Transfering itunes library from old mac book to new imac

I just purchased a new iMac and when I transfered data from my old macbook to my new iMac, my itunes library didn't transfer -- everything else did just fine.  Does anyone know why or how to transfer either from the macbook or my ipod to my new computer.  Thanks -- sorry if the answer is obvious.

Copy the entire itunes folder.

Similar Messages

  • Transferring iTunes Library from old Macbook to a new Retina MacBook Pro

    Hi,
    I had a mid-2010 white Macbook which was running Mavericks. It was running iTunes 12 and the entire 'iTunes folder' is about 37GB.
    I have recently got a new Macbook Pro which is running Yosemite. I backed up the whole Macbook using Carbon Copy Cloner so I have now all my data on an external USB hard disk.
    I read and was under the impression that if I copied the 'iTunes' folder from inside my user directory from my external disk, into the exact same location on my new computer, i.e. inside the user's music folder and I made sure the path was correct in the iTunes settings that when I opened iTunes on the new computer it would work exactly as it did on my computer.
    However, this isn't the case and it doesn't seem to work. Can any help and advise if I'm missing something please? I'm desperate to get my iTunes library copied over and can't figure out!
    Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance....
    Tom

    It has nothing to do with the path set in preferences.  That only tells iTunes where to store media in the future and does not "point" to a library.  Don't touch preferences settings.
    If you have been using iTunes default preferences then putting the iTunes folder where I believe you said you put it should work automatically.  Basically replace the empty iTunes folder on your new computer with the one you are moving.
    No matter, start iTunes while holding down the option/alt key.  Select a library and guide it to the iTunes folder you wish to use, or even more specifically, the .itl file in the folder you wish to use..

  • Transfering itune library  from 10.4 ppc to new imac

    help would be appreciated.
    tia

    Copy the iTunes folder and all its contents from where it currently resides in the Music/Media folder to exactly the same place on the new computer. Do this with a hard drive, or put the old computer in Target Disk Mode, start up the new computer and connect them with a Firewire cable. You can also copy files with Home Sharing but I don't think this will copy the whole thing along with structure.
    [iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Music folder|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449] - Apple support document, outlining a process that may be a bit more involved than is necessary for most.
    If you haven't done a lot of personal configuring of how iTunes manages your media you can go with the simple version here:
    [http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11201928#11201928]
    [How to use FireWire target disk mode|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661] includes description of hardware and software requirements.
    iTunes Home Sharing - [http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3819] - for using media files on, and moving media files to, other computers.

  • How can I do to transfer all iTunes library from my Mac book Pro to Time capsule without to lost the alphabetic sequence of songs

    How can I do to transfer all iTunes library from my Mac book Pro to Time capsule without to lost the alphabetic sequence of songs & artists? What is the correct way to transfer my 3000 songs to Time capsule, to free the memory of my Mac? Thanks a lot. Carlo Molinari (Rome - Italy)

    How can I do to transfer all iTunes library from my Mac book Pro to Time capsule without to lost the alphabetic sequence of songs & artists? What is the correct way to transfer my 3000 songs to Time capsule, to free the memory of my Mac?
    The following are the basic steps to transfer your iTunes Media folder from your MacBook Pro to the Time Capsule (TC). Note: You will leave the iTunes Library, and its associated files, on the MacBook Pro as you will only be moving the media files.
    Be sure to shutdown iTunes before starting.
    Next, move the "iTunes Music" folder, located in ~/Music/iTunes/, to wherever you want on your TC's internal hard drive. Remember to leave the Album Artwork folder, as well as the three individual library files where they are on the MacBook Pro.
    Wait a while. If you have a large library, this will take a bit of time.
    Once the iTunes Media folder has been transferred, open iTunes. Note: It will still be looking at your local iTunes Library on the MBP. As such it will think that the iTunes Media folder is still on the MBP as well. However, we just relocated it to the TC. If you attempt to select any song, you will get an error that the song is "missing." Not to worry, we will correct this in the next step.
    We need to tell iTunes the media has moved to the TC's internal HDD. To change where iTunes "looks" for the media, open iTunes and go to the Advanced > General tab and use the "Change..." button to tell it where your new "iTunes Music" library is located.
    Once this is done iTunes will likely pop up a progress window telling you that it's re-analyzing your library. Let it complete this step.
    As a final check to make sure everything when as planned, click on any library file from within iTunes and press cmd + i (or View > Get Info). At the bottom of the Summary tab in that window is a "Where:" section that tells you the actual file path to that piece of media; be sure that path begins with the name of your TC's drive, and not "Macintosh HD."

  • I transferred itunes library from old PC to new PC. The content all shows when I launch iTunes on the new PC now. The previous content does not show in iTunes but folder still looks like it is on hard drive on new PC. Suggestions on how to properly merge?

    I transferred itunes library from old PC to new PC. The content all shows when I launch iTunes on the new PC now. The previous content does not show in iTunes but folder still looks like it is on hard drive on new PC. Suggestions on how to properly merge?

    Before you connect any device to a new library go to the Devices tab of the the preferences panel via Edit > Preferences (Windows) or iTunes > Preferences (Mac) and ensure the box next to Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically is ticked. You can now safely connect the device to your computer without the danger of media being automatically deleted or overwritten.
    To get all your content off your connect your iPad to your new computer.
    Then use a 3rd party piece of software to transfer your content
    I have found Senuti useful but there are others listed in the article I linked to in a previous post.
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991
    That will let you transfer your non purchased content
    For Purchased content log in to iTunes on the new computer
    In Itunes Store click on Purchased under the Quick Links section on the right.
    Download any music by clicking on the cloud button

  • Transferred itunes library from Windows XP PC to new Windows 7 PC. plugged in 3rd gen Ipod. Ipod icon appears along with playlists, music etc. Songs are grayed out and won't play. Please help!

    I recently transferred itunes library from windows XP PC to new Windows 7 PC. The transfer was successful, however when I plug my 3rd gen Ipod Nano into the new PC, the Ipod icon appears along with the music, playlists, etc. The songs are shown but are 'grayed out' and wont play or sync.The 'Devices & Printers' window in new PC shows icon for Ipod driver & is OK. The icon for the Ipod appears but depicts a delta shaped warning icon that states that the Ipod is'not operating properly'. Tried troubleshooting. The troubleshooting message states the the Ipod is 'disconnecting'. Can you help me with this problem?        

    Then, I dropped the entire itunes file from the old PC (XP) into an empty external drive.
    That "itunes file from the old PC"?  Is that the iTunes folder, from the old PC, that was in the user home folder's Music folder?
    All of the library, playlists, etc. from the ipod as they always have been are shown, by they are 'grayed out' and will not open or play.
    That's on the iPod, correct?  Are all of your old playlists in iTunes, from the old PC, still there in iTunes on the new PC?  Are the songs in iTunes still playable?
    This document provides the steps to transfer a complete iTunes library between two computers.  See the section called External drive.
    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer - Apple Support
    There are many steps, but this is a summary.  (1) On the old PC, consolidate all of your iTunes data into the iTunes folder.  (2) Copy this iTunes folder to the external drive.  (3) On the new PC (that has iTunes installed but NOT running), replace its existing iTunes folder with the one from the old PC (on the external drive).  When you run iTunes, it uses the iTunes folder from the old PC, and it should look like iTunes on the old PC (with all the playlists, ratings, play count, etc.), and your iPod will see the iTunes library as the same iTunes library (because it is the same library).
    If you did something different, and the old PC is still accessible, you may want to try it using the method from the linked document.

  • HT4527 I'm transferring my iTunes library from a PC to my new iMac via home sharing.  I've followed all of the steps to "import" my library but the "import" button is greyed out.  Any suggestions?

    I'm transferring my iTunes library from a PC to my new iMac via home sharing.  I've followed all of the steps to "import" my library but the "import" button is greyed out.  Any suggestions?

    There is no need to import anything or use Home Sharing.
    Copy the ENTIRE iTunes folder from the old computer to the new computer, everything will be exactly as it was.

  • Can I transfer my itunes library from my ipod to my new imac?  If so how is it done?

    Can I transfer my itunes library from my ipod to my new imac?  If so how is it done?

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    Of course. The best would be to transfer the iTunes library from your old Mac or PC to the new Mac, so you will keep everything and you won't have to use any third-party app.
    Anyway, if you don't have access to the old PC or Mac, you can transfer songs from the iPod to your Mac. If you purchased all the songs on the iTunes Store, just open iTunes, connect the iPod and transfer the songs. If you are using an iPod touch, you will lose everything if you sync it with iTunes on the new iMac.
    Another method is to use an app like Senuti to transfer the songs to iTunes, being a safer way to transfer them if you aren't sure that you will lose your songs

  • I'm moving to an imac from a PC. I want to move my itunes library from the PC to my new imac. What is the best method and where can I find instructions?

    I'm moving to an imac from a PC. I want to move my itunes library from the PC to my new imac. What is the best method and where can I find instructions?

    Move iTunes from PC to MAC, http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/move_itunes_windows_mac.html

  • Need help transferring itunes library from old computer to new laptop

    Hello,
    I recently purchased a new laptop and am having trouble getting my library to transfer to my new laptop, i followed this step by step process http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329?viewlocale=en_US and in the end ended up with no music on my ipod and no music in the itunes library on my new computer...
    So then i went into Itunes on the new computer and clicked import library under File, so i found the Music folder that i had transferred over and it imported the music but all my playlist were not there, just songs. So i ended up syncing my ipod back to my old computer so i would get all the songs and playlist back on as it was originally before this whole process...
    My desktop runs XP while my new laptop runs Vista Ultimate w/ SP1 home edition, dont know if this matters...
    So not sure where i should go from here, i have already Authorized my laptop with the itunes store , i was thinking of uninstalling Itunes on my laptop and starting over from scratch, will this help?
    BTW when i did the original transfer i used my Ipod as the hard drive as it had plenty of storage room left on it, i do have access to a 250GB external HD i was thinking of using that and trying that to transfer the library...
    So if anyone can tell me how to transfer my Itunes library from old comp to new laptop it would be greatly appreciated...

    The method you used should work if followed exactly.
    The key points are - is your music all together? It must all be in the iTunes Music folder in the iTunes folder.
    When you copy the iTunes folder to the iPod you get the library database with your playlists and the iTunes Music folder containing the music files.
    Since you had trouble doing this with the iPod, why not try copying your iTunes folder to the external drive.
    The method is identical the one for the iPod except you leave out the iPod specific stuff.
    You install iTunes on the new PC, then you drag the newly created iTunes folder out the Music folder to the desktop, then you copy the iTunes folder from the EHD into Music, replacing the one you dragged out.
    When you have done that, you need to check that your account has full control of your iTunes folder - Vista is fussy about that - you will not be able to edit track info if you don't have full control.
    Vista file folder permissions help
    http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/2464a180-e5dc-45d1-a2b8-3c8a 2b571e9d1033.mspx
    http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/05/25/how-to-take-ownership-and-grant-permiss ions-in-windows-vista/

  • What's the easiest way of transferring documents, photos and iTunes library from my Mac Air to my iMac?

    I have just bought a 27" iMac (mid 2011) and want to transfer my douments, photos and iTunes library from my Mac Air 1,1.
    Can someone please advise the best and easiest way of transferring the data?
    Cheers, Mark

    See Pondini's Setup New Mac guide.

  • How to import itunes library from a mac book pro to a new mac air?

    How do I go about accessing my itunes library from a new mac air?
    CD's and downloads were originally used to create my library on a mac book pro. Can I now access this on my new mac air?

    If there is space on the Air, you can use Migration Assistant to transfer the data. (Go into Applications/Utilities, and run Migration Assistant from there - it will tell you what options you have for data transfer). If you wish to keep both laptops, you might look at using iTunes Match, which will make all your music available on the Air but not necessarily download it.
    Matt

  • Transfering itunes library from old computer to new using ipod

    I'm transfering my library from an old computer to a new one using my 5th gen ipod. but when everything is transfered onto the ipod the storage space only shows "other" space is used, no music or video space. And after its transfered to the new computer, nothing shows in Itunes but i can see some file info if i go into the itunes file in "my computer".

    Hi mbw34,
    Are using disk mode? Probably yes.
    Well, do this:
    First disable disk use, unchecking the box "Enable Disk Use". The sync all your library using the "normal" mode.
    Connect the iPod to the new computer and message will appear, informing that the iPod is synced with a different computer.
    To continue, please read this article on my website.
    Hope this helps!
    !http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/122/A57996D55BE7ABB4A67DE686D381A27 4.png!

  • Transferring iPhoto Library from old Mac to new Mac

    I'm trying to transfer my iPhoto library from my old mac to my new MacBook Air.  My old mac (black macbook purchased July 2008 - MacBook4,1) is running OS 10.5.8 and the OS can't be upgraded.  My iPhoto (ver 7.1.5) library needs to be prepared using the iPhoto Library Upgrader tool in order to transfer the library, but my OS doesn't support the program.  It says the upgrader tool 1.1 requires OS X version 10.6.8 or later.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks!   

    Connect the two Macs together (network, firewire target mode, etc)  or use an external hard drive formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity from the old Mac to the pictures folder of the new Mac -  download and run the iPhoto library upgrader (it installs in the utilities folder of your Applications folder - double click it to run it), launch iPhoto on the new mac and it will open the library and convert it as needed and you will be ready move forward.
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  • Transfer iTunes Library from old PC to a new MBP

    My daughter purchased a new MBP recently. What is the easiest way to transfer her iTunes library from her old PC to the new MBP? Can she do this simply by syncing her iphone with the new computer?

    The easiest way is to have the Apple Store do it.
    You can also call Apple support and they will wlak you through it.
    You can also type "move itunes library from pc to mac" into the google search bar.
    "Can she do this simply by syncing her iphone with the new computer?"
    No.  It will erase the iphone if you sync it to a blank computer.  The iphone is not a storage/backup device.

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