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iPod Buying an iTune from the wrong Mac

Doctor Q

Doctor Q

Administrator
Original poster
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
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9,406
Los Angeles
I have two Macs, which I'll call Mac1 and Mac2. I want to a buy an iTune for one of them using the other one.

Mac1 uses an Apple ID of ID1 and has its own iTunes library. ID1 is authorized only for Mac1.

Mac2 uses an Apple ID of ID2 and has its own iTunes library. ID2 is authorized only for Mac2.

Because Mac2 (temporarily) does not have Internet access, I want to buy a tune for Mac2, but using the iTunes Store from Mac1.

Can I do it following these steps?
  1. On Mac1 in iTunes, log into the iTunes Store using ID2.
  2. On Mac1 in iTunes, buy and download the song.
  3. On Mac1 in iTunes, use "Show in Finder" to open the folder containing the song in the iTunes Library.
  4. In the Finder, manually copy the song file to Mac2's desktop.
  5. On Mac2 in iTunes, import the song from the desktop into the iTunes Library.
  6. On Mac1 in iTunes, delete the song from the iTunes library.
Will the end result be just as if I had purchased it from Mac1?

Do I need to add steps to authorize Mac1 for ID2 and then deauthorize it afterwards, even though I don't want to play the song on Mac1?

Is there a better/easier way to do this other than waiting until Internet access is restored?
 
The permissions follow the ID used to buy the song. So yes, you can temporarily authorize yourself on Mac1 to buy and test the track, and that track will from then on play on any machine you've authorized under that ID. Mac2 is already auth'd for that ID, so you shouldn't have to do anything more than copy the purchased track over.

You can deauth Mac1 at any time after you've made sure the download is good, it won't harm the purchased track even if you do that before you copy it over to Mac2.

The stuff about identifying the computer is only used by Apple to limit the number of machines you have assigned to each account, the tracks themselves don't care about that.

(Things do get more complicated if you are using different iTunes versions on each machine, then iTunes likes to phone home.)
 
Doctor Q said:
Thanks, iMeowbot.

And if I don't bother to authorize it, I can still purchase it, just not play it?
Click to expand...

That would be all right, the file as sent is already signed for your account. iTunes may want to nag you to auth anyway, I think that's tied to the "play on download" option in the iTunes prefs.

[ edit: I should add, about that phone home deal I mentioned earlier, that the track would be fine but may not want to play until the "right" computer gets its network connection back. ]
 
OK, now I'll add more more fact: Mac1 already has a purchased copy of the very same tune I'm trying to buy for Mac2.

Will I have trouble?
 
Everything's got to be tricky, huh? :D

I wasn't exactly sure what would happen either, so I just tried an experiment, using one of this week's freebie tracks. First I downloaded it using my usual iTunes account.

Then, I added a new iTunes account using my AOL account (finally found a use for it!). This step automatically authorized this Mac for the AOL account, so you will probably need to deauthorize once you're done making your purchase.

Anyway, the store let me download the track again under the new account, and both copies are now sitting in my iTunes library. To tell the tracks apart, get info and look for the Account field under the Summary tab.

I can auth and deauth each account, and iTunes does know what copy I'm allowed to play, so everything made it through intact.
 
Sesshi said:
Why not just burn it out to CD and re-rip it?
Click to expand...
My preference is to live with DRM rather than have slightly lesser audio quality.

Sorry, iMeowbot, but I can't think of any more complications to throw at you. Perhaps I should make up something, e.g., say that I have to transport the music between systems on floppy disks. :D
 
iPhil said:
Hey Q: you trying transport the song via 3.5" floppy or 5.25" floppy disk? :p :D
Click to expand...
Neither. It's one of those handy 8" ones that can't accidentally fall out of your shirt pocket. ;)

180px-Floppy_disk8inch.jpg
 
Doctor Q said:
My preference is to live with DRM rather than have slightly lesser audio quality.

Sorry, iMeowbot, but I can't think of any more complications to throw at you. Perhaps I should make up something, e.g., say that I have to transport the music between systems on floppy disks. :D
Click to expand...


Awwww come on, it's 128K AAC. Writing it out and re-ripping it as a 160-192K AAC isn't going to do anything appreciable to the sound quality. If you're that concerned about SQ why even buy from ITMS in the first place? :p
 
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