Can Macs see media libraries on other Macs?

[DHKaplan]

I'm running Sonoma 14.4.1 on an iMac-M3. I have home sharing set up for music, and can see the library on my iPhone. However, I can't see the library on a MacBook Pro M2 Max also running 14.4.1. Can Macs see media libraries on other Macs?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Well.... yes, you can share libraries from Macs or Windows. This article shows how.

What's a bit confusing to me, though, is that you CAN'T see libraries from iOS - at least, without the phone plugged into the computer. Are you sure you're seeing "the library on [your] iPhone" and not the library on the other Mac?

 

[DHKaplan]

@FreakinEurekan Thanks, but now you've got me confused. I specifically DO see the iMac Music library on my iPhone as an option... attached is a phone screen print. However on a Mac I do not see any library option that I can connect to.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Yes that’s normal - iPhones can see any participating computer library. But nothing sees an iOS/iPadOS library but that device. iOS/iPadOS libraries are not shared.

 

[DHKaplan]

I guess I’m not making myself clear. Can a Mac see a library on another Mac??

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I guess I’m not making myself clear. Can a Mac see a library on another Mac??

Yes - follow the steps in the article and that should work fine as long as you're not using Apple Music or iTunes Match (in which case, the library would transfer via iCloud instead)

 

[DHKaplan]

I dunno. My home server iMac-M3 and my MacBook Pro M2Pro are on the same wif-fi network and the same Apple ID. The Music app on my M3 is up and running. I don't see any libraries when I look on the M2 Pro...

 

[McScooby]

From MacOS & website Help, https://support.apple.com/en-gb/108958;

Share your library with other computers​

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu
   
   > System Settings, click General
   
   in the sidebar, then click Sharing on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
   Open Sharing settings for me
2. Next to Media Sharing, click the Info button
   
   , select “Share media with guests”, then click Options.
3. To require users to enter a password before your shared items appear, select Require Password, then enter a password.
4. Select the playlists you want to share, or select “All songs, movies and TV shows”.
5. Click OK, then click Done.

You can share radio station links and certain audio files (MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAVand AAC).


Have you signed into the MBP with the home sharing a/c (not necessarily the same as your Apple ID if you have 2)?

 

[DHKaplan]

No joy @McScooby

1. I already had media sharing on.
2. I did not have it enabled, but I did now enable Share media with guests
3. No password necessary
4. All songs, movies and TV shows selected
5. OK and Done clicked.

Both the MBP and iMac are on the same Apple ID for home sharing

Similar problems with the same setup on an iMac M1 trying to see the M3 library.

Thanks for replying

 

[McScooby]

No joy @McScooby

1. I already had media sharing on.
2. I did not have it enabled, but I did now enable Share media with guests
3. No password necessary
4. All songs, movies and TV shows selected
5. OK and Done clicked.

Both the MBP and iMac are on the same Apple ID for home sharing

Similar problems with the same setup on an iMac M1 trying to see the M3 library.

Thanks for replying

IIRC you don’t see the shared library in the normal album view like you’ve clicked, I think it pops up in the sidebar with the computer name & a chevron you expand to see the whole library on the other machine. I’ll look about & edit if I find it.

There should be a chevron (triangle) you click on library in the side bar on the target machine which expands, you pick the other computer name there & see all playlists etc from the other machine

Import media using Home Sharing in Music on Mac

In Music on Mac, import songs and music videos from other music libraries on other computers by using Home Sharing.

support.apple.com