Same iTunes Library on Multiple Computers

I was wondering whether someone could help me out a little here. I have 3 computers at home. A MacBook Pro, a Windows Vista Laptop and a Windows Vista desktop PC. Both my Wife and I have iPods (mine an iPhone and hers an 8Gb 2nd Generation Nano).
What I want to be able to do is access my iTunes music collection (the music files are currently stored on the MacBook) through any computer in the house (I have wireless through Time Capsule). This I am told is easy through iTunes sharing, however this does not allow you to connect your iPod to any machine and update it, as sharing does allow this.
Is there a way of storing the iTunes library and files on one machine, like a central server and then you can play music from any computer (perhaps using iTunes on that machine) and you can also plugin your iPod/iPhone into any machine in order to update it?
Looking forward to hearing peoples suggestions on this one.
Thanks.

Hello
Try this website:
http://theappleblog.com/2008/10/13/one-itunes-library-on-multiple-computers/
I have been using this solution with my Library and Music situated on a NAS for awhile now with great success.
Hope this helps.
Kevin

Similar Messages

Syncing the same iTunes library among multiple computers

I have two computers, a Windows 7 laptop and a new iMac. iTunes on both computers are signed into the same Apple ID. I currently have my iTunes library on my laptop, but I would like to also have the exact same library on my iMac. For instance, if I download a new podcast to my laptop, it should be placed on my iMac as well. When I delete the podcast, it should be deleted on the iMac too. When song metadata is updated on my laptop (play count, lyrics, etc), I want it updated on the iMac automatically.
I have not had much experience with Home Sharing, but would that do all of this automatically? I know I could manually transfer songs from one computer to the other using Home Sharing, but what about updated metadata or deleting files?
iCloud has made this situation more interesting. I know iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match will keep music files in sync among various devices (including metadata?), but what about podcasts or movies or files not purchased via iTunes? I know there are plenty of details that are yet to be released concerning iCloud, but do you think it will solve this problem entirely, or will manual labor be required to obtain the exact same library among multiple computers?
I have considered only using my iMac to maintain my library, since it is always on and I could use Home Sharing to listen to music on my laptop since they are on the same Wifi network. However, I feel it would be best to keep the same library on two computers for when I take my laptop on vacation away from my home network.
What would you suggest for this situation?
Thanks!

sorry about the slight irrelevence of this post on this thread....i saw this much older post you had in my explorations and it is almost to a "T" my issue currently and i was wondering if you ever came to a conclusion or had any tips or resolution paths i could explore. your original message:
     I have 2 computers I'd like to set up Home Sharing on. One is Windows XP and the other is Windows 7.
     I set it all up but then the libraries never show up. Nothing happens.
     The computers are on the same network and I can successfully share files and a printer. Both computers are      authorized using the same account. Both are signed into that account.
     I don't know why it's not working. Can you please help?
          Thanks!!
is EXACTLY my problem with the only variable being that both of my computers run 7. furthermore, you went on to say you were experiencing issues with the "remote" app. that was the initial objective for me in my system that got me here with a deeper problem with home share. i want to home share my itunes library and control it from my iPod touch 4g. is that such an unreasonable request?!?!? lol. i'm incredibly frustrated and was hoping that since you had such specifically similar circumstances....have you found a solution? PLEASE HELP!!! thank you so much for your time.

Can I share one iTunes Library with multiple computers on a network?

Can I share one iTunes Library with multiple computers on a network?
note: one library universally shared, not Home Sharing (one library each, shared to each.)
I want to share one library stores on my server and access it through various local computers. When I buy a song from a computer (non-server), I want it to be added to the library (stored on server). I want it to auto copy to my server, for organization. I want to be able to sync my phone from any computer.
Most of this I can do, if i figure out how to use one universal library for all my computers.
Any ideas how I can do this?

eyeinit,
You can authorize your iTunes account on up to 5 computers at a time.
However, purchased music is downloaded to the first machine to download it, but these articles have more information on moving your music between authorized computers:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93063
This one is for moving all your music using an iPod as a storage drive
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173
Hope this helps,
Nathan C.

How can I get my itunes library on multiple computers at the same time. I have 3 and an iphone 4S

So I have my itunes library on a laptop and synced with my iphone 4S. I have a new laptop and a tower and I use all three computers. Is there a simple way to have all three computers sync the same itunes library, and the phone?

No.
Iphone will sync with one and only one computer a a time. Syncing to another will erase the current content from the iphone and replace with content from the new computer.

How to maintain 1 iTunes library on multiple computers

Hi,
I have a desktop and a laptop, both of which I want to have the same iTunes library on. I dont want them both to be turned on at the same time so using "sharing" is not really an option.
I currently have my entire library on Skydrive so both computers can access the music with ease. Is there a way I can have iTunes have the same playlists, song ratings/play counts on both computers?
Note: I've tried playing around with symbolic links but im not really sure what to link and where to put the shortcuts.

I want to also listing to my music on another device at the same time
A library file can only be opened by one running copy of iTunes at a time. You have to quit iTunes on the other computer.
You can have two library files sharing the same media, but then you have to keep two libraries up to date with each other.

Sharing itunes library among multiple computers?

Hey all,
We are a Mac family. We have an iMac and a Powerbook, and I recently bought an iBook for my wife. We'd love to be able to share our iTunes library among the computers. Is there an easy way to set this up? Any help would be greatly appreciated......
I'm betting this has been talked about elsewhere but wasn't sure if there was a simple solution I'm missing.
Thanks in advance.....
jon

It depends on what you mean exactly. If you want to simply be able to play stuff out of each other's libraries, you can turn on Sharing in the iTunes preferences. Any computers on the same network with iTunes open and with sharing turned on, will see each other's libraries (they show up in the left side column like a playlist sort of). But this method of sharing only allows you to play their stuff. You will not be able to add the songs to your own library, add the songs to your own playlist, or burn a CD of songs from their library.
If your question was how to have a SINGLE central library serving all the computers, I don't think it can be done, at least not easily.
Patrick

Same iTunes library on different computers.

I have two personal computers that both serve different functions (one is a Mac and another is a PC running Windows 7) and I would like to use the same iTunes library between them, using my external hard drive. On the mac, I have moved the default library to the external hard drive, and when the drive is connected it runs through there. I would like to do the same for the PC, but instead of creating a new library folder, how do I tell iTunes to use the one that is already there from the Mac? I would like to do this through the external hard drive, as I use the computers in different locations and Home Sharing is not an option. I would like to be able to use the external hard drive to access my library and sync my iPod from either laptop, because when I travel I leave the Mac at home.

It can be done, however you will need the appropriate drivers or disk format so that both operating systems can read & write to the drive, your library needs to be in the standard nested format of an iTunes library folder containing the database files and an iTunes Media (or iTunes Music) folder with all your media. The library also needs to be in the newer layout as shown on the right in this image.
If it isn't use the option Library > Organize Library > Rearrange files in the folder "<Media Folder>".
If it isn't in nested folders see this post.
tt2

Can I have the same iTunes library on 2 computers?

I have iTunes on my desktop PC, but now I want to use it on my laptop.
I've downloaded iTunes on the laptop, but when I log in to my account, none of my music appears.
I have my library backed up on my desktop hard drive, so do I have to import all of that music onto my laptop?
I guess I assumed that my account could go with me where ever I signed in.

How to Copy and Move your Music Files from One Computer to Another
This is the conceptual framework with related and important links. Apply and adapt it to your specific situation and equipment resources.
The safest, quickest, and most optimal method to move your Library to a new computer is to actually clone the entire ‘iTunes’ folder (directory) structure, rather than just copying just the song files. By copying the entire ‘iTunes’ folder and all sub-folders, you capture not only the music files, but the all-important ‘iTunes Library.itl’ database file (usually located in the ‘iTunes’ folder), which contains all the data about your songs (Playlists, Ratings, Play Counts, Last Played, Date Added, etc). See: What are the iTunes Library files?
Install iTunes on the new computer. Then go back to your old computer and move (copy) the "iTunes" folder which usually resides inside your "…\My Documents\My Music" folder from the old computer to the exact same place (both Drive Letter and complete Path) on the new computer. When you open iTunes on the new computer it will look and behave exactly the same way it did on the old, Play Counts, Ratings, Comments and all!
NOTE: It is usually safer moving files between computers with the same version of iTunes!!
Here's a list of methods to copy and move your music files from one computer to another:
1) Use an External Hard Drive (ExHD) to move the complete files and Folder structures from one computer to another (my preferred option). You can clone’ the entire ‘iTunes’ folder structure in one very easy step. Also great to have available for complete backups of your Library. External hard drives now run less than $100 for 200-250GBs of storage. See This Link
2) Directly connect the two computers....
- 2a) Connect them through a Router &/or Network
- 2b) Directly connect using an Ethernet cable: Straight for using at least one Mac; or Crossover for PC/PC Instructions here.
- 2c) Connect them via a USB-to-USB Network Bridge. Example here. There are various types out there (use Google).
....Then copy the files from one computer to the other.
3) Use the iPod as a transfer device, as this extensive Apple link explains. It will be a bit easier if your iPod has a larger capacity than your music collection, otherwise you will need to perform multiple copy/move transfers. This well written process also works fine while using any other data transfer medium (ExHD, Flash Drive, DVD, CD, Zipp, Jazz, etc.).
4) Burn several DVDs (at 4.7GBs each) with your music data files and folder structure, and load them onto the new computer. Re-writable DVDs are more cost effective (if your DVD drive can manage these types).
5) Burn 6x more on CDs (at 700MB each) than in #4 above and load the files and folders on the new computer. Re-writable CDs are more cost effective (if your CD drive can manage these types).
6) Use a larger USB Flash drive (1GB - 4GB) to move the files and folders. Best if the flash drive is larger than your Library, otherwise you will need multiple copy/move transfers.
These are links to various additional instructions on performing the transfer (read them all, but some listed steps may not be required depending on your specific situation):
Switch from PC to Mac Using the iPod
hudgie: Migrating iTunes for Windows to a new PC
How to copy music between authorized computers

Using single iTunes library for multiple computers

With the new Airport Disk utility, can I attach an external hard drive with my iTunes library and have multiple computers point to that library as the library for each?

BKRonline wrote:
neptune2000 wrote:
A BIG WARNING (...) If you are a good guy and use ONLY one computer to read/write (i.e., to copy music to it) and all the others are read only (which cannot be enforced in software), then you're OK. Consider yourself warned.
just to clarify...
Use ONE computer and ONE COMPUTER ONLY for purchasing / adding new content to the 'master' iTunes library area. Use ANY OTHER COMPUTER that's looking at that 'master' iTunes library for reading (playing back).
Yes. If you can enforce it by "persuasion", not software
Would there be a conflict if someone rates songs from other computers etc?
Yes. If they both rate at the same time.

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.
On a side note, the iPod only needs to be able to sync from the MBP, i think, though it would be nice to have the option to sync from either. Sadly, it’s not large enough to hold the whole library, so i can’t use that to go back and forth or anything.
Also, i wouldn’t mind if the library were only stored on the TC and the PB, since the MBP should be able to access the TC 99% of the time, but in that case the PB would have to compare its own library and metadata to that of the TC, while i’m not sure how the MBP would store its iTunes database on the TC and not its own drive. I imagine that, with the current implementation of iTunes at least, it would have to be all on the MBP and the PB, with the TC version merely a backup. In most cases, i should be able to reach both my TC and my MBP from the road over the internet, but i still want to have the library on the PB hard drive for when i don’t have a connection.
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...?)
And while we’re at it, doing the same or similar to my iPhoto, iCal, Addressbook, Documents, etc. would be nice. Perhaps something can be done with the entire Home folder that would accomplish all of this? I’m not sure if the fact that one is Intel and the other is PowerPC would put a hitch in that method though. There are some settings, such as the totally different trackpads, etc. that will not be the same, plus i’ll be using a lot of programs solely on the MBP, which is why cloning the drive is not an option.
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.
I know my situation is unique (I’ve found a lot of people trying to synchronize libraries, say, with a spouse, etc. WITHOUT syncing the metadata- or people wanting different libraries on different computers to feed into the same pool, but those are very different cases, obviously) but i’m sure there are plenty of people out there with several different macs of their own who could benefit from this solution. Any help you can give towards this would be appreciated. Thanks!

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.

Can I have the same iTunes library on two computers?

I have an iMac and a Macbook Pro with two different iTunes libraries. I want to have the same library on both computers with playlist and all, so that if I do anything on the iMac, the macbook will sync. Anybody who can tell me if this is possible and how to do it? I also have a timecapsule if that matters?

Hello henrik100,
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Home Sharing in iTunes is designed to let you easily share your iTunes media libraries between up to five computers in your household.
For more information, take a look at:
iTunes: Setting up Home Sharing on your computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4620
Understanding Home Sharing
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3819
Have a nice day,
Mario

Using One iTunes Library on multiple computers.

Hey guys,
I've currently got my iTunes library saved on a Time Capsule and use it with my mac mini.
I want to be able to use the same library on my macbook pro. have set up iTunes on both computers so that it looks for the library on the Time Capsule so at the moment both machines can play all the media.
However if i buy track using the mini and add it to iTunes it saves it in the right place and plays fine but how can i update the library on the macbook as so it can see the new songs that have been added?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Kind regards

Another detail with this setup is that if you've got an iPod or iPhone that you want to load music to, you'll need to connect it to the computer that is the 'host' offering the music library for share. If you use the 'client' computer, then it won't let you install your mp3s to your iPod from the 'shared' library on the other computer.
In my setup, which is similar to what you're describing, it looks like iTunes lets me connect my iPhone to either computer and install mp3s.
Seth

Share a large iTunes library with multiple computers

I have a very big itunes library that I share with several computers at my home from a mac mini and lion server. This solution works well in that all my home computers can access the itunes library on the server and play music through the "Shared" feature. The downside of this solution is that if I (or my wife, or my daughter, or my son) want to put some music on our iphones, we have to sync the iphone with the mac mini so that the itunes library is local.
I would like to figure out a way, where all of our music would be availble on all of our macbooks so we could create our own playlists, and sync our iphones.
I have considered iCloud, but I'm not sure how well (or how expensive) it might be to share 250 GB of music on iCloud. Does anyone have suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

I'm sort of in the same boat. We've got an iMac with separate User Accounts set up and are currently sharing the same iTunes and iPhoto libraries along with streaming them to our Apple TV.
Right now I'm the only one with an iPod, however she'll be getting one in a couple of weeks.
We also just picked up a MacBook yesterday and I'd like to be able to sync certain libraries like iTunes and iPhoto so that no content gets duplicated on either the iMac or MacBook and so that we both have access to the current libraries for each program on our iPods and AppleTV.
I have an external hard drive that I back up the iMac on and I assume I could manually keep things current with that but there's got to be an easier way...that's why these are Macs right?
Bill

ITunes Library on Multiple Computers

I have an iMac, an iBook and a Touch. Sometimes I buy songs on my iMac. Sometimes I buy songs on my iBook. I hook up to both computers to get my Podcasts updated. Sometimes I hook to the iMac, and it asks me if I want to transfer some songs from the iPod. Sometimes I hook to the iBook, and it asks me if I want to transfer some songs from my iPod. Yet, the iTunes library's are not the same.
I would like to hook to either machine and maintain the same content on my Touch, but it won't let me. Every time I switch from one machine to another, it wipes out the content I loaded from the other machine.
Is there a way to sync the two library's, and hook to either machine for syncing my Touch?

No, the iPod Touch will sync to only one iTunes library at a time. When you sync to another library, the music and videos from the first library are erased. You need to consolidate your stuff into one library. There are several 3rd party utilities that will sync your music folders. This is just one of them: http://www.decimus.net/synk_standard.php

Can I have same Itunes library in two computers?

I would like to have the same library in two computers.
If I use home share to import the whole library, Does that mean the library will disappear from the "old" computer? or
Will I be able to keep the same library in both computers?
What will happens when I add music to one of the libraries? Will they update? or Do I have to do it manually? Can playlist be imported from home share too? and can I have same playlists in the two computers?
Thanks!

Again without firsthand experience my understanding is iTunes copies (not moves) just the media from the Home Shared drive and adds it to your other library as a new item. It will not affect the original library.
As for syncing idevices, they are intended to sync with just the original library and only one library at a time. Apple deliberately designed it this way, and not so you could plug them into a new computer and transfer the contents from the device to the computer (see exception below). More information:
Some of the information below has subsequently appeared in a document by turingtest2: Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991
Your i-device was not designed for unique storage of your media. It is not a backup device and media transfer was planned with you maintaining a master copy of your media on a computer which is itself properly backed up against loss. Syncing is one way, computer to device, updating the device content to the content on the computer, not updating or restoring content on a computer. The exception is iTunes Store purchased content.
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848 - only purchases from iTunes Store
For transferring other items from an i-device to a computer you will have to use third party commercial software. Examples (check the web for others; this is not an exhaustive listing, nor do I have any idea if they are any good):
- Senuti - http://www.fadingred.com/senuti/
- Phoneview - http://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/
- MusicRescue - http://www.kennettnet.co.uk/products/musicrescue/
- Sharepod (free) - http://download.cnet.com/SharePod/3000-2141_4-10794489.html?tag=mncol;2 - Windows
- Snowfox/iMedia - http://www.mac-videoconverter.com/imedia-transfer-mac.html - Mac & PC
- iexplorer (free) - http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/ - Mac&PC
- Yamipod (free) - http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/downloads/ - PC, Linux, Mac [Still updated for use on newer devices? No edits to site since 2010.]
- 2010 Post by Zevoneer: iPod media recovery options - https://discussions.apple.com/message/11624224 - this is an older post and many of the links are also for old posts, so bear this in mind when reading them.
Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141 - dates from 2008 and some outdated information now.
Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide - http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/ - Information about use in disk mode pertains only to older model iPods.
Get Your Music Off of Your iPod - http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Get_Your_Music_Off_of_Your_iPod - I am not sure but this may only work with some models and not newer Touch, iPhone, or iPad.
Additional information here https://discussions.apple.com/message/18324797

Same iTunes Library on Multiple Computers

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