Moving music library from one computer to another

I need to rephrase my question: Is there a way to transfer my itunes library from one computer (that is being discarded) to my new computer that already has an itunes library on it? we have a new computer that my son put his library on, but we want to combine our libraries and use just the one computer to sync our music on each of our ipods. Thanks.

You can copy the music directly from the iPods. If you have any iTMS purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. A paragraph on it has been added to this article: Transfer iTunes Store purchases using iPod
The transfer of non iTMS content such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. You'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos, podcasts and games as well. Have a look at the web pages and documentation, this is just a small selection of what's available, they are generally quite straightforward. You can also read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
TuneJack Windows Only
iPod2PC Windows Only
iGadget Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
YamiPod Mac and Windows Versions
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
iPodCopy Mac and Windows Versions
There is also a manual method of accessing the iPod's hard drive and copying songs back to iTunes on Windows or a Mac. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available at this link: Two-way Street: Moving Music Off the iPod

Similar Messages

  • How do i transfer my music library from one computer to another?

    I want to transfer my itunes music library from one computer to another, how do I do this?

    sam06,
    Here are a couple of links that should be of interest:
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93366
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=607339&#607339

  • Moving music library from on computer to another

    can i move my music library from one computer to another, and then move the library back to the original computer? if so, how is it done? please help!!!!!!!

    Hi Jessica, and welcome to discussions!
    ...and then move the library back to the original computer?
    No need to do so, if you just copy the library. [Edit]: But it would be possible if necessairy.
    Essentially you'll have to move (or copy) all your audio files to the new PC, then import them into iTunes and - if you want to keep your playcounts and ratings - copy the "iTunes Library.itl" from the old computer to the new one. This file is, and needs to be, located in the iTunes folder within "My Music". Make sure iTunes is not running while you manipulate the library file.
    The easiest way to accomplish this is via a local network between your computers, but you can also use your iPod. Click for further info: MacMuse, "Computer Crashed" #4, 11:49pm Feb 7, 2005 CDT
    Hope that helps, feel free to post back if you have any questions.

  • HT203167 Moved iTunes library from one computer to another using external hard drive.  Cannot play many files.  Says they are missing but locates them in an archive file but still won't play them.  Are the files themselves part of the .itl files?

    Moved iTunes library from old computer (PC Windows 7) to new (PC Window 8) using external hard drive.  Library listing shows all music but can only play a fraction of it.  On the ones it cannot play it asks to locate, then refers to an archived version (an .itl file), and still cannot play them.  Do I just need to copy the archived .itl over, or is that not where the actual media are (do the actual media files even exist on the new computer?)?  Any advice or information on this would be helpful.

    *Also...is there any way I can filter out all the tracks with the ! so I can delete the unplaying copies as they're taking up room in my iTunes? I know how to find duplicates, but then I have to go and delete each one individually...*
    *Thank you!*

  • Moving iTunes and music library from one computer to another

    I need to move my iTunes and music library with purchased music, playlists, ratings, and legally downloaded music to another computer. How do I do that?

    Try posting in the iTunes for Windows area. You'll be more likely to get a quick and accurate answer there than you will here in the iTunes for Macintosh forum. Good luck.

  • Moving music library from one account to another

    Quick Question....my wife put a bunch of music on our I mac but on my account. I would prefer to keep her stuff separate like music and pics. Does anyone know if you can simply transfer the libraries music and pictures that she has put under my account to her user name

    Are you referring to a Mac OS X user account, or an iTunes Store account? If you're referring to an iTunes Store account, there's no way to transfer a purchase from one iTunes Store account to another. If you're referring to a Mac OS X user account, though (presuming that you each have your own separate iTunes libraries), just copy the music from your OSX user account to hers. You can do this in several ways, but the easiest is probably to just drag the music files to the Users -> Shared folder (you can drag them right from the iTunes window), then log into her user account and drag the files into the iTunes window. Once you're certain that the tracks have copied successfully and play in iTunes, you can then delete them from your iTunes library.
    Regards.

  • Moving iTunes library from one computer to another

    I am new to this list, but hope someone can help.
    I had purchased quite a few songs from iTunes store and also had copied some from disks.
    I saved my whole iTunes Music folder onto a portable hard drive.
    I changed computers, so I deauthorized the 5 accounts I had and authorized just my one currently used computer. I thought I downloaded all the music from the portable HD to the library, but apparently not...
    Now, each time I try to play something in my library, it tells me it cannot locate the file. If I browse to the connected portable HD, I can find it and play it, but it seems that nothing transferred when I thought I moved the music to my iTunes account. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks, Gremblay

    Take a look on this article: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive
    My guess is that you just moved your iTunes folder to your new computer, and didn't consolidate the library (wich may have caused you this trouble). Maybe you should transfer your library again. Just make sure the original files are on your portable HD and don't erase them accidenatally)

  • I bought a new laptop and used Windows Easy Transfer cable and moved all files from one computer to another. I installed iTunes and found my iTunes music Library.  However, when I plug in my iPod it says it is already synced with another iTunes Library.

    I bought a new laptop and used Windows Easy Transfer cable and moved all files from one computer to another. I installed iTunes and found my iTunes music Library.  However, when I plug in my iPod it says it is already synced with another iTunes Library. 
    I don't see anything in Help that shows when you already have transfered all the files over.  Why would it want to erase and sync when I already have all the music folder copied over?  I didn't have an issue when I had another technician copy from one laptop to another.  Home sharing is also on but not being recognized.

    I suspect you only migrated the media folder instead of the complete working library. Either review the transfer process and copy over the entire iTunes folder from your old profile's music folder or see Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
    tt2

  • I am in the process of trying to transfer my iTunes library from one computer to another. Some of the music/film info has been edited (by me) in my library (using get info). When put onto new computer the info has gone back to before i edited it.. Help!?

    I am in the process of trying to transfer my iTunes library from one computer to another. Some of the music/film info has been edited (by me) in my library (using get info). When put onto new computer (following apple's instructions- using an external hard drive) the info has gone back to how it was before i edited it.. Help!?

    Hello,
    I would recommend taking a look at the article below for more information about migrating your iTunes library.
    iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1364
    -Griff W.

  • Moving Library from one computer to another

    Hi,
    I know I can share my library from one computer to another via a network, which I am doing. My issue is that I cannot do anything with the music on the computer that is sharing. I am wondering if there is a way to get the entire library from one computer to another. I have a Mac and a PC. I would like my library on both systems instead of just one. I need to be able to update ipods, create playlists, burn music etc... from both computers. Is that possible?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    I've got the same type question. Is it possible to transfer my purchased songs from a computer at work via a flash drive? The firewall at work will not allow me to share files with my home computer, however, the computers at work download the songs I buy in about 15 seconds, my slow a** dial up at home takes over 15 minutes per song. I think this is still considered stealing, but I'm not sharing the songs with anyone, I just want to download them at work, then transfer them to my main home computer iTunes library.

  • HT3819 How do I transfer my entire library from one computer to another?

    How do I transfer my entire library from one computer to another?

    Refer to this article to move your Music and library:
    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

  • How do i transfer my entire library from one computer to another?

    How do i transfer my entire library from one computer to another?

    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer

  • Transferring external iTune library from one computer to another

    I am having great difficulty in changing my external iTunes library from my old MBP laptop to my new iMac 5k.
    My entire iTunes library is stored on an external drive and can be accessed directly with my MBP. When I started up iTunes on my new iMac, it created a new empty library in the MUSIC folder. What I want to do is connect my new iMac to the external library directly. I can see it when I turn on HOME SHARING but only when iTunes is running on my MBP, which is useless since my MBP will now be seldom used. I have of course on the iMac, changed the library location in the advanced preferences to the external location, to no avail. I do not want to keep any media files on the iMac for capacity reasons.
    To compound the problem, I cannot seem to sync my new iPhone 6+ to the original external library, only the new empty one!
    Surely this ought to be a simple job, transferring an external iTunes library from one computer to another! Am I missing something obvious here?

    Wow, what a quick response! Thanks, Limnos. I guess it was bleeding' obvious, and I should have thought of it before. Such a simple solution!
    On a related matter, I also have just realised that the iTunes iOS backups are saved on the internal computer drive in a folder called MOBILESYNC rather than on an external drive, thus chewing up a lot of capacity on my SSD. Others reading this response may be interested to know that it is easy to have iTunes save the iOS backups to any external drive using a symbolic link in this directory. Go to
    http://support.digidna.net/hc/en-us/articles/203504123-Storing-your-iPhone-Backu ps-on-an-Alternate-Location
    for the details.
    However, note that iBooks will NOT let you use this work-around, pathetic app that it is.

  • How do I move my ipod library from one computer to another?

    Help! How do I move my ipod library from one computer to another?

    Type "move itunes library" or similar into the google search bar.

  • Do I have to be on the internet to import library from one computer to another ?

    Do I have to be on the internet to import library from one PC to another ?

    What library? Do you mean you iTunes Library? If so, then no, you don't have to be on the Internet. You only have to copy the library to an external disk, then restore it on the other computer.
    Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
    Also, see:
    These are two possible approaches that will normally work to move an existing library to a new computer.
    Method 1
    Backup the library with this User Tip.
    Deauthorize the old computer if you no longer want to access protected content on it.
    Restore the backup to your new computer using the same tool used to back it up.
    Keep your backup up-to-date in future.
    Method 2
    Connect the two computers to the same network. Share your <User's Music> folder from the old computer and copy the entire iTunes library folder into the <User's Music> folder on the new one. Again, deauthorize the old computer if no longer required.
    Both methods should give the new computer a working clone of the library that was on the old one. As far as iTunes is concerned this is still the "home" library for your devices so you shouldn't have any issues with iTunes wanting to erase and reload.
    I'd recommend method 1 since it establishes an ongoing backup for your library.
    Note if you have iOS devices and haven't moved your contacts and calendar items across then you should create one dummy entry of each in your new profile and iTunes should  merge the existing data from the device.
    If your media folder has been split out from the main iTunes folder you may need to do some preparatory work to make it easier to move. See make a split library portable.
    Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library or a backup then then see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for advice on how to set up your devices with a new library with the maximum preservation of data.

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