 7. furthermore, you went on to say you were experiencing issues with the "remote" app. that was the initial objective for me in my system that got me here with a deeper problem with home share. i want to home share my itunes library and control it from my iPod touch 4g. is that such an unreasonable request?!?!? lol. i'm incredibly frustrated and was hoping that since you had such specifically similar circumstances....have you found a solution? PLEASE HELP!!! thank you so much for your time.

Sharing itunes library among multiple computers?

Hey all,
We are a Mac family. We have an iMac and a Powerbook, and I recently bought an iBook for my wife. We'd love to be able to share our iTunes library among the computers. Is there an easy way to set this up? Any help would be greatly appreciated......
I'm betting this has been talked about elsewhere but wasn't sure if there was a simple solution I'm missing.
Thanks in advance.....
jon

It depends on what you mean exactly. If you want to simply be able to play stuff out of each other's libraries, you can turn on Sharing in the iTunes preferences. Any computers on the same network with iTunes open and with sharing turned on, will see each other's libraries (they show up in the left side column like a playlist sort of). But this method of sharing only allows you to play their stuff. You will not be able to add the songs to your own library, add the songs to your own playlist, or burn a CD of songs from their library.
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Patrick

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I moved my entire itunes folder to an external hard drive. This worked mostly ok, but when I tried to change the location of the library in itunes I only retrieved half of my music. At some point prior to all of this I started opening my library as a 'Previous Itunes Library' and everything new has been put there. I don't know how to combine everything back into one. I have been trying differnt things from postings online and now i'm afraid i've completely goofed it up. I have about 10 xml and itl files. HELP. I'm losing it.

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

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.

How to share one iTunes library with multiple computers AND Apple TV? Help?

It seems like my dilemma may not be easily solved. Hopefully it isn't as complicated as I think it will be. Here's the situation:
My wife hates that, in order to see or do anything with the images she takes, I need to have iPhoto open on my computer (Mac Pro), and she then has to connect to it over sharing.
By the same token, I don't like that she buys iTunes content on her MacBook, which is sometimes a duplicate of content I already have. Now that the App Store is out, that is going to start getting really expensive.
So instead, I want us to be able to:
1) Have ONE iTunes library on the network, and ONE iPhoto library. Both of these would be accessible to any computer on the network. When you launch iTunes, you would get all the media that is in that library.
2) Both be able to access iTunes at the same time to listen to / watch content.
3) Both be able to purchase iTunes content, and when it it purchased, it updates that single library. If I buy a song, the next time my wife fires up iTunes, that song is there for her to listen to.
4) Have our two Apple TV units be able to play content from this library.
So, I know that we need something on the network. I have a Drobo with DroboShare, so that is one option. I also have a spare Mac Pro laying around, along with a copy of OS X Leopard Server.
I just don't know what route we should take with this. All I want is for us to share a library, to be able to both use that library, for us to be able to sync content from that library to our portable devices, and for our Apple TVs to also see that library.
Possible?!

I'm sort of in the same boat. We've got an iMac with separate User Accounts set up and are currently sharing the same iTunes and iPhoto libraries along with streaming them to our Apple TV.
Right now I'm the only one with an iPod, however she'll be getting one in a couple of weeks.
We also just picked up a MacBook yesterday and I'd like to be able to sync certain libraries like iTunes and iPhoto so that no content gets duplicated on either the iMac or MacBook and so that we both have access to the current libraries for each program on our iPods and AppleTV.
I have an external hard drive that I back up the iMac on and I assume I could manually keep things current with that but there's got to be an easier way...that's why these are Macs right?
Bill

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

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

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

Share a large iTunes library with multiple computers

I have a very big itunes library that I share with several computers at my home from a mac mini and lion server. This solution works well in that all my home computers can access the itunes library on the server and play music through the "Shared" feature. The downside of this solution is that if I (or my wife, or my daughter, or my son) want to put some music on our iphones, we have to sync the iphone with the mac mini so that the itunes library is local.
I would like to figure out a way, where all of our music would be availble on all of our macbooks so we could create our own playlists, and sync our iphones.
I have considered iCloud, but I'm not sure how well (or how expensive) it might be to share 250 GB of music on iCloud. Does anyone have suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

I'm sort of in the same boat. We've got an iMac with separate User Accounts set up and are currently sharing the same iTunes and iPhoto libraries along with streaming them to our Apple TV.
Right now I'm the only one with an iPod, however she'll be getting one in a couple of weeks.
We also just picked up a MacBook yesterday and I'd like to be able to sync certain libraries like iTunes and iPhoto so that no content gets duplicated on either the iMac or MacBook and so that we both have access to the current libraries for each program on our iPods and AppleTV.
I have an external hard drive that I back up the iMac on and I assume I could manually keep things current with that but there's got to be an easier way...that's why these are Macs right?
Bill

How to maintain 1 iTunes library on multiple computers

Hi,
I have a desktop and a laptop, both of which I want to have the same iTunes library on. I dont want them both to be turned on at the same time so using "sharing" is not really an option.
I currently have my entire library on Skydrive so both computers can access the music with ease. Is there a way I can have iTunes have the same playlists, song ratings/play counts on both computers?
Note: I've tried playing around with symbolic links but im not really sure what to link and where to put the shortcuts.

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.

Sharing an iTunes library across multiple computers

I tried Home Share but it did not do what i expected. In addition to doing Home Share, the files need to be copied to each computer apparently.
Is it permitted to have the iTunes Library be located on a shared disc (such as one attached to an AirPort Express)? So that one copy of the library would be used by all copies of iTunes running in the house?
I am confused because different products seem to work differently. If I set up my iMac and my Mac Book with Home Share, each of htem needs a copy of the library in its own disk space. But if I set up Apple TV to use Home Share, it plays my videos from the hard drive of my iMac. Yes both describe Home Share as the same concept.
So far it appears that MacBook and iMac do not share libraries in the sense of using a single copy on disk.
What about iPhone and iPad? Do they read the library from the home sharing computer or do the media files need to be downloaded ahead of time to the iOS device?
What am I missing here?
Thanks,
Bruce

Not really. Each computer will have a separate library within iTunes. They can be set to use the same file storage location but I have no idea how to do that with a Mac.

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

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