Accessing the same iTunes Library on 2 computers at the same time

[Yelmurc]

I currently have a external hard drive on my wireless network and when I point two computers to the itunes library on that hard drive at the same time the second computer says the library is locked or I don't have permission to access the file. If I close the library on the first computer I can access the library just fine on the second. Any suggestions or how to get around this?

 

[Zyniker]

Just create a second library. Hold option and click on iTunes (to open it).

 

[Yelmurc]

I don't want a second library I want to use a master library.

 

[ezl]

In case you haven't figured it out yet...

I currently have a external hard drive on my wireless network and when I point two computers to the itunes library on that hard drive at the same time the second computer says the library is locked or I don't have permission to access the file. If I close the library on the first computer I can access the library just fine on the second. Any suggestions or how to get around this?

Yes - if you only access the library from one computer at a time it works fine. I have the same set up as you and don't have any issues. It a little clunky though - if anyone has a more elegant solution please post...

 

[old-wiz]

iTunes requires write access to the library in order to update playcounts as well as to add new purchases. Imagine what would happen if you somehow managed to get both computers to have write access at the same time: computer 1 logs on, the computer 2 logs on. Now you have two computers both with write access to the library. Computer one adds data to the library and writes the data back. Computer 2 will not see the changes and will go ahead and write something else back. This is a guaranteed way to result in a horrible corruption of the library.

 

[gnasher729]

I currently have a external hard drive on my wireless network and when I point two computers to the itunes library on that hard drive at the same time the second computer says the library is locked or I don't have permission to access the file. If I close the library on the first computer I can access the library just fine on the second. Any suggestions or how to get around this?

If one of your computers is always connected then you can access the library from that computer, and then share that library with the other computer.

 

[surfkw]

any good solution?

I also have my 'video' library attached and shared from my time capsule. We have two laptops and want to both be able to access the same library. Sometimes it works, if one person closes the library the other can access it, but sometimes both of us are locked out?

Is there an option to give one user read-only access so we can both access it at the same time?