Backup itunes media folder

[Tech198]

Hi all..

I have 2TB hard dive i wish to make backups of my iTunes library.. However i wish to automate this, since i may forget, or manually copy stuff over when adding/changing anything in iTunes library.

What's your thoughts on this ? 3rd-party software, or could Automater do this ?

My thinking is, since automatic, then their could be cause for issues there, but its a trade-off.

 

[canman4PM]

Hi all..

I have 2TB hard dive i wish to make backups of my iTunes library.. However i wish to automate this, since i may forget, or manually copy stuff over when adding/changing anything in iTunes library.

What's your thoughts on this ? 3rd-party software, or could Automater do this ?

My thinking is, since automatic, then their could be cause for issues there, but its a trade-off.

Well, I have my iTunes library backed up 2 ways: for $25 per year I subscribe to iTunes Match; and via local external drive using Time Machine, which is built it to OSX. Both are fully automatic. As soon as I rip a new disc, it shows up in my library and is backed up by both systems just as fast.

 

[Tech198]

ok, thanks but iTunes Match wouldn't help me since i only have movies in my iTunes library.

iTunes Match i think is only for Music.

Time Machine seems good, but it backs-up the entire OS as well (which would be a waste of HD space.)... I only want to automatically backup the "itunes" folder..

Basically, anything i stick in the "itunes" folder/delete/change will be backed-up, kind of like a "hot-folder'

 

[lesferdinand]

I haven't tried it myself and it may be a bit of work, but you can restrict which folders Time Machine backs up. So I assume you could configure it in such a way that it only backs up your iTunes library.

This would be a periodic back-up, syncing incremental updates every hour or so, not an immediate back-up as soon as you add stuff to your library. But it's relatively hassle-free, using standard system software with no scripting necessary.

 

[flynz4]

Hi all..

I have 2TB hard dive i wish to make backups of my iTunes library.. However i wish to automate this, since i may forget, or manually copy stuff over when adding/changing anything in iTunes library.

What's your thoughts on this ? 3rd-party software, or could Automater do this ?

My thinking is, since automatic, then their could be cause for issues there, but its a trade-off.

I personally use Carbon Copy Cloner to make a clone of all my media (Photos, Videos, Music) nightly. I have a 3TB drive attached to my iMac as the clone destination, and this clone runs every night at 3am.

I also have everything double backed up to Time Machine, and to Crashplan. Unlike a the clone, these two are true backups (including history).

Both clones and backups provide two different purposes (admittedly, with some overlap).

/Jim

 

[Alrescha]

Hi all..

I have 2TB hard dive i wish to make backups of my iTunes library.. However i wish to automate this, since i may forget, or manually copy stuff over when adding/changing anything in iTunes library.

You do not have to buy more software to do this. For example, in Terminal:

rsync -av /Users/you/Music/iTunes /Volumes/yourbackupdisk

Will copy your entire iTunes folder to your backup disk. On subsequent invocations it will copy over only the changed/added files.

A.

 

[jdechko]

flynz4 mentioned Crashplan for backups. Crashplan can also has the ability to create "backup sets" that allow you to back up specific folders to different destinations.

The result is automatic backups of your iTunes Media folder to an external drive.