One library over multiple accounts-how to

Hello
I was wondering how you can set up an iTunes library so that it can be accessed by any account on your computer.
Would using the shared folder to store the library allow such access? Also, would iTunes automatically find it, or would you have to reassign the library it uses?
My computer currently has no music on it, and the library in question is on an external drive, brought from my old computer (which only used one account). If that makes a difference.

See if this helps: iTunes: How to share music between different accounts on a single computer

Similar Messages

  • Sharing one iTunes library across multiple accounts on the same Mac

    Hello, I've poked around at some of the posts dealing with sharing one iTunes music library across multiple accounts on the same Mac but it seems like this can only be done if the libary is moved to a shared folder. I realize this can be done but I was trying to share it the way it is described in a post on Apple support (See link below.). That post seemed to imply that you don't have to move the library from its original location (owned by account A, e.g.), rather just make a couple preference changes in the accounts, use fast user switching and voila. That doesn't seem to work. So my question is this: Is the only way to share one iTunes music library across multiple accounts on the same Mac to move it to a shared folder? I'm running 10.4.8 on an Intel iMac. Thanks in advance!
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93195

    After reading this and several other related threads, I am becoming thoroughly confused about all of this. I have a situation similar to the one that pokerpal described in the post dated January 7 at 8:06 pm, except that the music files on my system are located on an external hard drive. Everything else is pretty much the same though - I am the admin user (and the main iTunes user and maintainer) and my girlfriend is a standard user who has no music in her own iTunes library. She can see and listen to and make playlists from and sync her iPod with the music in this library from her account, and I can do the same thing, independent of her, from my account. And if I make a change to information within a song, she doesn't see it, and vice versa, and I understand that. What I don't understand is why when I add a song or an album to the music files by importing a CD or downloading something from the iTunes Music Store, she has no way of knowing that unless I tell her, and then she can add it to her library by using the "Add to Library" function. Is there no way of automatically updating her library files to add the new song(s)? We have almost 15,000 songs and videos in that library, and I don't even want to think about what might have to happen if the answer to my question is "no." Interestingly enough, if I put an update to a Word document in the same exact location (on the hard drive), we can update that and pass it back and forth all day - why is that such a difficult task for iTunes to accomplish?
    Sorry I went on so long, but this has been building up for some time, and none of the solutions I've read about here have really been of any help, so I'm a bit frustrated and, as I said at the beginning, confused.
    iMac G5, MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

  • Have multiple accounts, how can I move all products into one account?

    have multiple accounts, how can I move all products into one account?

    Backup Software Recommendations
    Carbon Copy Cloner
    Data Backup
    Deja Vu
    SuperDuper!
    Synk Pro
    Tri-Backup
    Others may be found at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
    Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.
    Or you can simply use the Restore option of Disk Utility to clone the drive to the backup:
    Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
    Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
    Select the destination volume from the left side list.
    Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
    Check the box labeled Erase destination.
    Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
    Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
    Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
    Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

  • Viewing iPhoto Library from Multiple Accounts

    First off I've asked this question before, a long time ago, but still don't have it resolved.  I have (2) accounts on iMac with iPhoto 08 and I would like to share a single Iphoto Library. I would like Account 1 to have full rights and Account 2 only Viewing rights.   Account 1 is set as Administrator and Account 2 is normal user. 
    When I first posed this question, I was told to move the Library to Shared Folders and then give Permission to Account 2 to "Read".  I did that and it immediately locked up the Account 2s iPhoto with the error message "Drive is Locked or you don't have permission to make changes" when I log into the second account.
    It's been that way for a very long time, my other users have been using Account 1 to view photos so I've ignored the problem.
    Now I want to fix it:
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    Is there a preferred way, or even 3rd party software, that will allow me to share the iPhoto library among multiple accounts on a single iMac?  Does latest iPhoto iteration allow this?  I am willing to consider most anything at this point...

    To use iPhoto Sharing it must be running in both Accounts.
    This method seems a little clunky at first, but works very well. Most importantly, it uses the System to do the job for you.
    Create a new Account on your Mac, call it Media. Create an iPhoto Library there. (BTW: This will work for iTunes too.)
    Enable Sharing on the Library:(Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other accounts. In those accounts, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. The Library will appear in the other source pane.
    This means that both users will be able to see the pics. If you want to use a pic then simply drag it from the shared Library to your own in the iPhoto Window. This means that each user can have their own edits.
    If you want to add photos to the Library: Log into the Media account for that purpose.
    To make it all seamless: Set your Mac to log into the Media Account automatically. Set iPhoto to launch on log-in. Then switch to your own account using Fast User Switching.
    Net result: a Library that's permanently available to all users but also protected. Each user can have their own versions of the pics if they want.
    The permissions issue you're having is directly related to they to share the iPhoto Library. To change what Library account 2 is looking at: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
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  • I need to move 1000 photos from one library to another. How do I do that and keep the ratings and dates they were created?

    I need to move 1000 photos from one library to another. How do I do that and keep the ratings and dates they were created? I tried exporting them, but it loses all info. Also, how do I move the quicktime movies from one iphoto library to another? They were exported as jpgs

    Add both libraries to iPhoto Library Manager.  Then select the events or albums that you want to copy from library A  and drag them to library B in iPLM.
    This video shows the process:
    OT

  • Problems sharing iTunes library across multiple accounts on one imac

    I have followed the Mac OS instructions in this article http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1203 to share music accounts on the family iMac by putting the iTunes Media folder in a public directory. When I go to connect to this library the I cannot see the actual iTunes Media folder but the following file path is available: ~/Public/Automatically Add to iTunes.localized. Selecting this folder does not appear to make the library available.
    Has anyone had this problem?

    iTunes: How to share music between different accounts on a single computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1203 - relocating iTunes' media folder to a shared area but leaving separate library files - extra tip at https://discussions.apple.com/message/17331189
    Chris CA's instructions on sharing one iTunes music library between multiple user accounts - https://discussions.apple.com/message/8974074 - Multiple users using a single library file - similar post at: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3753008

  • Using one library for multiple computers and accounts (not store accounts)

    Okay, we currently have four macs in the house. One was recently bought: i7 iMac (late 2009), another is dying: (mid 2005 iMac), another is going somewhere else: (late 2006 iMac) and another is a laptop: C2D MBP (late 2008). We might add another computer into the mix some time later.
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    Make sure everything you want to share is on the centralized drive (music, video, and books, but if any of you have mobile devices, keep the apps on your local drive). Mount the drive on your computer. (Remember, from now on you must do this before starting iTunes.) If iTunes isn't running, start it now.
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  • One iTunes library for multiple accounts, iPhones, laptops and PCs.

    First off, I'll apologize up front for asking a question that has probably been asked a million times. I've searched the intarwebs and these forums but I've seen so many different answers and read so many different threads pertaining to my question that I think I've over-informed myself to the point of confusion.
    OK, for the longest time I've had one iTunes library running on one Windows PC in my house. I used that for updating all our iPods. That was fine for the last however-many-years we've had iPods.
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    Is there a definitive way to do this, or do I have to follow one of these sideways, shady and round-about ways to get this done.
    Having to run upstairs to the PC seems to be completely needless with all this technology we have!
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    After reading this and several other related threads, I am becoming thoroughly confused about all of this. I have a situation similar to the one that pokerpal described in the post dated January 7 at 8:06 pm, except that the music files on my system are located on an external hard drive. Everything else is pretty much the same though - I am the admin user (and the main iTunes user and maintainer) and my girlfriend is a standard user who has no music in her own iTunes library. She can see and listen to and make playlists from and sync her iPod with the music in this library from her account, and I can do the same thing, independent of her, from my account. And if I make a change to information within a song, she doesn't see it, and vice versa, and I understand that. What I don't understand is why when I add a song or an album to the music files by importing a CD or downloading something from the iTunes Music Store, she has no way of knowing that unless I tell her, and then she can add it to her library by using the "Add to Library" function. Is there no way of automatically updating her library files to add the new song(s)? We have almost 15,000 songs and videos in that library, and I don't even want to think about what might have to happen if the answer to my question is "no." Interestingly enough, if I put an update to a Word document in the same exact location (on the hard drive), we can update that and pass it back and forth all day - why is that such a difficult task for iTunes to accomplish?
    Sorry I went on so long, but this has been building up for some time, and none of the solutions I've read about here have really been of any help, so I'm a bit frustrated and, as I said at the beginning, confused.
    iMac G5, MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

  • How to manage one library with two accounts

    how to manage one library with two accounts

    you can only be logged into one account at a time on the iTunes store. However, you can authorize your computer for both accounts, making your computer work with both. In the menu bar just click [Store > Authorize Computer]

  • How do I use one library for multiple iPods

    I have three girls that recently got iPod nano's. I would like to use only one library for their music etc. How do I do this. when I installed the first one it worked great. Then when I installed the second one it won't recognize the first one. Then when I went back to factory settings on the first and synched her music the second one is not recognized. Help......

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  • Sharing (synchronizing) a single iTunes library over multiple computers

    Okay, i've been looking all over for a simple answer to this problem for a while and haven't found a solution that doesn't involve paying for third-party software or a lot of seemingly unnecessary hassle. Here's my situation:
    I have an older 12" PowerBook G4 and a brand new MacBook Pro. I also have a Time Capsule and a 30 gig iPod, but i'm not sure whether they will be helpful or not for my situation. When i got my MacBook Pro, i let Leopard transfer all my info, so now both computers have the same login information, music library, iPhoto library, etc... But not for long, naturally. I want to use my MBP at home primarily and will spend most of my time on it, but i will also frequently be out and will be taking my PowerBook along as it is both more portable and less of a concern if something happens to it. What i want to do is to set things up so that my iTunes library (including playlists, ratings, and other metadata) is kept synchronized across both computers (perhaps via the Time Capsule?) and that any changes made on either mac will at least eventually be mirrored on the other without causing duplicates or loss of any files. I don't need to keep separate versions or sizes of iTunes libraries either; the hard drives are each large enough to hold the entire thing.
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    I wouldn’t mind a “master, slave” type setup either, with the MBP being the master, since with the only working optical drive and a faster connection, it will be doing most of my importing- but it’s important that the playlists and everything are the same and it sure would be nice if i didn’t have to remember not to make any changes from the PB. I don't plan on buying any music from the iTunes store and my entire library is DRM free, so that won't be a problem. Both systems are running the latest versions of all software and operating system (though i hear this may change with Snow Leopard...?)
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    I’d like to find a way to set this up using just Automator and maybe some Applescripts if possible, but if i do have to bend and go third-party, it would need to be solid.
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    I have a similar problem. Wish I had an answer but am struggling with a similar problem. My situation is this: I have a Imac and a Macbook Pro. I have the same 4 accounts on both and I sync them through '.mac'. It works fairly well. My goal is to get one Itunes library accessible from the 2 computers and the 4 accounts per computer. I am also using Time Capsule/Machine as well. I currently keep the Itunes library on an external drive (not TCapsule). So, my problem is this:
    1. How to update from multiple accounts accross the two machines?
    2. How to access Itunes store from all of the accounts on machine 2?
    I am now trying to set up individual Itunes libraries for each account on machine 1 and share to machine 2.
    In any case, this is not pretty and needs to be reachitected to support a multiple user environmet.

  • One Library for multiple users?

    I did not realize that the library would be tied to a specific user on a computer. Is it possible for 2 users to share the same library? I created a library under my log in, but my wife can not see it when she logs in. If we can't have just one library for the whole computer how can I transfer all the cd's i imported to iTunes to my wife's log in?
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    these documents might be of some assistance with that:
    How to use multiple iPods with one computer
    iTunes: How to share music between different accounts on a single computer

  • Managing iPhoto Library with multiple accounts

    I want to share my iphoto library with multiple user accounts on the same machine. Any suggestions how to do this so when new photos / events are added & created they are accessible to all?
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    I have another question, do you know anything about using the "referenced library" approach instead? Would this work better?
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  • Setting up a shared library for multiple accounts on the same machine

    I am in idiot. I can't figure it out. This is exactly what I did.
    1 - I set up multiple accounts on the computer. 1 for me and another for my wife.
    2 - I loaded all the music into my account's public folder.
    3 - I set the default folder in both hers and mine iTunes for this Public folder
    4 - I then opened iTunes in my account and none of the songs were showing up so I dragged the folder into iTunes and it did its business. Now my account is all set.
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    B - If either of us add music when logged in, will it automatically update in the other iTunes interface or is there something specific that needs to (manually) be done?

    Doing it the way you did, you each have your own iTunes library file and are using the same iTunes music folder.
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    Also, if one deletes music, it will be in teh library for the other but it will not be playable because the other person deleted it in the iTunes music folder.
    Launch iTunes, then immediately press and hold Option, then select *Create new library*.
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    Move all her music into the new /Users/Shared/iTunes/iTunes music folder.
    On her account, launch iTunes, then immediately press and hold Option, then select *Choose existing library*.
    Select the _iTunes library file_ in /Users/Shared/iTunes.
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    All the music will be there.
    Quit iTunes and log out of her account and back into your account and launch iTunes normally.
    All music will be there.
    You should go to /Users/Shared/iTunes folder and right click - get info, click *Ownership & Permissions*. Set *You can* to *Read & Write* and set Others to *Read & Write*.
    Click *Apply to enclosed items*.
    Any changes (new/deleted music, ratings, playlists, etc.) by one will be seen by the other sionce you are using the same iTunes library file.
    Only one person can have iTunes open at a time. If you use Fast User switching, one will need to quit iTunes before the other can use it.

  • If I have two email accounts, one personal hotmail account and one MS Exchange work account, how can I setup individual notifications for each account. Right now, any email from any account has the same notification. I want work to be different than perso

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    Sorry you get only one notification sound for all email accounts.  you can send a suggestion to apple here http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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