Library consolidation from PC to Mac

I have a itunes library on a PC formated EHD that I would like to transfer and combine to my Macbooks library (music and movies) how do I do this or ultimately how can I get the content from both computers libraries onto my iphone that can only synch to one computer at a time?

You can read this article on how to -http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/mac/articles/how-do-i-move-my-itunes-library -from-pc-to-mac-and-keep-my-settings-intact
The thing to check is what format is your ext HD formated. Mac can read FAT32 and NTFS but will not write to an NTFS.
In essence there is little that you would need to do for you Mac to use the ext HD if it is formated in FAT32 - pay attention to step 4.
Of course it is best to have a b/u of your entire iTunes library files and tunes before starting.
MJ

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Trying to Import my iTunes Library Retrieved from a Crashed Mac on my New Mac

Hi all,
My old mac laptop crashed and I had the contents of it transferred to my new MacBookPro laptop. My itunes folder from the old mac laptop is now on my new laptop's desktop but I can't find a way to import my old itunes library to the new one. Which of the old files do I have to move and where, please? Thanks in advance for your help.
Al
My old itunes folder's content reads like this:
-itunes:
-album artwork
cache
cloud
download
-iTunes Library 2011-12-28.itl
-iTunes Library 2012-07-25.itl
-iTunes Library Extras.itdb
-iTunes Library Genius.itdb
-iTunes Library.itl
-iTunes Media
- iTunes Music Library.xml

Go into iTunes prefs>Advanced - check that the path to your iTunes is correct.
It should look similar to this - /users/YOUR ACCOUNT/Music/itunes/itunes music - if the path is not correct then select the 'change' option and point the way.
If you have the ! Next to the tunes then the path is incorrect. This doesn't mean that the files are missing - just iTunes cannot find the way - iTunes is a data base manager and as such can lose track if things are moved in the Finder.
MJ

How to migrate Library/DB from Windows to Mac

I am moving my photography business from windows to Mac (Vista convinced me). I already figured out how to get from adobe the Lightroom and CS3 licenses transferred, but I wonder how to deal with my pics? I have all my pics in a network hard drive and the library on my laptop with a backup on the network drive. My new configuration would be one iMac for doing all the work and one Mac Book for working on the road and sharing wit customers.
How to migrate my DB and photo collection?
How to set things up so I can use lightroom in both: My Macbook and the iMac? I ran a quick search and found many responses but I could not quite understand what needs to be done or confirm whether this scenario of two machines accessing same DB is supported for a NAS drive.
Thanks!

Thanks Don, I am a writer and a photographer and probably not as savvy as you with technology or forums. I ran searches before posting my question, but nothing came back when using the keywords windows to mac, migrate DB, etc. So obviously I cannot even think about the right terms. Any link you can provide me with? So far after reading many posts around looks like LR will not work for my business because it does not support multiple PCs, but at least while I find another software solution, I want to be able to use my Macs with lightroom :-)

ITunes library xml from windows to mac using external drive.

Hi there!
I'm a newbie on mac computers.. I've recently purchase a macbook pro retina.
So, I used to use iTunes in windows XP. My old computer crashed and I can't re-open it and save files...
Now, the only file I have from my windows library is an "library.xml" file.
The mp3 files that I had in previous iTunes playlists are in my external I: Drive. (not in Itunes folder).
I was searching in apple communities to see how I can transfer playlists in my new iTunes on mac.
But I can't find a solution to my problem... and unfortunately I don't know if there is...
I've try to set the iTunes media folder location my external hard drive, from Preferences-->Advanced-->iTunes media folder location.
Then I go to file-->library--> import playlist and I open the "library.xml".
The result is that I have all my playlists in tact, like it was in my previous iTunes.... But THERE IS NOT ANY FILE ON THEM!!!
So, I have only the playlists... Could you help me to set my I: drive as default path of itunes library, to get my playlists WITH the mp3s?
PLEASE HELP!
Thank you in advance.

Should I change the Preferences-->Advanced-->iTunes media folder location back to default folder?
That should be set to wherever you want iTunes to store media in the future (though it sounds like you are planning on keeping this unchecked anyway). It has no effect on where iTunes looks for existing files. That is already determined when you first add the file to iTunes or through later consolidating.
In theory you should be able to start iTunes with a blank library, use the import function to add that .xml file and it should still point to the files on the external. If that is not working then I guess it is possible all those %20 space designations may be causing problems. It's strange you are seeing those coded that way but it is likely some carry-over from Windows. The purpose of adding a test file to the external, then adding it to iTunes, then looking at the .xml is to see how Mac iTunes lists the path for a file on the external added when using the Mac so you can use that as a model for changing other paths if necessary.
Holding down the option key while starting iTunes (make sure you are using the correct key) or immediately after starting it should invoke a screen asking if you want to make a new library. If this is not working for you then I have no idea why because it works for hundreds of other people I have told to do this.

Tranfering iTunes library + Phone from PC to Mac

Hi all,
I recently moved my main desktop from a PC to my MBP running Snow Leopard. I'd like to transfer my iTunes library across including my apps, so that I can sync my iPhone with my MBP rather than my old desktop.
1. Do I go through the 'Keep iTunes Media Folder Organized' and 'Copy Files To iTunes Media Folder When Adding To Library' method of consolidating my library on my PC then transfering that library folder to my Mac? Does that include iPhone/iPad apps as well?
2. Can I somehow transfer the backup files from my PC onto my MBP, and will OS X iTunes use those to continue backing up my iPhone?
3. What about synching my iPhone? Once I've transfered my library will I have to restore it and put all my content back on? ie. it won't be able to restore from backup? Ideally I would obviously like to keep all my texts, pictures, game saves, app settings etc and not start from scratch.
Any help would be really appreciated. It seems quite complicated and I just want to get it right. Thanks in advance

Anyone? Sorry to bump

How do I move music (not entire library!) from PC to Mac?

I recently got a mac laptop of my own, before which I had used a family desktop PC. I need to transfer my music from the itunes on the PC to the itunes on this mac. I found the Apple Support page that guides through the steps necessary to do that (using the ipod as the transfer device), but when I started to follow those directions, I realized that it transfers the entire library. As the computer was used by everyone in my family, though, I don't want all of that music! My own music is a subset of that--one (rather long) playlist.
Is there a way to move that playlist into a folder or something so that I can transfer just that music, and not all the rest? Or is my only option to follow those directions, move the entire library, and then delete most of it? (I suppose that's doable, but it seems so roundabout and such a waste of time.)

It's easiest if you network the two machines, or use another drive to "transport" them.
You can select all the songs in a playlist and drag them to a folder on your desktop, or through the network to the other machine. Then, on your mac, drag this folder to your iTunes. They should be copied to your new library, and you can remove them from the folder.

ITunes Partial Playback of Songs after Library Transferred from PC to Mac

I recently attempted to transfer the individual iTunes folders of music from my PC running Windows XP using a flash drive to my new Macbook Pro. I imported the songs via iTunes directly from the flash drive into iTunes. After doing this the songs will only play partially before changing to the next song. The entire track is there and will play if I manually click the playback scroll beyond the stopping point. Is there anyway to fix this bug in iTunes?

See Make a split library portable. A portable library can be stored entirely on an external drive and moved between Mac and Windows computers. iTunes takes a little longer to open the library the first time after each switch. If your drive is currently formatted to NTFS then you will need an additional driver to enable OS X to write to the drive, or simply clone the library to an HFS+ drive.
tt2

Transfer songs and library file from PC to Mac KEEPING them on external drive

I am struggling to find a definitive answer to this. I have all my files stored on an external hard drive on a PC.
I recently got a Macbook and want to transfer all my files to the new Mac.
I know that I will need a new Mac compatible external hard drive and that I will have to copy the files onto the new hard drive.
However I cannot find instructions on doing the transfer to the new Mac that explain doing this AND KEEPING the files on the external drive.
To clarify...I don't want to put them on the new Macs hard drive as I have around 300GB of music, I want to keep them on the external hard drive.
its probably very simple simple but am struggling to get a decent answer. have read loads of stuff that explain moving it to the mac hard drive ...buts thats not what I want to do!
thanks in advance

See Make a split library portable. A portable library can be stored entirely on an external drive and moved between Mac and Windows computers. iTunes takes a little longer to open the library the first time after each switch. If your drive is currently formatted to NTFS then you will need an additional driver to enable OS X to write to the drive, or simply clone the library to an HFS+ drive.
tt2

ITunes library transfer from PC to Mac

Hi Folks,
My younger brother has just bought a mac and wishes to move all his music he has collected on his PC using ITunes into his new ITunes on the Mac. Having always been a Mac user I have no idea how to help. Is it just a case of dumping all his songs from the PC onto a USB stick and transferring them to the Mac or is there a more sophisticated method???
Thanks for your help and please humour my ignorance!
Cheers,
Tom

Hi Folks,
My younger brother has just bought a mac and wishes to move all his music he has collected on his PC using ITunes into his new ITunes on the Mac. Having always been a Mac user I have no idea how to help. Is it just a case of dumping all his songs from the PC onto a USB stick and transferring them to the Mac or is there a more sophisticated method???
Thanks for your help and please humour my ignorance!
Cheers,
Tom

Moving an iTunes library from PC to Mac

Hi
I'm trying to move an iTunes library from a PC to a Mac and failing miserably. Have tried various methods from the internet, but none seem to work. I've consolidated the PC library, copied the files to an external hard drive, but it's the last part that doesn't seem to work. The Mac has had an iTunes library on it before, and all the files have been transferred to another Mac and deleted, but I can't get the new files from the PC to appear.
Any help would be much appreciated

If your media files on the PC are inside the iTunes Media folder, which, in turn, is inside the iTunes folder that contains your library files then it should be easy.
1. Copy entire iTunes folder (and all subfolders) from PC to Mac, either directly over a network or via an external harddrive.
2. On the Mac rename *...\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl* as *...\iTunes\iTunes Library*
3. On the Mac delete *...\iTunes\iTunes Library Genius.itdb*
4. Launch iTunes and immediately press & hold down the Option key until a dialog opens asking you to *Create or Choose a library*. Navigate to the folder/drive you've copied from the PC and open *...\iTunes\iTunes Library*.
5. Job done.
If your PC has tracks that are outside your iTunes Media folder then you'll need to Consolidate the library before you start the move.
tt2

How can i put my itunes library from an old mac g4 10.4.11 to an ipod2?

How can i put my itunes library from an old mac g4 10.4.11 to an ipod2?

Install iTunes 9.2.1 on your computer. If the device's requirements specify iTunes 10 or newer, you need to purchase Mac OS X 10.5 on DVD.
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Can some please provide instructions on how to import an iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Mac without getting a bunch of duplicates? I tried transferring my pictures using an external hard drive and then copying it to the Pictures folder on my Mac

Can someone please provide instructions on how to import an iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Mac without getting a bunch of duplicates? I tried transferring my pictures using an external hard drive and then copying it to the Pictures folder on my new Mac. I ended up getting a bunch of duplicates. My old Mac has an older version of iPhoto while the new Mac has iPhoto '11. Is that the cause of the problem? Please advise. Thanks.

Simply copy the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the old Machine to the Pictures Folder on the new Machine.
Then launch iPhoto. That's it.
This moves photos, events, albums, books, keywords, slideshows and everything else.
Regards
TD

I have an iphone 4s. I have a mac computer and a pc. Most of my itunes library is on my pc, but when I try to add music to my phone from my library on the pc, it won't let me do it. I CAN add music from my library that is on my mac, same account.

I have an iphone 4s. I have a mac computer and a pc. Most of my itunes library is on my pc, but when I try to add music to my phone from my library on the pc, it won't let me do it. I CAN add music from my library that is on my mac, same account. My husband has the same problem with his iphone 4, but only uses pc.

My husband and I are using the same iTunes account on all mac & pc computers, but the libraries are different on each machine. We always manually manage our music (no auto sync). iTunes is up to date on the PCs. My husband uses our joint iTunes account on his pc, but once again, has a different collection in his library from those on the other machines. He can't load any music from his PC to his iphone 4. I can load music from my mac library to my iphone 4s, but cannot load from my pc library to my iphone 4s. How can I switch my main library that it syncs with from the mac to the pc?
Thanks

How do I transfer iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Air and retain the Albums?

I just transferred my iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Air by dragging the entire Library from my Pictures folder onto an external HD and then dragging from there onto my new Air. Transfer effected fine and all images now appear in iPhoto on the new Air. One problem: the Albums that were present on the left hand toolbar in iPhoto on my old machine are no longer there, so I have 50,000 images with no organization. Events are still there organized by date so that is something, but the Albums are not there and that is what I primarily relied on. Help please??

The left hand pane is the source pane. Were both Macs running the same version of iPHoto?
Try rebuilding the library with the option to Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
OT

Can I simply copy and paste an existing library file from XP to a Mac and then copy and paste the music files themselves? Of course, the music files will be in a different location...

Hello Gurus,
I have an aged XP machine with a large music library in ITunes. iTunes will not run any longer (tried uninstalling and reinstalling etc to no avail) but the music files are backed up onto an external drive so all safe. I have purchased a Mac which of course already has iTunes installed and I can copy the music files onto the Mac, but can I simply copy and paste the iTunes library files from the XP machine to the Mac so that all of the playlists, tags, ratings etc transfer, or do I have to start again?
Thanks for the advice.

Sounds like you have a split library. Ideally you would make this portable before attempting to move it to the Mac. See make a split library portable for details.
Perhaps you can get iTunes running on the old box long enough to sort things out...
For general advice see Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates.
The steps in the second box are a guide to removing everything related to iTunes and then rebuilding it which is often a good starting point unless the symptoms indicate a more specific approach. Review the other boxes and the list of support documents further down page in case one of them applies.
Your library should be unaffected by these steps but there is backup and recovery advice elsewhere in the user tip.
You will also want to deauthorize the XP system once everything is working properly on the Mac.
tt2

Library consolidation from PC to Mac

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