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Character Zero

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
94
79
I put my iTunes library on a NAS about 6 months ago. This was good because my wife and I could share the same music. It was fine when I first started. When I added a CD or music through one computer, I would then have to go over to the other computer and add it to its library. The XML database file can't be shared if you want to be listening to music at the same time (I tried). So this past week, I had a "duh" moment and started importing all my CDs. I am not sure whyI hadn't done that sooner. So now I had about 150 more CDs in my computer but my wife's was not updated. So I figured I could just to a massive "add to library" and choose the "iTunes Music" folder. When it was done, what I had feared had happened. It made duplicates of all my files in her library (I think of albums she already had in there, if she didn't have the album it just created it). It didn't make new copies (i.e. the size of the music folder stayed the same) but in her library it would have the same track name twice, but pointing to the same file.

I am wondering if there is a better way of updating her library in the future. I still have about 120 more CDs to go, and right now the only solution I can see is keep track of what I import and selectively "add to library" on her computer, which will be a bit tedious.

I was hoping that "add to library" would see the files already there and not add them again. Just to give as much info as I can I have "Keep library organized" checked and "copy to folder" unchecked. I figure I don't need to copy a file already there.

Anyone have any experience in this?
 

shecky

Guest
May 24, 2003
2,580
5
Obviously you're not a golfer.
i am kind of tired so my brain is not fully function, so i may be missing this in what you said above, but advanced - consolidate library will automatically copy all songs in your library no matter where they live into your itunes music folder
 

Character Zero

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
94
79
I have all my music for now on the NAS. Thats not the issue. There is no music on either computer, just the library XML file. The problem is, for example, using computer 1 I import 10 CDs. These Cds import correctly to the external drive and are added to computer 1's library. Now I open computer 2 and it does not contain these 10 Cds (but other music I have added previously). So to get th 10 Cds in Computer 2's library, I have to "Add to library". If I chose the entire iTunes Music folder, i will get duplicate track listings for music I already had in the library (but the dupe tracks point to the same file). The other option is to, one by one, add the 10 CDs. I would rather just have a "catch all" type solution, where I could import 100 (a lot) of Cds on computer 1 and then add them to computer 2 without dupes and with the least number of clicks.
 

shecky

Guest
May 24, 2003
2,580
5
Obviously you're not a golfer.
i see...

is there an issue with keeping the playlist/library XML files on the NAS? in other words let the entire itunes installation live on the NAS; that way wherever you import anything both you + your wife's itunes will reflect it.
 

Character Zero

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
94
79
Nope no good. Only one computer can access the XML file at a time in that scenario. I think its because when you play a file it will update the playcount so only one computer can control the file if its being shared. I tried it and I played song on my computer and then tried to open iTunes on computer 2 and it said the file was locked or in use or something. So the library XML files have to be local on the computers.
 

shecky

Guest
May 24, 2003
2,580
5
Obviously you're not a golfer.
hmmmmmmmmmmm. well, i have no more ideas. it sounds like you need an iTunes server, as opposed to just regular itunes on a shared box. not sure of that exists.

something that could be done is use the "share my music" option.

in otherwords, let itunes live tottally on the NAS, allow for sharing on it, and then you and your wife each opens your own itunes, and rather than viewing the music natively in the program, you view it as "shared music"

http://www.forty4.com/2006/09/set-up-your-own-itunes-server.html
 

Character Zero

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
94
79
Yeah I saw somewhere that I might be able to run an iTunes server on hack firmware of the NAS. I will just add the Cds one by one. Not that big of a deal, and once its done, its done.
 

rockstarjoe

macrumors 6502a
Jun 2, 2006
875
76
washington dc
I don't see the problem here? Just import the CDs on computer 1, then go to Computer 2, make sure "Copy files when adding to library is unchecked", browse to the music on the NAS, sort by date to get the new stuff, highlight the new CDs, drag and drop onto iTunes. The only time you will run into a problem is when you have a CD by an artist that you have previously imported. In that case you will have to drill into the artist folder to get the specific new albums you have added rather than grabbing the whole artist folder. Hope that helps.
 

Character Zero

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
94
79
Yeah, its going to be a mix of new artists and artist with folder already in the library. It snot a big deal to add each CD by itself, I just wish I could just add the whole iTunes folder and it would see that I already had the album. Thanks for your help anyway.
 

GaryFLA

macrumors newbie
Mar 29, 2007
2
0
I'm just throwing this out, because I don't really know, but I'm interested in doing the same thing as far as a NAS.

Why can't, after you do your imports on Computer 1, go to Computer 2, just highlight and erase the library (won't this just erase the XML or reference, not the actual content from the NAS), then do a complete "add to library" so you wont have dupe entries??

Why type of NAS are you using?
 

Character Zero

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
94
79
My original response would have been "but my computer 2 might have music not in computer 1 's library", but that makes no sense now that I think about it. If all my music is on the external drive then, well, all my music is on the ecternal drive. The only thing is computer 2 is showing 3 more albums than computer 1 right now. I will have to figure that one out and then maybe reload the library.

I am using a SimpleTech Simpeshare drive. I am liking it so far.
 

trickytrev

macrumors newbie
Jan 4, 2008
10
0
Australia
Hi,
I use the same setup as you (NAS storage + multiple itunes clients).

You can do it 3 ways:

1. manage the itunes library with the xml on Computer 1 and files on the NAS, and "share the iTunes library" on Computer 1. You will see Computer 1's library (read only) as blue in Computer 2's iTunes.

2. without sharing computer 1's library, consider something like: syncOtunes

3. iTunes server on the NAS (i haven't tried this yet, although my NAS (Netgear ReadyNAS supports it).

Hope that helps!!
Trev
 

notjustjay

macrumors 603
Sep 19, 2003
6,056
167
Canada, eh?
Wow, thread resurrection!

As long as it's alive again, I'd like to add that I now use a D-Link DNS-323 NAS box which has built-in iTunes sharing. I just copy folders of MP3's onto the NAS drive, and iTunes on my computer sees the files and plays them.

The one thing I haven't tried is iTunes store bought music or movies. I don't know how well (if at all) they work.
 
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