For Those Who Have Migrated iTunes To External Drive .....

[christurbo]

I am going to migrate iTunes from my MBA to an external drive on my LAN.

This will work well at home allowing me to create a database as large as I want. However...

What do you guys do when you want to listen some tunes or watch some movies whilst out and about?

I would rarely need to do this and would probably use an iPad for that task however I would like to know if anyone uses their laptops in this config.

Many thanks

 

[GGJstudios]

Since it won't all fit on my internal drive, I have my iTunes library split between my internal drive and an external drive. That way, I can keep my favorite music with me on the road, and still have the complete library when I'm on the network.

How to split a single iTunes library over two media locations

 

[christurbo]

Great reply, so basically manually copy your new album folder to the correct location [albeit internal or external] then drag into iTunes?

What if you already have all of your iTunes library all setup on one drive, how do I revert to your way of doing things by moving nearly all of my library but leaving just my favourites?

 

[christurbo]

I found out myself.

Deselect the following options:

Then from there on in copy your album into the desired folder on the desired drive and drag into iTunes. When moved it automatically updates the file path.

Fantastic, thanks for your help.

 

[steviec]

I am going to migrate iTunes from my MBA to an external drive on my LAN.

This will work well at home allowing me to create a database as large as I want. However...

What do you guys do when you want to listen some tunes or watch some movies whilst out and about?

I would rarely need to do this and would probably use an iPad for that task however I would like to know if anyone uses their laptops in this config.

Many thanks

iCloud?

 

[GGJstudios]

I found out myself.
Deselect the following options:

Yes, exactly.

Then from there on in copy your album into the desired folder on the desired drive and drag into iTunes. When moved it automatically updates the file path.

There's a bit more to consider here.

First, there's your iTunes library file, which is typically in a path like:

~/Music/iTunes Libraries/iTunes Mac/iTunes Library.xml
​

I recommend you leave that located where it is, on your internal drive. Here's why: If you put your library file on the external and the external isn't mounted at the time you launch iTunes, iTunes will create a new library on the internal drive. Then you have to mount the external drive, close iTunes and relaunch it, holding the option key to select the library on the external drive. Big PITA. So leave the iTunes library on the internal drive.

The second item is your iTunes Media folder. If you point that to the external drive and launch iTunes without the drive connected, iTunes will create a new Media folder on your internal drive. Then you have to go to preferences after the external drive is mounted and change the Media folder back to the external. Another big PITA. So leave your iTunes Media folder pointed to your internal drive.

Finally, there is your collection of music files. They can be in any location you like. Just remember that for any files on an external drive, if that drive isn't mounted at the time you launch iTunes, iTunes won't be able to find them.

So here's how mine works. My library and Media folder are both on my internal, with my favorite music in my Media folder. The rest of my music is on an external drive in one folder, with sub-folders. When I'm on the road and launch iTunes, all my music shows in my library, so I know what I have, but the files located on the external drive get the exclamation mark (!), indicating iTunes can't find that file. I play whatever I want on the internal. When the external drive is available, I launch iTunes and it finds everything.

I know that's a lot, but I hope it helps!

iCloud?

I won't trust my music to iCloud and it wouldn't hold it all, anyway.

 

[Dhelsdon]

I currently run my iTunes library off an ATV 1st Gen running OS X 10.4 so it's slow but it works.. I am hoping to upgrade to mac mini to have more processing power.

Since I am running my library from a system with 256/512mb ram(?) It takes a long time to launch, and it hangs when I try to add an album to library. Playing songs there is about 5 second delay from time I double click the song, to when it plays but aside from the cons I listed I LOVE going this route..

I just wish I had the money to buy a brand new Mac Mini, and all the cons i listed would no longer be an issue.

 

[christurbo]

I currently run my iTunes library off an ATV 1st Gen running OS X 10.4 so it's slow but it works.. I am hoping to upgrade to mac mini to have more processing power.

Since I am running my library from a system with 256/512mb ram(?) It takes a long time to launch, and it hangs when I try to add an album to library. Playing songs there is about 5 second delay from time I double click the song, to when it plays but aside from the cons I listed I LOVE going this route..

I just wish I had the money to buy a brand new Mac Mini, and all the cons i listed would no longer be an issue.

AEBS too with drive attached?

GGSJstudios - lifesaver, you saved me a lot of work!

 

[Dhelsdon]

AEBS too with drive attached?

GGSJstudios - lifesaver, you saved me a lot of work!

What do you mean by AEBS?

 

[fhall1]

Airport Extreme Base Station

 

[vitzr]

Since it won't all fit on my internal drive, I have my iTunes library split between my internal drive and an external drive. That way, I can keep my favorite music with me on the road, and still have the complete library when I'm on the network.

How to split a single iTunes library over two media locations

I have been using this method as well and it's a great solution.

 

[maflynn]

Since it won't all fit on my internal drive, I have my iTunes library split between my internal drive and an external drive. That way, I can keep my favorite music with me on the road, and still have the complete library when I'm on the network.

How to split a single iTunes library over two media locations

Great suggestion, I have my entire library on my NAS but this gives me an option to have my music on my laptop if I so desire.

 

[christurbo]

I did what was suggested above and it works a treat on both my home network and copied across onto my local drive.

One thing to note when you copy your folder to an external drive or to your macbook [even whilst holding cmd], you need to either relocate the path in iTunes or delete your album in iTunes and then copy the folder back in.

 

[cube]

I am waiting for a 1.5TB Momentus XT.