Merge two iTunes Libraries? From Windows Desktop PC to Mac Laptop?

I have just bought a new Mac laptop and would like to move all my iTunes stuff over onto the laptop from my old Windows desktop PC. While this situation is problematic enough, I also happen to have some 100+ songs on the laptop that need to stay, so I'm wary of simply copying files over and overriding things. I don't want those songs, playcounts and playlists to be lost.
As far as transferring the data goes, unless networking these computers is best, I'd like to use an external harddrive. The external drive has always been used with Windows computers in the past - will that pose a problem?

Download and use this tool. The drive's format shouldn't be a problem.
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Read the post over on the right under the heading, More Like This
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http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3819

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This is indeed an excellent question. I am looking for what seems to be the exact same solution. I have two libraries, where the ratings, checks, and play counts are included in the itunes xml library files. I have found that using synchronization software only compares documents and replaces one with the other. If I modify one computer (in terms of collections, ratings, or play counts), and then don't synchronize before modifying the other computer, then my libraries do not match.
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marinamcdonagh\
Welcome to the Apple user to user assistance forums
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tt2

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Merge 2 iTunes libraries from 2 home computers

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<Email Edited by Host>

Hello Ghostridr2,
I'd recommend following the steps outlined in either the 'Home Sharing' or 'External Drive' sections of the following article.
iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Cheers,
Allen

Combining two iTunes libraries from two computers onto a third

Hi there -- I haven't seen anything in the archives that is this exact situation, but if you know where it is in there, please point me in the right direction!
I have two separate collections of iTunes music on two different older Macs. I want to merge these collections into one that will now live on a newer MacBook Pro with iTunes 11.1.5. I can figure out how to get one or the other imported onto the MacBook but not both together as one merged collection. I'm getting confused about how to get all the media and the library files transferred. Help!
Can anyone walk me through the steps of what I need to do this? It must be possible, right??
Many thanks in advance.

There isn't really a way to ideally merge them. Methods such as the one linked in an earlier post have you make sure your media are more or less in one or two locations by using the organize/consolidate step for each library, then adding media files from the secondary library to the primary one as new files. If you have a lot of content overlap you will end up with duplicates.
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Merge two iTunes Libraries? From Windows Desktop PC to Mac Laptop?

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