Comments on: How to Move iTunes Music Library to Another Computer

By: Sabirjan

Sabirjan — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:06:27 +0000

I have an external drive for backups. What if I copy the whole itunes folder there? Can I use it if my library corupts and will it be usable if I transfer it to another computer?

By: Markus

Markus — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:17:09 +0000

For ratings preservation just select all 5 star songs and go to info, type 5-star in the “grouping” field and do this for all the 4-1 star songs and when you import, just sort them this way and re-rate them.

By: Jilles

Jilles — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:34:31 +0000

I’m not sure what the fuss is about. I just mount the other Mac’s drive on the target machine and run:

rsync -avz /Volumes/ojilles/Music/iTunes/i* ~/Music/iTunes/

(Assuming your username is ojilles and you’re currently logged as such on the target Mac)

When the command is finished, run iTunes and done!

By: How do you organize your music files? - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:11:48 +0000

[...] HOWTO: Move your iTunes music while preserving library data (when you don’t let iTunes manage your music library) — HiFi Blog Transfer Your iTunes Library from One Computer to Another : kadavy.net [...]

By: bonzi

bonzi — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 08:11:45 +0000

” The “brilliant Apple brainwashing” has simplified what was a relatively complex process so consumers can get a grip on it. This is a separate debate, but while this might not be the best way for you or I, it’s how capitalism works, and that’s why Apple makes money.”

I agree, to a certain extent: I *am* using iPod (I have *two* 160GB Classics, actually; bought another one used as a spare after they discontinued the model), despite being perfectly aware of its shortcomings; I am still searching for a good iTunes replacement (MediaMonkey is the candidate currently under investigation).

BTW, iTunes (the app, not store) is another rant topic: some good ideas, some glaring omissions, and terrible implementation (at least on Windows). I doubt that memory management, multithreading, GUI event handling etc are so different under Mac OSX and Windows (OSX is probably better in most of these, but not *that* better), but it feels as if iTunes was its developers’ first complex application.

And yet, as I said, I use both, and there is no sign that Apple is trying to improve them. Rio line is dead now; they could steal or buy their ideas now. They even have the guy behind Karma (and before that Rio Car a.k.a. empeg) on board, and it doesn’t show. You are right: that’s how capitalism (at its worst) works….

By: kadavy

kadavy — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:07:02 +0000

@bonzi, the “not doing much good” advice is simplified. The commenter is admittedly “not tech-savvy,” and appears to have purchased all of the music on the iPod from the iTunes store. The “brilliant Apple brainwashing” has simplified what was a relatively complex process so consumers can get a grip on it. This is a separate debate, but while this might not be the best way for you or I, it’s how capitalism works, and that’s why Apple makes money.

@retro, I (falsely) remembered that one could easily re-download their iTunes library. You’re right, it’s not easy. But, it has been done: http://lifehacker.com/software/itunes/redownload-your-lost-itunes-music-176323.php

By: retro

retro — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:38:16 +0000

Oh come on ! You can not redownload songs from iTunes. Well not if you not prepared to pay for it again. My flat got burgled and iPod touch with about 1000 songs from iTune store was stolen. I was not given a chance to download them again.

By: bonzi

bonzi — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:56:16 +0000

Thanks to everybody for good (and not so good*) advice.

One has to give Apple this: they are even better than Microsoft in marketing!

It is unbelievable that version 8 of supposedly excellent media library software doesn’t simply and natively support such a essential operation as migration to a new computer. Or that #1 portable player doesn’t support adding the selection to the current running order, either after the current tune or at the end (no, on-the-go playlist is a *not* substitute for that functionality). Or that neither support hierarchical playlists. I wanted to go on with the rant endlessly, but what’s the use? After Apple’s slick marketing coupled with idiots in the press drove from the market products that were actually usable (like those from Rio), there is nothing left but this sorry excuse for the real thing.

*) “Your son’s iPod isn’t going to do much good without access to a computer with a modern internet connection. Sure, he’ll be able to play the songs that are on the iPod, but adding new ones from the iTunes store will be impossible.”

My 160GB iPod Classic is choke full, without a single tune from iTunes store, or a single .aac file. I have MP3s ripped from my 1000+ physical CDs, about 10GB of samplers I bought from mp3.com (while it was still worth the visit), 15GB of samples from South by South-West festivals, MP3s from other online stores…. The idea that iTunes store is the only source of portable music is one more result of brilliant Apple brainwashing.

By: kadavy

kadavy — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:16:23 +0000

Franklin. It’s too bad you only have dial-up, because you could just download iTunes onto your home computer, sign in to your iTunes account, and re-download all of the songs onto your hard drive (and then sync with your iPod – oh, and I’m assuming you bought all of the songs from the iTunes store). Maybe at your new work you can do this? If I were you, I would just get a decent internet connection!

Your son’s iPod isn’t going to do much good without access to a computer with a modern internet connection. Sure, he’ll be able to play the songs that are on the iPod, but adding new ones from the iTunes store will be impossible.

But, if you really want to transfer all of the songs in your iTunes library, you are going to need a flash drive that can hold all of the songs, so you can get them home.

By: Franklin

Franklin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:36:43 +0000

Can anyone help me? I’m basically technically computer illiterate. My problem — I downloaded iTunes here at work on my harddrive just before Christmas (for my son’s present) and have purchased about 125 songs since then for his iPod.

My dilema: I’ve got a new job and will be leaving this office next week. Unfortunately, the reason I used the computer at work was the fact that we only have “dial up” internet at home and highspeed at work. Now that I am leaving, I hate to lose all of the songs I have downloaded. I tried downloading itunes at home the other night, so I could possibly download the songs at work to a flashdrive and take then home to restore. However, with dial-up, after several hours of trying to install iTunes, it kicked me out.

Last night, I backed up the iTunesSetup.exe file from work onto the flash drive and went home and installed it on my computer (don’t know if that was done right???). The icons popped up okay and some of the songs also (I was able to download about 5 songs on the flashdrive before it became full. However, I could get no volume on the songs when trying to play them at home. From what I am reading on this website, people talking about “changing the path”, “searching file names”, “redirecting files”…..I guess basically I am completely computer ignorant. Is there an easy way out of my problem????