Sharing iTunes library with another user on the same computer

My husband and I use the same iMac and have the same iTunes login, but have different user accounts on our computer.
When I download things from iTunes, they only show up in my library and do not show up in his. In addition, the two libraries are not syncing. I want everything in my library to also be in his.
I have tried home sharing, and that is not working. I'm guessing that's because the two accounts are on the same computer -- rather than two computers on the same network. The only thing I can figure out is to manually drop the files in the shared folder. But it has to be easier than this.
Please help.

I typed "Share itunes library" into the search bar at the top of this screen by "Support" and found this:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1203
Dopes this help?

Similar Messages

Sharing itunes library with all users on the same computer

I am trying to share the itunes library with 4 users on the same computer. Please tell me how.

I've been trying to find a way to do this easily as well. It would be good if you could set iTunes to use the "All User" documents folder instead of the My Documents folder for the storing the main library and just use the My Documents Folder for individual playlists.
Follow the instructions in the link provided by Mimico Kid.
** It is not important that the shared folder is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Music. It can be any shared folder on the PC. On mine it's H:\iTunes as I don't have the space on the C: drive.
When you've done that make sure that your Adminstrator account's copy of iTunes shows the Library, Playlists and Album art as you want the all the users to see them.
Then copy all of the remaining files from the Administrator Accounts iTunes folder into every other users iTunes folder.
** C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Documents\My Music\iTunes
If any user adds songs or modifies playlists the administrator will need to log on and copy the files from that users iTunes folder to everyone elses.
This might be a slightly cumbersome way around the problem but it works for me. It has the disadvantage or advantage whichever way you look at it that every User will see an identical view with identical playlists.

How do I share a playlist from my itunes library with another user on the same computer?

I would like to share a playlist with another uuser on the same computer. We have separate itunes libraries on the same computer. How do gey my playlist from my library to hers?

I'm not sure, but maybe if you activate home sharing. It should also share playlists, not only files.
The only other way I can think of is to export the playlist and import for the other user.

Sharing iTunes Library with two users on the same computer

I have all of my music stored on a external hard drive.
Both users on the same computer have the iTunes music location folder as the external hard drive. How do I see music added in one persons log-in? For example: I just purchased two albums under one log-in. The second log in can not see that music unless I manually add it.
Both Libraries point to the same file location.
I have over 40GB of music and I am looking for a way to manage my music files more effectively and I want to make sure that both log-ins have the same music.
I followed the instructions in article HT1203 from the apple support site.

lafdengine9 wrote:
Both users on the same computer have the iTunes music location folder as the external hard drive. How do I see music added in one persons log-in? For example: I just purchased two albums under one log-in. The second log in can not see that music unless I manually add it.
The reason you are having this issue is because you have a shared library but private databases. What you have on the external drive is the collection of media files (library) that each account is set up to access as the source for media. What you have not done is set up a shared iTunes database, so each user accesses the same library differently.
When each user opens iTunes, iTunes access the database on their account (~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Library). Therefore, their settings, views, playlists, etc., are private. When they add songs to their library only their database file is updated to reflect those additions; simply having files in the music folder does not mean that iTunes will recognize them, hence the reason iTunes asked you if you want to move the file to the trash when you delete it from your library.
The confusion here is the double use of the term library. The contents of you music folder most definitely constitutes your media library, as it is the collection of your media files. What you see as your library in iTunes is not your library but, for the most part, the content stored in a database table maintained by iTunes in the iTunes Library file in your iTunes folder. iTunes does not access your actual media files unless it is absolutely necessary. The general assumption is that what is shown in your iTunes “library” will actually mirror what is in your music folder.
So the missing step in your setup would be to switch to the account that has the most current iTunes library—that is the one reflects the actual contents of your music folder as of now—and follow this procedure.
1. Quit iTunes.
2. Move the iTunes folder to the Shared folder (./Users/Shared).
3. Launch iTunes, but immediately hold the option key to invoke the Choose Library window.
4. Select the database (iTunes Library file) now located in the shared folder.
5. If you do not see your content, go to iTunes’ preferences and reset the location of the music folder to the external drive.
6. In the other accounts, re-launch iTunes and change the library according to steps 3 and 4.
Now all users will have access to the same iTunes database as well as the shared library. The downside of this is that each user will have full access privileges. If you have iTunes 8, then to avoid the disadvantages that come with this type of set up, see [this thread|http://forums.macworld.com/thread/105366?tstart=0] over at Macworld.

Sharing Itunes Library with several users on the same computer

Hi,
I'm trying to share the iTunes library on a SP2 system. I placed the Itunes folder on a partition and setted iTunes to use this folder in each user account but...
When one add musics to the library, thoses musics are not visible once switched to another user account.
How to really share the same library with several user accounts one the same machine ?
Thanks

Note that Otto42's post is from March 2006. This is way before iTunes 7, which allows you to move the iTunes folder.
His steps will work but are much too involved and unneeded.
Rather than using TweakUI (and possibly messing up something), just move the entire iTunes folder to a shared directory and hold Shift when starting iTunes, then select Choose library and go to the iTunes folder.
All changes made by any user will be to all users.
Note that only one user at a time will be able to access iTunes.

How do I share my iTunes library with another user on the same computer?

I trired to follow the instructions provided by I-Tunes which was to move the ITunes media library to the shared section, however, the computer will not allow me to do this. When I drag the file to the shared section, it will only allow me to drop it into the Airport. I tried hovering it over the "shared" title but it's not working.
Is there another solution?

Hello Kathy,
Thank you for the details of the issue you are experiencing when trying to move your iTunes Library.
It sounds like you may be trying to move it to the "Shared" titled on the Finder Sidebar. When you see "Shared" in the Finder Sidebar, this is just a title and not an actual folder.
I recommend moving your iTunes Library to either the "Public" folder in your user accoung to the "Shared" folder listed in the Users folder. You can access the Shared folder by clicking Go at the top of the screen with Finder open, and selecting Computer>Macintosh HD>Users>Shared:
Drag the iTunes Media folder to a public location. For example, you could move it to the Public folder in your Home folder (~/Public) or to a location outside your Home folder that other users can access (/Users/Shared).
Important: Don't move the iTunes folder, the iTunes library file, or the iTunes library.xml file.
iTunes: How to share music between different user accounts on a single computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1203
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

Sharing Aperture library with another user on the same mac

Hi
I just upgraded to Aperture 3.3, on a MBP running Lion (10.7.4) - I am trying to share the library with my wife so that each of us can retain our separate accounts and preferences and be able to edit/print/add pictures to the library
I've seen some other posts, suggesting creating a separate directory outside of /Users which I've done: I've created /ApertureLib and moved the library there. I made sure I set permissions for owner, group and others to read/write/execute
When i try opening the library through my wife's account it tells me that "the library is being used by (null), you must first quit (null) to use this library"
I added sticky bits, tried to set ACLs, no dice...
any suggestions?
Thanks!
PS: all of the image files are actually stored on a NAS box and mounted via AFP. I tried moving the Aperture library to the NAS box but the performance was atrocious. so I kept the library on Macintosh HD and just reference the picture files from the NAS share.

PS: all of the image files are actually stored on a NAS box and mounted via AFP. I tried moving the Aperture library to the NAS box but the performance was atrocious. so I kept the library on Macintosh HD and just reference the picture files from the NAS share.
That is the safest solution. The Aperture library should reside on a local volume, MacOS X extended formatted. Your NAS probably is neither local nor formatted MacOS X extended, see
Aperture: Use locally mounted Mac OS X Extended volumes for your Aperture library
I am trying to share the library with my wife so that each of us can retain our separate accounts and preferences and be able to edit/print/add pictures to the library
Aperture is a single User program. Only one of you can use Aperture at a time. So you hvae to quit Aperture in your account, before your wife can launch it from her account. Also make sure that iPhoto is not using the library.
One big problem with sharing a Library are permissions and ownerships. When you make changes to an Aperture Library and add images, you are the owner of the added images. The safest way to share a library therefore would be to put it on an external volume or onto a separate partition of your hard drive. Then you can set the "Ignore ownership on this volume" flag and share the data with out permission problems. To set this flag on a volume, select it in the Finder and use "File > Get info" from the Finder's main menu bar (or press cmd-I).
Regards
Léonie

Does home sharing allow me to share my iTunes library with other users on the same imac

Does home sharing allow me to share my iTunes library with other users on the same imac?

Apparently so (as long as each user operates out of a different Mac User account).
After setting up home sharing in the various different user accounts on the Mac, you need to have iTunes open in the account that you want to Home Share from.
Now use fast User Switching to get into the account that you want to Home Share to. Launch iTunes in there. The library in the other account should appear as shared for you.

Hello there - how can I share my iTunes library between two users on the same computer? I put the library in a shared folder between both and have selected this library on both as well, but when I update iTunes with music etc it only appears on one?

Hello there - how can I share my iTunes library between two users on the same computer? I put the library in a shared folder between both and have selected this library on both as well, but when I update iTunes with music etc it only appears on one?

Thank you Joe - I tried this but it's only showing a teensy amount of music - the stuff on the second users account as opposed to the giagntic library on the 'main' account. I actually went to a Genius Bar and they said that apple doesn't really want you to share music between accounts - parents don't want to hear their kids music etc. Which seemed strange, but it might be the case sadly Thanks anyway!

How do i share my itunes library with other users on the same mac

I'm trying to share my itunes library with other users on the same mac. I have tried moving my library to a public folder but when the other user logs in they can't see it in the public folder?

Presuming you moved the entire iTunes folder to the shared folder the other users need to start their iTunes while holding down the option/alt key and select the iTunes Library.itl file in the shared folder. Only once should be necessary. Note that any changes anybody makes will be seen by everybody, so you have to trust each other a lot.
If all you moved are media files each user will have to add those files to their iTunes library.
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 Suggestion by Turingtest for multiple users and one library - http://discussions.apple.com/message/9117622 - use smart playlists and tags to isolate groupings.

What is the best way to share a iTunes library between 5 users on the same computer?

What is the best way to share a iTunes library between 5 users on the same computer?
Currently I have a common itunes library in a shared folder that each user is linked to. The problem is that when one user adds music to the shared file, it does not automaticaly appear to other users when they open their iTunes. They have to go to the shared library and select the new music in order to make it visable in their iTunes.
Would iTunes file shareing fix this problem?
Thanks

aapl.up wrote:
Rick, are you saying that if you try to share a folder outside of home and use sharepoints, then the other mac wont prompt you to log in? Have you tried that? It is hard to believe that is the case
I am sort of saying that. Have you tried it? I know it's hard to believe, but you really need to help us out by trying some steps that you don't believe.
We can't see what your exact situation is. We sort of know what's worked for us out here. Just trying to help you get this going in less than 24 hours!
Sharepoints manages the samba configuration file. It's free software that puts a pretty face on an otherwise cumbersome config file.
Give it a shot.
windows will not prompt for passwords, I have tried this with multiple computer at home for both vista and xp
As I stated. You will not get prompted on windows, if you have set up sharing in an insecure fashion. You are not using a secured sharing situation.
No argument with your statement.

HT3819 How do I share my itunes library with my mother on the same computer, but different accounts?

How do I share my itunes library with my mother on the same computer, but different accounts?
My mother and I share a desktop computer (apple) and we have seperate itunes accounts. How do we share accounts?

iTunes Home Sharing now works between users on same computer - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3865597
You could set up two completely separate libraries and share music via Home Sharing.
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
Suggestion by Turingtest for multiple users and one library - http://discussions.apple.com/message/9117622 - use smart playlists and tags to isolate groupings.
Discussions on using purchases from multiple AppleIDs in one iTunes library - https://discussions.apple.com/message/19543804

Can i move my itunes library to another account on the same computer

can i move my itunes library to another account on the same computer

This might help:
iTunes: How to share music between different accounts on a single computer
-Kylene

Sharing Itunes library with another User Account & Fast Switching

Hi. I recently purchased a new iMac G5 and am in the process of setting it up to be used by 2 separate users (girlfriend and me). I apologize in advance if this is more of an Itunes issue and not solely an Administration issue.
My question deals with creating a new user account on my Mac (with Fast Switching) and allowing my girlfriend to share my iTunes library with the ability to transfer music to her ipod when she is logged into her own unique account. I will be the Administrator on the Mac.
We are trying to avoid loading our music two times into the Mac under each of our logins. Is there a way that we can share the music I have already loaded into my Itunes library when she is logged into her account so that she can transfer to her ipod and create her own distinct playlists? If so, any advice on how to enable this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Seth
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Unfortunately, baltwo's solution will not allow your girlfriend to create any playlists or copy songs to iPod.
The easiest thing would be to share the entire music folder, so anyone of you can listen to your music.
You'd have two options.
If you want to be using the exact same library, so any playlist you created can be edited by your girlfriend and vice versa:
1. Go to yourusername/Music/iTunes. You'll find two files called "iTunes library" and "iTunes music library" Copy them to your desktop, so you'll have a backup just in case.
2. Move your yourusername/Music folder to computer/users/shared. (The folder will be copied ONLY in case your using FileVault, so you'd have to delete the original User/Music folder after making sure you'd got a functional copy at computer/users/shared) Select users/shared, press "apple+i" to get the info window, go to "Ownership" change all permissions to "read & write" and hit "apply to enclosed items"
3. In case you're using FileVault, either delete or rename the original Music folder within your own account. Again, not necessary as long as FileVault isn't enabled.
4. Select computer/users/shared/music, hold down "ctrl" while clicking on it and choose "create alias" from the contextual menu. Copy that alias into your homefolder as well as your girlfriend's account (need to log in) and rename it to "music" without the "alias" at the end.
5. Launch iTunes. Done.
6. Don't worry, in case you don't see your music. I've used a slightly different approach, yet this one should work totally fine.
If you want to listen to the same music, yet be able to set up your own playlists, ratings etc.:
For your account:
- go to yourusername/Music/iTunes, move "iTunes Music" to computer/users/shared and change ownership according to #2.
- If FileVault is enabled, check #3. Of course, you want to rename the original "iTunes Music" in this case.
- create an alias for computer/users/shared/iTunes Music and copy the alias to yourusername/Music/iTunes. Rename it to "iTunes Music" without "alias".
- Launch iTunes. Should be working the way it used to. Quit.
For your girlfriend's account:
- log in, copy alias to username/Music/iTunes, rename alias.
- Launch iTunes, go to File-> Add to Library, select username/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music, choose.
That's it.
The only downside is, only one user at a time can access the music folder, so if you're logged in and running iTunes, you're girlfriend, logged in via fast user switching, won't be able to open iTunes until you quit it for yourself. Haven't found a way around this yet.
Fell free to report any issues.
huhh...rather long posting...

How do I copy iTunes purchases from one iTunes library to another stored on the same computer but with different apple ID's?

I recently set up a new iTunes account for my son by giving him his own Apple ID & own login on the Mac we own.
In addition I have an existing iTunes account with a different Apple ID & different login on the same Mac.
We would like to share some purchases but do not know how to copy or import certain files. The summary is two
different apple ID's, different iTunes libraries, on the same computer, but different parts of the hard drive.
Please advise. Thanks.

Load the library which doesn't contain the songs and drag them into the open iTunes application window. If you need to move them between different computer user accounts, put them into /Users/Shared/.
(74502)

Sharing iTunes library with another user on the same computer

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