Managing different drives with iTunes

I have stored my files (music / videos / images) on different drives. How can I synchronize these files on my iPad? iTunes manages only one file location.....

Assuming that all iPods, music and libraries are yours the best bet would be to set the iPods to update manually. Also try this discussion string for other suggestions: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=322004. Please let us know if any of this helps.

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How do I properly manage audio files with iTunes?

Hello Dear Readers,
I am going to start using iTunes exclusively for my music collection management. Previously, I had only used iTunes for managing content for my iPhone 4. Now, I am wanting to import all of my media (music) files into iTunes for general use and playback.
For example, I have over 3,000 music files, and I would like to know the best way to get them into iTunes. From a lynda.com training video about using iTunes, I learned that there is a folder called "Automatically Add to iTunes", which is monitored by iTunes for new files to import into the iTunes library. However, I would like to know if this is the *best* way to do this. For example, can I just*move* my 3,000 music files into this 'Automatically Add' folder and then let iTunes do its thing?
Will iTunes *move*the files that it is able to manage OUT of this folder and into one of its managed folders, such that there would be no duplicate file left behind? Is it correct in saying that the files that are left in this folder that were not able to be handled by iTunes and must be handled differently before they can be imported into iTunes. Or is there just an all around different, and better, way to get these music files into iTunes? Thanks for your advice and opinions!
There is also the issue of what to do with the commercial CDs I have (less than 50). I would like to discard these and just maintain them on digital form, e.g., my 2 TB hard drive. However, I am getting varying opinions as to how to do this. I need 2 things: 1) to archive the CDs for retrieval later in case I need the songs that are on them, and 2) MP3 versions of the audio CD files for use on my flash drive which plays on my car audio system. These would also be the files that I manage in iTunes.
Some people have suggested using Exact Audio Copy to make a FLAC and a LAME MP3 copy of myCDs. Others have suggested keeping an ISO copy of the compact discs for reference archive. Personally, I am wondering if I should just import my commercial CDs directly into iTunes, and then pay Apple $25 annually to maintain copies of these, as announced by Steve Jobs at the WWDC that this cloud functionality was forthcoming.
I am in need of some informed, educated opinions and suggestions as to how I should proceed.
Then, there is also the naming convention of the files. When the files get ripped from CD, I can add the freedb information to them for the ID3 tagging. However, I need to know how to specify in what system that the file names are comprised. This is what I am thinking of as my folder and file name format, at this point.
For the naming scheme of the audio files, I am proposing the following:
For most music by 1 artist on a disc, I would do as follows:
Folder Name: AlbumArtist - Album Title (year)
File Names: Track number (from 1 on up, with NO leading zeros) Track Title
For compilations with various artists, I would use the following for the schema:
Folder Name: VariousArtists (album artist) - Album Title (year)
File Names: Track number (1 on up) Track Title - Track Artist.
Do these seem like reasonable naming schemes that would be good for using on all audio software and equipment, such as my iPhone, my car audio flash drive player, and in iTunes?
I know that this is a lot to ask, but I am just trying to learn how to do things correctly and most efficiently so that I don't have problems down the road with my iTunes library. I welcome input, discussion and of course, dissent! Thanks!
~Antonio

how do you do it with itunes 11???
it is really frustrating me!!

Assigning two different drives to iTunes...

hi everyone
so i have space for all of it , i got 2 X W.Digital My Book 1TB each : one for music another for video, why such big drives ? i keep my music in high quality,lossless formats. the one with music is assigned in iTunes preferences as it's iTunes music folder location & it works fine . now ...how do i assign the 2nd drive ( the one w/ video ..) so iTunes gets the videos from there ? no matter what i tried, it seems iTunes doesn't provide for this 2nd drive to be ''iTunes Video folder location'' !?
should i/is it possible to download a second iTunes so i can assign the 2nd drive as iTunes video folder location ? or should i just download a video specific ''librarian'' ( if this is the correct word..). by the way can someone tell me what video formats can iTunes ''handle'' ?
any help will be very appreciated, thank you so much
Nuno Baptista

hi Neil
it sounds SO simple i feel like slapping myself !...LOL...now just to make sure : when i import more music into iTunes i have to check back the ''copy files to iTunes Music Folder'' box so the music department of it keeps working as it has until now, right ?
this was aggravating me so much because i really have grown accustomed to ''iTunes's ways'', feel comfortable with it & quite like it's deceptively simple interface. besides i tried a few dedicated video iTunes equivalents ( what's the right word ? a manager software, librarian ?..) & most where clunky at best
I'm going to try it immediately.
thanks so much, cheers
Nuno

Put H.Drive with iTunes onto new computer...lost playlist and ratings

My main computer that had iTunes on it crashed the other day, my motherboard was fried. So I put the hard drive with the iTunes into another computer. The iTune files are not corrupted, but I have lost my playlist and ratings.
Is there a way to recover my old playlist and ratings?

Yes there may be.
iTunes operates as a database of information for your music files. The actual music files are stored on your PC, not within iTunes. iTunes keeps absolute references of the music file location and other information in its database file. This allows iTunes to use music files from any location on the PC: different directories/folders on the main HD, another internal drive, an external drive, or a network drive (or any combination of the above).
Each song reference has a specific and hardcoded location (both drive letter & path) so iTunes can find and play (or sync) it. Move the file, change the path, re-map the drive it is on, shut down or remove the Drive, and iTunes will lose the file (giving you the '!' of a ‘Broken Link’). Lose, move or corrupt the ‘iTunes Music.itl’ file and your complete Library will ‘vanish’.
If you delete, corrupt, or otherwise lose your ‘iTunes Library.itl’ file, you will end up with a ‘blank’ Library within iTunes. Nine times out of ten, your underlying music files are still on the PC. They can be ‘re-Added’ via the File==>Add Folder/File menu command, but you will lose some of the music meta-data. Recovering your Library via backup copies of the iTunes database file, or from importing the XML file is always preferable.
By your placing the previous C: drive (I'm assuming) into another PC now reading it as the H: drive, iTunes is either looking at a blank Library database file, or reading the old one, but looking for the music on the C: drive where it was before (I'll guess the former).
IF you can put all the music on the C: drive into the exact same path as it was previously
AND you can place a copy of your previous ITL database file into the '..\My Music\iTunes' folder on the C: drive
THEN when you open iTunes, it should restore your complete Library.
Post back if you have questions or if you need to clarify your exact HD situation (I may have misread your meaning...).

Can you have two different users with itune accounts on the same computer?

Can you have two different users with separate itune accounts on the same Ipad?

Yes, create another user profile on the computer and each user can log into their own profile that way.

2 external hard drives with iTunes and Time Machine

Hi folks.
My 160gb hard drive on my iMac is full so I've bought 2 x 1tb external hard drives, my plan being to move my iTunes library to one of them (as this uses the majority of space) and run it from there and use the 2nd hard drive with Time Machine.
My question is this, will Time Machine backup any changes to my iTunes library if it isn't on the computer's internal hard drive?
Thanks!
Brian

Just be sure the iTunes volume is formatted +Mac OS Extended (Journaled).+ Most drives come formatted for Windoze, and TM can't back them up.
See #1 in [Formatting, Partitioning, Verifying, and Repairing Disks|http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/DU.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of the +Using Snow Leopard+ forum) if you need to reformat and aren't sure how.

Administrate different iphones with itunes

hallo,
i have to administrate 3 iphones in our company. there will soon be some more of them. what's the best way to administrate all of them central?
can i do this with only one apple-id and one itunes-installation on my computer? i've seen, it's possible to get different iphones in itunes, but how about the apps? when i download them into itunes, they are avalaible for all iphones i connect with my pc. so i have to decide, which apps i will synchronize with the phone? that will be very difficult, when i get more of the iphones....
please help! thanks!
lgg

hallo,
sorry, i am still not able to get the informations i need out if this document.
my problem is, that i should administrate all devices for the use in office. therefore we use the app ianywhere mobile office to sync with outlook. i have to install this app on all of out iphones and i have to do also the updates for this programs. if there is a firmware-update for iphone, i have to do this.
but the iphones are also used private, so that the users can also install apps.
so, how can i administrate these different devices with may itunes on my pc?
when i sync the different iphones, i have all apps in my itunes and i can't see the difference between the iphones, so i don't know which app is on which iphone?
sorry, i don't know how to describe the problem better, but i also can't find informations therefore on the net. i just find a lot of information, that iphone is not really a business-handy?!?
thänks for help again!
nice greetings g.

HT1391 How to move my media files to another drive with Itunes 11

I am using Itunes 11 on a Windows 7 PC. My C Drive is full and I am trying to move all my media files to D drive. While previous versions of Itunes seem to allow this, the instructions for doing so with Itunes 11 state that files already on the drive will stay where they are even if you change the location of the media file. Only new files will move to the new location.

About the iTunes library files
Your iTunes library files track the media you add to iTunes, how you've organized it, and other information such as playlists. By default, these two files are in your iTunes folder:
Mac OS X: /Users/username/Music/iTunes/
Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\
Windows Vista: C:\Users\username\Music\iTunes\
Windows 7: C:\Users\username\My Music\iTunes\
Windows 8: C:\Users\username\My Music\iTunes\

Managing 2 iPhones with iTunes and one iTunes account and computer...

Hello All!
I already have a 16GB 3G iPhone and we're going to be getting another 3G for my wife (whether it is 8GB or 16GB is still to be decided). On my phone, I have about 13GB used, with the primary source being music. We intend the same iTunes account and there are no other devices using authorizations on this account.
*First, does Apple's licensing of applications allow the second phone using the same iTunes account to download all of the previously purchased applications for free?* In other words, will she be able to download any applications I purchased for free since I have unlimimted free downloads on my phone?
Second, and most importantly, I am wondering how iTunes manages two different iPhones on one computer. This will especially be an issue if she gets an 8GB iPhone since everything that is on my phone will not fit on an 8GB model. She doesn't want or need all of my music, so we could very easily not transfer all of the music. But, I'm just wondering how they will co-exist if they are different sizes and her phone might keep running out of room. If the iTunes software doesn't handle this situation well, we may buy a 16GB model just to make our lives easier. *If someone could provide me with information on how the iTunes software handles multiple phones (especially if they are of different capacities) or links to other websites with information on this topic I would really appreciate it.*
We need to make our purchase in the next month, so I want to know what we are getting into if she decides to get an 8GB model with me having a 16GB one. I just don't want to have a management nightmare. I'd appreciate any help in advance. Thanks!
Jim

I currently have 2 iphones, 1 is a 2G 8GB, the other is a 3G 16GB. I use smart playlists on the 16GB and only sync those playlists. The 8G is set up to manually manage music per my sons request. It would be just as easy to have a playlist set up for him and have it sync only that playlist. So yes, you can absolutely have both on one computer. As far as applications, as long as you are syncing to the same computer/same account, it will allow you to place the app's on both machines. I don't know what the legality of that is, however.

What's the best way to manage movie resolutions with iTunes/iPod

I've just been given a new video iPod, and am now considering importing movies into iTunes so that I can have them on my iPod. What I have is a bunch of MPGs (e.g., family movies from a camcorder, etc.); but I noticed that the iPod won't play them, presumably because they're not MP4 format. I know I can convert them all to MP4 with iSquint or a similar utility. But I want to keep the full-resolution versions in iTunes so that I can display them on a bigger screen as well. So, what is the right way to manage this - do I really need to keep and have in iTunes 2 versions of every movie - one scaled down for iPod as MP4, and one in original resolution? Or is there a better way?
Thanks in advance,
Mike

Welcome to the Apple Community.
iTunes is straight forward, just use the same ID on all of them.
What exactly do you want to see in messages on the Mac and iPad, messages combined from each of your phones or a different account just for both of you.
You should think about what you want in calendars, contacts etc, on your shared devices.

How do I use an external drive with iTunes

I want to use an external drive (Windows XP & USB) for My Music Library. iTunes is running on the 'C' drive and points to the external drive. When I 'add folders' the music is available and plays, but I don't have my playlists or the play count / last played data. I have copied the 2 iTunes Library files into the exact same location on the external drive (My Music\iTunes). Either iTunes or Windows moves these files to the 'C' drive My Music\iTunes folder, and I don't have problem with these files on the 'C' drive as long as the music/video files reside on the external drive. I would like to set this up so the external drive looks and responds just like if the library was on the 'C' drive.
Can someone help me get this right so it works?
Thank you very much
iPod 60GB Video Windows XP USB 120GB External drive w/42GB of My Music

Have a look at this article in the Apple Knowledge Base.

Reliably use one external drive with iTunes files with two computers?

Hi all,
I have an iMac with a 200GB external firewire drive as my main desktop. I also have a 12" Powerbook that I use around the house. I've also used the PB to stream music from my iMac to my stereo. I have the odd bit of trouble with this, music stopping and not reconnecting etc.
We had a party last weekend and to stop the problems with wireless streaming occuring, I unplugged my firewire drive from my iMac and plugged it in downstairs to my Powerbook.
To get the files to appear in iTunes on the PB, I had to drag everything across to from the finder to iTunes. After a while everything was there.
The party went well: one visit from environmental health telling us to turn things down, and one visit to accident and emergency.
Next day, I returned my firewire drive to to my iMac and now every track in itunes has an exclamation mark next to it.
I know how to sort this out, and I'm not bothered about losing my playlists: what I want to know is a safe method to allow me to move my harddrive around and make sure it's all OK when I plug it into my iMac again.
Any ideas?
I suppose I probably left on the "Organise the music into folders" option when I first plugged in the drive to my PB and the files have actually moved a bit. Would making sure that this was set on both machines be a food thing to do?
Cheers
Stuart

I suppose I probably left on the "Organise the music into folders" option when I first plugged in the drive to my PB and the files have actually moved a bit. Would making sure that this was set on both machines be a food thing to do?
That probably changed the file locations, presumed the 'Organize' option was turned off on your iMac.
Now your 'iTunes Library' file (iTunes' database) on the iMac can't find the files.
It's a good thing to have the option turned on (or off) on every Mac you connect your external drive to.
I used to have my library on an external disk too. The only thing I had to take into account was to copy the 'iTunes Library' file from one computer to the other when connecting my external HD.
Never ran into problems.
More info about the library files here.
If you're running OS X 10.4, you could create an Automator workflow to copy the file to your external HD and another one to copy it from the external HD to the Powerbook.
Hope this helps.
M
17' iMac fp 800 MHz 768 MB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.6) Several ext. HD (backup and data)

Using External Drive with Itunes

I have a very large Music and Video collection on a MY BOOK 1TB drive (810GB file size) I want to use it as my primary I tunes Music library. I have followed the instructions on Itunes support and created a new file on the drive and redirected I tunes to that file but the content does not show up in I tunes on my macbook and the only way I seem to be able to get the them to show up is actually open the file and listen to each song the problem is there are 300,000 + songs any ideas???

When you moved your music did you move the whole iTunes folder or just the iTunes Music folder? If you moved the whole folder including the library files hold down the Option key on your keyboard when opening iTunes. In the resulting dialogue you will get the option to create a new library or navigate to an existing one. Navigate to the external drive where you placed the copy of the library file and open it up: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file
You might also find this article useful: iLounge - Managing your iTunes Library on an External Hard Drive

Using an external hard drive with iTunes...

My library has gotten so large that it really no longer fits on my computer. I'd like to move my music to an external hard drive. Unfortunately, I didnt realize the whole, "your music can only be moved 5 times before its frozen" deal until recently, on my fifth move, so does anybody know how iTunes will react to being moved to an external hard drive? I just need to make sure that everything will still be accessable and work with my iPod and all.....

As far as moving your music to an external drive is concerned, have a look at this article in the Apple Knowledge Base.
the whole, "your music can only be moved 5 times before its frozen" deal is not the case. You can authorize no more than five computers at a time to play your purchases. But when you deauthorize one, you can authorize another in its place.

Using an external hard drive with iTunes r

Hi there.
I just bought a new mac book pro and would like to link my itunes to an external hard drive that I have consolidated all my mp3's onto so that I don't use all the memory space on my computer.
I tried holding down the alt key when starting itunes and linking it that way but it said that it didnt recognise the folder as an itunes library.
Could anyone help me please? Many thanks.

Hi... Thanks, your idea sounds good. I've seen the other places where you've shared this tip. I still have a couple questions to make sure I understand.
You say: "One way (and in some the best) is to copy the whole iTunes folder in your user Music folder to the external drive. Then the alt/option key thing will work.
Another is to move just media to the external drive. The external will always have to be up and fully mounted before starting iTunes."
If I use your way and copy the whole folder I will also have to have the external always on, correct? The whole folder will be on the external, right?
Then when I want to upload a new CD to my iTunes it will all go automatically to the new folder on my external? iTunes won't try to put anything on my laptop hard drive anymore, right?
I'm copying my iTunes folder to my external then I will point my laptop's iTunes to the new folder. And that will be it. Right? Then I can delete my bloated iTunes folder on my laptop.
You also say "if you use the default preferences." Actually, I'm doing this for my teenage son. I don't know what prefs he uses. Are you saying that if we've changed any defaults that this method won't work?
Well, thanks for further explanation. I've always had difficulty with i-Products. I don't regularly use or rely on any myself, due to the synchronization issues. It seems that something like iPhoto wants to take over my photos and things start going wrong and multiplying when I use it. So I don't.

Managing different drives with iTunes

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