One iTunes library to be shared by two users on Vista

I have all my songs and Lapps located in the public folder so it can be shared by both users on our computer. My problem is when I purchase a new song, it shows up in my library but not my wife's. I have to go into her user account, open iTunes, and specifically tell it to bring in a new folder even though it is already in the folder with all our other music.
Is there a way to have newly purchased songs automatically show up in both users iTunes libraries? It seems a little screwy to have these extra steps to the process, so I'm sure I just have something set up wrong.
Thanks!

I assume that you each have an iTunes folder in your own Music folders. This will contain iTunes lIbrary.itl - the library database - an iTunes Music folder which should be empty as you have all your music in shared music.
Also I assume you have your music folder in your shared music folder and all your music is there.
You need to choose one of your iTunes folders to use for the shared database.
Copy this iTunes folder from your own Music folder into shared music. Delete the empty iTunes Music folder there, move it somewhere like the desktop if it is not empty.
Now move the folder containing your music folder into your iTunes folder so it replaces the one you deleted/moved. Rename it "iTunes Music" if that is not already its name.
Now do a shift key start. Hold down the shift key and start iTunes. Keep holding the shift key until you are prompted to choose/create a library. Select choose and navigate to the iTunes folder in Shared Music and choose iTunes Library.itl.
Check to see if it has worked.
Repeat the shift key start for the other user to connect to the shared library.
Note that you will have shared playlists, counts and ratings.
If either user is not an administrator, you will need to ensure the permissions for the shared iTunes folder allow write access for that user. Limited users do not normally have write access to folders they did not create.
If my assumptions about you set up are not correct you will need to adjust the method accordingly.

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CherylMoran wrote:
I need to add my husband's iTunes library to my Apple comnputer
You should create a new compuer login account for him (System prefs > Users & Accounts) and he will have all his own data including his own iTunes library.
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Message was edited by: bitman

So I have both accounts now working... sort of. The problem is that the common iTunes Media folder they share does not contain the iTunes Library files (.itl and .xml). Those files are still in each account's Home folder iTunes Media folder. I can see this will be a problem keeping the shared iTunes Media folder happy.
I'm not sure how I got things to this point but I do want to correct it.
Can can I copy one of the account's iTunes Library files to the shared iTunes Media folder?

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Hi, I read through this thread https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3753008 and was able to have two users share one itunes library on one computer (yay). However, for the new user, she can't add any music files to her itunes even though I already made sure that she had read/write permissions for the shared folder. Can anyone help? Thanks! (I recently upgraded to mountain lion on a 2009 macbook, if that matters at all. Thanks.)

During the last months... did you get the answer yet, i also would like to know if this is possible

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If you want to use two external drives to store your itunes content, there are a couple of ways you could go about it.
You could choose to have just movies (for example) on one HDD and everything else on the other. You could further choose to have your itunes music folder on one HDD and have all content copied to it by default. When it comes to movies (in this example) you can place these on your second HDD and add them to itunes by using OPT-drag, which will temporarily disable itunes from copying the file to your itunes library.
You could also entirely disable disable itunes copying files to your itunes music folder from the itunes preferences and manually manage all your content.
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Two user accounts, one iTunes library

Hello,
trying to solve problem with sharing one itunes library on macbook pro (mid 2009) between two users. I moved all itunes folders to shared folder, open itunes on new account with alt key, choose library and seems to be working. However it isnt...on my account I did the same, worked sometimes. After a qwhile I recognized that i cant use both accounts simultaneously. Once I log in to new account and open itunes and then I just switch users (not logging off) and try to open itunes, the first picture warning appears...I include also pictures with sharing preferences which should be OK.
Any ideas how to solve this?
Once I log off from account, it starts working with other one. But wioth simple switching users, it doesnt work (or rarely:-/)

judge2001 wrote:
Do I also have to create an user account on my Mac for her in order to have her own addressbook and calendar?
yes.
How will she access "my" iTunes library from her account?
click here for information.
you can authorize iTunes on her user account to play/use content purchased with your iTunes store account and vice versa.
JGG
edited by the Jolly Green Giant (where Green stands for environmentally friendly)

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judge2001 wrote:
Do I also have to create an user account on my Mac for her in order to have her own addressbook and calendar?
yes.
How will she access "my" iTunes library from her account?
click here for information.
you can authorize iTunes on her user account to play/use content purchased with your iTunes store account and vice versa.
JGG
edited by the Jolly Green Giant (where Green stands for environmentally friendly)

Can users have one iTunes library deriving from two drives?

Hi everyone,
I keep my 4 & 5 star songs on my C drive and the rest (all stars, 1,2 3, etc.) on my exhternal hard drive.
Whenever I want to listen to my music, all I can readily play are the tunes on my C drive.
I'm guessing the issues having one library for tunes stored on separate drives is insurmountable?
I say that because I'm guessing that my iPod (4th gen) is only capable of importing from one library?
I think the biggest issue is either I don't know how to (or maybe users can't) list a second drive so that iTunes can load all songs from both drives whenever I do have the second drive up and running.
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Click Change.
Click Assign the following drive letter (if it is not already selected), click the drive letter that you want to use, and then click OK.
Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the drive letter change.
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This drive renaming thing is a real hassle. Not like somebody couldn't have guessed it and Windows and/or iTunes can't afford some script, etc. to better manage 'tagging' EHD's and/or re-locating 'missing' tunes.
But then what would we have to complain about, not that they listen anyway.

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One is to manage the songs manually.
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If you wish to keep the convenience of automatic sync, then you could set the iPods to sync with "selected playlists". This setting can be found in the iPod summary screen under the 'music' tab. With this setting, different playlists can be transferred and later deleted from each iPod without affecting any playlists stored in iTunes or the playlists on the other iPods.
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I have been battling for some time to run one iTunes library on my 160GB Passport between both my 12" iBook G4 and my 15" Macbook Pro.
While I understand the concept of using the SHIFT-key when booting iTunes to Choose the Library it does not appear to work the way I imagine it should.
The Library is managed on the Macbook Pro and merely used on the iBook.
Updates done on the Macbook Pro do not carry across without doing a full consolidation with the Library.
Please Help.

*While I understand the concept of using the SHIFT-key when booting iTunes to Choose the Library it does not appear to work the way I imagine it should.*
On a Mac you hold down the Option key:
How to open an alternate iTunes Library file
iLounge - Managing your iTunes Library on an External Hard Drive

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Your iPod is designed to sync with only one iTunes library at a time. If you try to sync it with a new or different iTunes library, it will erase what is currently on the iPod and replace it with what is in the new library.
See this older post from another forum member Zevoneer covering the different methods and software available to assist you with the task of copying content from your iPod back to your PC and into iTunes.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2452022?start=0&tstart=0
B-rock

Need help getting two ipods to work in one itunes library.

i have had my ipod now for awhile and it works fine. i recently got one for my boyfriend for his birthday to use when we work out together, but he doesnt have a computer. so i was wondering and hoping that he could just use the songs from my itunes library. so does anyone know how to get both ipods to sync from one itunes library? i would greatly appreciate the help!

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Basically you just connect it and configure it as you wish just like the other iPod:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300432
This forum is for feedback about Apple Discussions themselves. You question would have been much better placed in the iPod or iTunes forums.
cheers
mrtotes

Can one iTunes library be kept in sync between two computers?

Hi,
Just got a new Powerbook to supplement my iMac G5. I'd like to maintain one iTunes library on both. Is this possible? I understand I can copy my current library from the iMac to the Powerbook. But is it possible to then keep them in sync? That is, if I buy a few songs from the ITMS while traveling with the Powerbook, is there an easy way to sync with the iMac when I get home such that both libraries have the same songs, playlists, etc? I'm guessing one approach would be to copy the entire library over, but I'm hoping there's a way to just copy the updates/additions. Any advice?
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discussing this right now at this link...
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1473705#1473705

One iTunes library to be shared by two users on Vista

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