Music Library on an External Hard Drive

I recently transferred all my music to an external hard drive in an attempt to free some space on my computer's drive. It worked fine for a while but now the drive, which is a 400gb ac powered device allows my music to cut and it takes time to load it back up. Is there anything I can do to make the flow of music uninterrupted? PLEASE HELP! Skipping music is sooooo frustrating.

I have all my music on an external drive - the key is to go into preferences and make sure that that the library recognised is your external drive library - also try the feature consolidate library and it should automatically update your library -
Is your external drive networked wirelessly or do you run it via a USB port , if via a USB Port it should be easier to recognise and update accordingly

Similar Messages

How can I consolidate my music library with an external hard drive?

I have moved my entire music library onto an external hard drive. However, when I want to copy a new CD at work, I often copy the music onto my laptop then have to manually transfer it to the external hard drive at home.
I thought that "consolidate" library would do this automatically for me. The problem is when I disconnect the external, the next time I open iTunes it tells me "The folder containing the iTunes Library cannot be found and is required. Please choose or create a new iTunes Library." So I choose the iTunes library that resides on my laptop in the Music folder. When I go back to using my external music folder and try to consolidate my library nothing happens. I would like to use the "consolidate library" command to copy the music from my laptop to my external hard drive. Please help!

Drag it to the internal drive.
If it contains the iTunes database files, launch iTunes with the Shift key held down, click on Choose Library, and navigate to it.
If it doesn't, drag it from there into the open iTunes application window.
(108123)

How to make iTunes recognize the music library in my external hard drive after instaIling Yosemite?

How to make iTunes recognize the music library in my external hard drive after instaIling Yosemite? I tried re-setting the media folder location, but it didn't work. What else should I do?

The issue is not related to the external drive. iTunes Match has difficulties matching tracks ripped fom CDs because they may differ slightly from the versions on sale in iTunes. You can try the match again. Otherwise do a search of this forum. There are already many discussions on this subject here that may help you.

How to use one music library from one external hard drive on two different computers

I have 57 gigs of music in my itunes library on my laptop (Windows Vista). I backed up the library onto an external hard drive. I would like to play the music on a second computer (Windows XP) without putting the music on the second computer, just keeping it on the external hard drive.
I have the latest version of iTunes and Quicktime installed. In iTunes on both computers, under Advanced Preferences I changed the iTunes media folder location to the folder on the external hard drive and checked the boxes for "Keep iTunes media folder organized" and "copy files to iTunes media folder when adding to library". Also under the File tab, "Organize Library", I clicked on "Consolidate Files" and "Reorganize Files in the folder itunes music".
On the second computer I tried holding SHIFT while launching iTunes until the prompt appears asking to create a new library or point to an existing library. While attempting to point to the new location, I am only able to open the music folder, not set it as the location. In advanced preferences when I click "change" for the itunes media folder location, I can locate the folder but the only button I can click on is "open" or "cancel". "Open" will open the folder showing all my music. I tried typing in the location. It shows the correct location.
I was able to see the songs in the library in itunes on the second computer but it won't play the music. There are no exclamation points next to the songs. I am also able to see the playlists but there aren't any songs in the playlists.
There are no problems with itunes on the first computer. Everything works as it should.
Ideally I would like to use the same folder on the external hard drive for both computers if possible. But for now I want to at least get the music playing with the playlists on the second computer from the external hard drive.
Please help.

See this post on making a split library portable.
tt2

Set up iTunes on a new MacBook Pro to access an existing music library on an external hard drive?

We just replaced an old MacBook with a new MacBook Pro. We had to keep our iTunes library on an external hard drive because we didn't have space on the old computer. Since our library is large, I'd prefer to keep it that way with the new computer. I want to set it up to see the library on the external hard drive but as I've had issues with iTunes in the past so I wanted to know how to do this from the beginning instead of guessing. Help!

You have to click on the external drive, you will be able to play your tunes, plg in your external dive then double click on your exdrive, all your music should be there. just click on the song/playlist off the exdrive and they should play.

Back up just SOME of the music library to an external hard drive

I want to move just some of my music from my iTunes library onto an external hard drive (reason? the music cannot be got again, but right now I am not sure if I need it all or not).
So I want to move, say, 50 albums from the main iTunes libraray to an external drive and then be able to move some or all of them back again at later date.
Do I have to copy the whole library over to the external drive and then delete the albums there that I did not want to copy over? Or is there a better way?
And how will I copy back just some of the back-up albums at a later date - is it the normal "Add folder/file to [main] library command from the File menu?

OK, I don't think I have been making it very clear what I am trying to achieve - let me try putting it differently!!
I have one iTunes folder and, at the moment, that is all backed-up via SyncToy. I only have music in iTunes.
Think of that music as being of 2 types - part A that I want for definite, and all that music is also on my iPod (I have my iPod set to Sync manually with iTunes) - this is probably well over 100 albums; and Part B music, that is on iTunes, not on the Ipod, and that I am not sure yet if I want to have in iTunes and on the iPod or not (this was a load of music copied over from another iPod several months ago) - this might be a further 50 albums.
So - part A, I want to keep and want to be fully backed-up. OK, SyncToy does that currently by backing up 100% of iTunes.
But part B - I want to copy the part B music to a different copy location, and then just keep there the part B stuff which, album by album, I will either delete completely (if I don't want it) OR want to copy back to iTunes. Once this second copy is set up, I would delete from this copy all the Part A stuff, and also delete from iTunes all the part B stuff.
I would then have:
- part A stuff on iTunes, iPod and back-up location 1;
- part B stuff on back-up location 2.
So the main question is - from what level in the iTunes folder do I need to copy over to the part B back-up so as to ensure that, when I subsequently try to copy albums back from the part B back-up to iTunes, I get all the information, artwork etc that already exists for the albums? Do I copy the music file; the media file, or the whole iTunes folder?
This may sound all terribly longwinded but, for various reasons, I am not in a position to be able to decide all at once which of the part B albums I need to keep.
Is that any clearer?
Cheers!

How do I get iTunes Match to upload my music library from my external hard drive? It only got some of the music and not a lot of it at that.

I'm trying iTunes Match and not having a great time of it so far. It only got a fraction of my music from my music library. I contacted support and they told me that it would recognize my external hard drive and take all of the music. My collection is all from CDs with the exception of a few from iTunes. I just want more of my collection to be available.
Can anyone help with that

The issue is not related to the external drive. iTunes Match has difficulties matching tracks ripped fom CDs because they may differ slightly from the versions on sale in iTunes. You can try the match again. Otherwise do a search of this forum. There are already many discussions on this subject here that may help you.

How can I have iTunes read my music library from an external hard drive?

I am trying to use an external hard drive with more memory to store my iTunes music and movie library. How can I get iTunes to read this external hard drive?

Move the library to the external drive in its entirety.
Then in Perferences > Advanced for iTunes in the box labelediTunes Media foler location point iTunes to the location of the library on the external drive.
Allan

Storing music library on an external hard drive troubles

I recently purchased an external hard drive to store my itunes library to for I was filling up my C drive on my PC. I moved all my music to the external hard drive. I have also backed it up to another far larger external drive just in case. I changed the settings under Preferences - Advanced - General to show that the library was now in Drive K:iTunes.
Before I deleted the music of off my C hard drive I purchased a single song to see if it would act correctly. It did. I synced my ipod (Classic 160 Gig)and it added that song to the K drive and to my ipod. I then deleted it from my C drive.
The next time I turned on my computer and opened iTunes it pulled up an empty library. My music is still on the K drive under iTunes and it is backed up on the larger external drive.
I checked the preferences, etc. again and it still says K:iTunes but it doesn't "go there" to pull up the library. It just pops up like I've never purchased or put any music in it. Help!

If you drag the files around through Windows Explorer, iTunes loses track of them. So, to remedy the situation...
Click Edit > Preferences > Advanced tab > General sub-tab
UN check "Copy files to iTunes Music Folder when adding to library" if selected and click OK
Then click File > Add Folder to Library and add your K:\iTunes\ directory.
Going forward, make sure you always have your external drive connected to your PC and showing in My Computer prior to launching iTunes.
Also, when you purchase music from iTunes or import CD's in the future, they should go directly to your K: drive if you have that set as your default folder location in your Advanced preferences.
If you notice that you have files scattered around on your hard drives, you can go to your Advanced preferences and verify that your K: drive is still your default folder location, and the select the option to Copy Files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library. Then, from the Advanced menu of iTunes, click Consolidate Library. This basically looks at the files in your iTunes library, and if it finds any that are not stored in that default location, it copies them there.
CG

HT1296 How do I transfer my music library from my external hard drive to my new PC?

I saved all my music to an external hard drive so that it could be moved to my new PC. All my song titles are showing up on the new PC, but whenever I try to play something, it says the file cannot be found. If I plug the HD in, it will play the music. As soon as I unplug the HD, I can no longer play anything. My music library includes both items purchased from iTunes and music I added from CDs I own. Please advise. Thanks!

you moved your music to an E-HD and connect it to a new computer
ahdn when you play something it will only play when the e-hd is connected ?
if so yeah sure thats the whole point
if you want it on the new computer first copy the music to the new computers hd
and then add it to itunes
some of us wish to move our media to NAS's to save storage on our computers
so if itunes would force the media added to the local hd of the computer we would become very upset
though itunes does have settings to auto move added media to the local hd

Moving a music library from one external hard drive / disk to another

My music library is already on an external hard drive and I want to move it to another external hard drive (along with the music filkes). I have follwed the standard setps of chaning the itunes folder location, keeping my itunes folder organised etc. When I come to consolidate my library it doesnt find anything or copy anything accross? Is it just looking on my MAC drive do you think? How can I get it to look on my 1st external hard disk?
Getting fed up with this now - must be the 4th time I've had to move libraries from one machine / disk to another and each time I always end up having to re rate music, or have lots of duplicates etc.

Hey,
There's a really good guide to moving your iTunes Library to an external hard disk on Lifehacker...
Here's the link... http://lifehacker.com/238296/ultranewb--how-to-move-your-itunes-library-to-an-ex ternal-drive
Cheers
Rosco
proposed | solution

Problem with my new PC finding my music library on my external hard drive

OK, my old PC (I know, I know!) was so old and decrepit, so I bought a new one. Before I junked it, I moved all the itunes music and videos onto a new external hard drive. Now, on the new computer, I just downloaded itunes 9. How do I go about getting my new PC to know where to look for my music library?
Many thanks, you Apple Gods!

check out kb article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364
iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder

How do i make itunes find my music library on an external hard drive?

OK. So i got a new PC and ive downloaded itunes. Ive authorised itunes. However, no matter how hard i try, i cannot get it to find my existing itunes library which is situated on an external hard drive.
I know ive done it before with my last PC but cannot remember how...and itunes made sense back then rather than the nonsense it is now.
Any tips?
Cheers

Hi there,
You may find the information in the article below helpful.
iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1589
-Griff W.

Opening iTunes 10 Library on an External Hard Drive from iTunes 9.2.1

Hi All,
I backed up my iTunes library on an external Hard Drive using;
'Machine A'- Powerbook, PowerPC, 1.25 GHz
OS - Leopard
iTunes - 10.1
This Aluminum G4 is undergoing repairs so I am now using an older Powerbook which works fine.
Configuration on this is
'Machine B'- Powerbook, PowerPC, 400 GHz
OS - Tiger / 10.4.11
iTunes - 9.2.1
My question is,
'Is there any way for me to run iTunes 9.2.1 using the 'Music Library' from the external Hard Drive'
and not loose any metadata (all the Tags/Ratings/Comments/Art Work)
that I have painstakingly undertaken for the last 8 to 9 years.
Tried opening iTunes with the <option> key & pointing to the library but got the error:
"The file iTunes Library cannot be read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes"
It is likely that I will be using Machine B for a few months,
so I really hope you experts out there can help me with a nice and easy solution.
Cheers,
Matt.

The iTunes application should be installed on the system drive. You may need to repair iTunes to fix that error regarding a missing .exe.
To organize your library properly see Make a split library portable.
If you don't have a working version of the library that can be transformed into a portable shape I have tools and techniques that can repair the broken links.
tt2

How can i copy specific music files to an external hard drive?

I'm trying to copy selected artists from my itunes music library to an external hard drive. I don't want to relocate any of my files to the external hard drive for regular use with itunes, I simply want to back up my files.

Open Finder. Go to Music>iTunes>iTunes Music. The folders are organised by artists. You can copy and paste them to your external hard drive.

Music Library on an External Hard Drive

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