Itunes with multiple libraries

I am using an two libraries with my iTunes, the "regular" on on the mac for the music I bought on the store and one on an external drive with a copy of my old CDs (some are so rare and odd that even gracenote cannot identify!), I would like to consolidate these libraries indipendently, how can I decide which drive and folders iTunes must look into?
Thank You.

Don't take this as a correct answer, but the solution I think you are looking for lies in the "consolidate library" function. Found under file/library menu in iTunes. Research it first. Like I said I have not done this yet but I think this might help you.
Cheers

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Using iTunes with multiple libraries/HD's

Hey guys,
I am running out of space on my Mac HD. Is it possible to create a secondary iTunes folder on an external hard drive to store my least used iTunes playlists/playlist folders and use my Mac HD to store my most frequented ones?
If this is possible, would it also be possible to plug into my external HD playlists and use them alongside my mac HD iTunes folders?
Many thanks,
j

Jeveland,
Welcome to Discussions,
Although iTunes only has one 'iTunes Music folder location', the music can be stored at any location and added to the library.
The 'iTunes Music folder location' is the location where iTunes stores ripped CDs and purchased music. It does not tell iTunes where your music is stored.
The locations of your songs are stored in the 'iTunes Library' file.
Read more about the library files here.
Uncheck 'Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to the library' in Preferences>Advanced>General. Then add your music to the library.
Hope this helps.
M
17' iMac 800 MHz, 768 MB RAM, 200 GB HD, DL burner Mac OS X (10.4.8) iTunes 7.0.2

How do icloud and itunes match work with multiple libraries?

How do icloud and itunes match work with multiple libraries?

This forum is for troubleshooting compatibility issues between Macs and Windows, not iTunes. You'll probably want to repost your question in the iTunes discussions:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=150

Can i sync my ipad with multiple libraries.

i have recently purchased a new pc and having added my itunes library last night I cannot get my ipad to sync with the new library, it shows up in devices but will not sync. Is it possible to sync devices with multiple libraries? if not, what is the point of having upto 5 devices that can be authorised with an itunes id? any help would be much appreciated, thanks.

If you want to change the computer that it's synced to then see if this user-tip helps : https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141
But if you just want to add music from that new computer but not change the computer that it's synced to then see this page : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1202
You can have your account authorised on up to 5 computers, that allows you to buy and use your content on those computer (e.g. play music, watch films). But some devices are designed to only be synced to one computer at a time, so syncing to a new computer would replace the current contents of the device with what is on the new computer.

Can't Sync with Multiple Libraries

My wife gave me an 8 GB iPod Nano for my birthday (I think they really mean 8 gB, but that's not really a big deal). It's got a nice slick aluminum (I think) case and a pretty LCD screen.
I had been resisting getting myself an iPod for a while now because Apple usually screws things up, but she chose it.
Not that I have it, I have decided that I was right. Apple completely screwed this thing up. My wife put a few songs from her laptop on the iPod and then I thought, great. I'll just add some from my laptop. I downloaded the new version of iTunes, but it told me that I couldn't add songs from my library without deleting the songs already on the iPod.
Now, I'm not a moron. I know that there's no technical reason for this reason for this. It's a freakin' piece of flash memory with a usb port and some dsp circuits. And it's one of the most expensive one's on the market. So why doesn't it work correctly?
This gd thing cost my wife $275 and IT DOESN"T WORK!!!! I'd take the POS back except that she already got my name engraved on it (not to mention that it might hurt her feelings).
Can someone please explain why Mac is trying to screw its customers over and why its customers put up with this BS?
I realize that there are probably hacks to get my iPod to sync with multiple libraries, but for $275, it ought to work right out of the box.

Okay. Okay. So I found the option to manually sync my iPod. I still think that it kind of ***** that the iPod doesn't store the files with their real names but instead uses those funny four letter names.

ITunes Updates & Multiple Libraries

In Windows 7 I use iTunes V 10.7 with three iTunes Libraries. Before attempting any updates I always Backup MY MUSIC, & make sure that I have a very recent Windows System Backup. Every time I attempt an Update, I always end up with three Libraries that are totally mixed up. It does not help that I copy my Backed Up Libraries into My Music & reopen iTunes with those Library files, because they get mixed up too. I end up using 'Restore System Settings' to restore my system to the happy days of V 10.7.
Now I'm sure that there are lots of other iTunes users with multiple Libraries.
I'm hoping that one or more of them can tell how to do a 'clean' update with clean Libraries.

Thanks. I think that the first part of your response is not relevant in my case. But the second part is definitely relevant, because I get hung up at the message 'The file iTunes Library.itl cannot be read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes'. That is the point where I give up & 'Restore System Settings' to put me back to V 10.7. Yes - technically I'm doing a 'downgrade'.
Now, when I was in V 12, after resetting my displays - Playlists etc. on the Left side, & Music showing in a Song list the way I like, I didn't see any benefit of V 12 over V 10.7. Moreover, in V 12 the 'iTunes Store' doesn't work - it just closes the iTunes program!
So I'm not in a big hurry to try reinstalling V 12.
But I'm up to the academic challenge, so at the end of the week - which will be the New Year - I might try a more thorough job of Backing Up my three Libraries, & downloading/installing V 12 & see if anything has changed. Of course, I will do a Windows System Image Backup first, so that if I end up ****** off, I can do 'Restore System Settings' & thereafter live forever happy with V 10.7.
Remember that in the software world "New does not mean better". Very, very true.

How do I share iTunes with multiple users on Mac mini?

How do I share iTunes with multiple users on Mac mini?

You have to turn on Sharing and then Authenticate Sharing on the other devices. You can have up to 5.

ITunes match with multiple libraries

I can't seem to find a satisfactory answer to this. Namely, how does iTunes Match treat multiple libraries on the same Mac. In my case, I spent a lot of time segregating my music. Thus, I have a rock library, a classical library, an instrumental (Windham Hill and Narada) library, an ambient recording library. It makes sense to me to do this rather that dump everything into one pot. That way, I can load a Touch with a specific library and don't have to create a zillion playlists. Using the same iTunes login, how will Match treat these different libraries? Will it only concern itself with what it finds in the currently open library? How will it treat different iPod Touches that are linked to a specific library? Will it want to push the wrong music to a Touch? Would appreciate any thoughts.

One person sets up Match on their computer using the iTunes account. Uploads everything to match.
I would recommend waiting until that person is done, and do computers one at a time. No particular reason, just seems sensible.
Next person sets up match using same iTunes account details. Uploads their stuff. They will then see everything the previous user put into the system, unless you select "Hide music not on this computer" in the view menu. Previous user will now see their stuff too.
Rinse and repeat.
This is how it worked with my multiple machines anyway... As long as every computer uses the same iTunes account for the store, you all get access to the same Match account.

How do I go from using a single Apple ID with multiple libraries to using home sharing?

Until now my wife and I have opted to share our iTunes/Apple ID and use multiple libraries to manage our iPhones. This has become increasingly difficult...with issues such as having apps I've downloaded that she doesn't want automatically downloading to her library and even her phone. Now, add in the fact that I want to continue to manage my iTunes library from our PC and allow her to manage hers from her new MacBook Pro and we have good reason to move to home sharing with separate Apple IDs for each of us.
My question is the logistics of doing so. Not only do we need to replicate her existing library on a new Apple ID, but then we need to migrate all the necessary files over to her MacBook Pro. Quite honestly, I don't even know where to begin. Is it possible to associate her existing library with her new Apple ID without having to create her library from scratch? Then is there anyway to migrate only the items in her library over to her MacBook Pro as opposed having to move all of our music & apps? Where do I begin?
Thanks!

Okay...I misunderstood and thought we needed separate ID's...but I see we actually need to use the same ID which simplifies things in my mind a bit. But still some followups...
1) What do you mean by restore the library on her computer? Simply open her library file in iTunes?
2) On our current machine...media is actually split between a couple folders but all under the My Music folder. But there are multiple subfolders (iTunes, Her iPhone, and Amazon MP3). I presume as long as I copy over the entire My Music folder there shouldn't be any access issues when the library is opened on her machine?
3) Is there any easy way to get rid of all the extra files that she doesn't have in her library? For instance, all my music and apps that she doesn't actually want, is there any easy way of separating those out from the files that are actually linked to in her library? Vice versa for me...once we've go her library set up on her machine, any easy way to purge all the extra files from my PC that aren't actually in my library?
Thanks!

HELP! - iTunes 7 Multiple Libraries - iTunes Music Folder Location

I've created two libraries with the new multiple libraries feature on iTunes 7, but it appears that there is no way to choose separate folder locations for each of the libraries. I tried to do this and ended up with all of my songs in one folder, which is what I don't want. I would like to have would like to have two libraries, one for regular music and one for Christmas music, and I would like to choose a separate location/folder for each library. I keep all of my music on an external hard drive - I don't have enough room on my internal hard drive. Does anyone know if there is a way to do this?

Shift key thing is cool. But I agree, why not let us switch while in program. Itunes Library manager seems to be a better bet still and keeps hard drive clean.
http://www.dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/ituneslibrarymanager.php
I use this to keep sound effects and music in two libraries and it works great.

ITUnes 9 - Multiple Libraries cannot be found

Yesterday, in order to free up space on my macbook's internal hard drive, I created a new iTunes library on an external hard drive where I moved most of my music. But I kept some on my internal drive for when I'm away from home and want to listen to music directly from my laptop. Like today. When I started up iTunes holding the option key, I selected 'Choose Library' and selected my iTunes music folder (and then subsequent other folders) and every time got the message "An iTunes library could not be found in the folder X. Please choose a different folder". I figured it might be because my internal music library was created eons ago. So I created a new one.
However, when I got home this evening and hooked my macbook up to the external hard drive, and started iTunes holding down the option key, the same thing has happened with the external library I created last night. Any idea what I might be doing wrong?

The only thing is that when I unplug my external hard drive, and open iTunes holding down the option key and select the library that is on my internal hard drive, it still shows all of the music on my external hard drive ... Is this linked to the iTunes library file that I still have sitting on my desktop?
no. iTunes looks for library files in your iTunes folder only. i guess it's because you created one library containing all files and another containing the +internal files+ only. i'm thinking it might be a good idea, in order to clean up the mess , to have iTunes consolidate all content to the external drive first, then consolidate selected content back to the internal.
Since there is so much more music on the external than the internal, it would be nice if, when I option-opened iTunes and selected the internal library, it would only show the music that is actually on my computer, instead of having to guess what is and what isn't.
instead of working with two libraries, i much prefer one single library which content is (or can be) spread across one or more volumes. iTunes provides the option to create plain (dumb) and/or smart playlists in order to filter content. the advantage is, IMHO, not to have to switch between libraries or remembering what content is in which library. as an example you could create a smart playlist that contains only the tunes that you keep locally (for traveling) and another that is a combination of local & external content for when you're @ home and the external drive is hooked up.
check the following reads on the subject: one and two.
however, if you, for whatever reason, need separate libraries, there are tools that'd make the task easier. notably, there are:
_*http://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/ituneslibrarymanager.php*_
and
PowerTunes
click here for more information on *how to manage multiple iTunes libraries on the same computer*.
there are ways to have iTunes move only selected files to another location. say, for example, you want to move your movies. in that case, you would point iTunes (preferences > advanced) temporarily to that location, select the movies in iTunes, right-click and choose +consolidate selection+. after the move's done, you'd point iTunes back to the old location - or where you want it to put newly added content.
I'm not sure I get this part.
the +consolidate selection+ provides an option to move selected content to another location. for example, if you want to move your Apple Lossless music to drive A, movies to drive B, tv shows to drive C, and yet have all content in a single library.
the above reads on +splitting & managing+ your library will provide further insight.
let us know which path you will follow and if you have additional questions.
JGG

Itunes 11 multiple libraries

I had multiple libraries in itunes 10 and have now downloaded itunes 11. Now all my libraries are combined together (my music, kids music, christmas music). How can I separate them again?

I'm looking for this answer too . . . Iron Maiden showing up in daughters lulabies is not that cool . . .I'll come back if I find anything. I think it has something to do with the cloud.

Sharing iPhoto and iTunes with multiple local users

My wife and I share the Intel iMac and we want to share both the iTunes and iPhoto libraries...
Can I just place them in the Users/Shared folder, do an Option (first time) launch from each account to identify it's location and can we both access them from there, or is there more to it...
We also want to be able to import and download photos/music from either account into the same library....
thanks

Shawn:
Here are some suggested methods to share:
iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users
http://ad.hominem.org/log/2005/07/acl.php
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2151309&#2151309 (see Lori's post and links)
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=579542&tstart=0
http://www.captnswing.net/2004/03/20/shareiphotolibrary.html
And if you'd like to have each user have a total independent library while sharing the same source files see Tutorial #3.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Help with Multiple libraries and one storage location for files

I cannot get an answer to this question anywhere and was really hoping that The [H] would be able to help.
Here is my current set up that allows my wife and I to have completely independent libraries and ratings, but use the same files:
-Shared folder with MP3s on a network drive.
-Two PCs, each with it's own Ipod associated to it with individual libraries but all pointing to the same network share for MP3 Files.
-Each PC is using the SAME Itunes account for downloads.
-Each account has it's own library folder also on a network share.
Now to my question(s)/problem with downloaded content:
(1) Is there any way to have a file that is downloaded from Itunes be automatically placed in a shared location accessible to both Libraries? (Say if I download the latest Jack Johnson album, can it automatically show up in my wife's library and vice versa?)
(2) Is there any way to share the album artwork versus having two copies of everything(one for each library)?
So my goal is to have two libraries with a central location for ALL files, including anything downloaded from Itunes by each individual user. Is this possible?

Have your wife transfer all purchases from the iPad into iTunes, backup her iPad and then sync with iTunes. Everything ... All media and other content will be available in that iTunes library and she will have a current backup.
Assuming that your son will still be sharing your wife's Apple ID (he is too young to have one of his own) .... When you set up his iPad, restore the iPad from your wife's backup and then select only the content that you want your son to have on his iPad in the iTunes library and then sync that iPad with iTunes.
The game progress is stored in the backup and should transfer onto his device when you restore from your wife's backup. You can always delete any content (apps, movies, music) that you don't want your son to have on the iPad, if you missed it when you synced with iTunes after setting the device up for him.
You can set your sync preferences - any way that you want to - for both devices and still use the same iTunes library for both iPads. So ... Yes you can sync any apps that you want to his iPad and any apps that your wife wants to her iPad. You just need to restore your son's iPad from your wife's backup in order to get his game progress onto his iPad.
In case you need these....
Transfer purchases.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848
How to backup and restore from a backup
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
Remember to have your wife backup her iPad just before you restore his iPad from the backup so that his most recent progress will be available in the backup.

Windows XP Using iTunes with Multiple Identities

Hi. I'm using Windows XP and iTunes 7. I have my music files on an external drive, but all my library files are in My Music folders. I'd like to share all the music with other users of this PC (my kids) from their own identities. I was able to import the music, but album artwork that iTunes does not have that I imported on my own does not shows up on the new identity.
Also, I am guessing that, if I add a song with the original identity, it will not show up in iTunes with the new identity unless I add the library, folder, song, etc.
Is there a proper way to share iTunes music on the same PC with multiple identities?
In advance, thanks for your help.

hiya!
hmmmm. it might well be the Windows Fast User Switching causing his problem (although he isn't getting the usual problem i see associated with Fast User Switching):
iTunes for Windows: about Fast User Switching with Windows XP
love, b

Itunes with multiple libraries

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