Help Please - New iMac, Old iTunes Library

[Grizsly]

Hi there. Tried searching for this problem, found a few answers, but nothing specific to what I'm trying to do.

I have a 300+ gig iTunes library stored on an external HD. My G4 Powerbook plays from that library all the time.

I just got a new iMac, and want to use the same library, preserving playcounts, playlists, artwork, date added, etc. I know this is possible, but I'm not sure how.

The last time I moved my library from a 250G external to a 500G, I got the library all messed up, ended up with the files being there, but lost all of the data I referenced above (playlists, dates, etc). I'd like to avoid doing that again.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

(Oh yes and if it matters my Powerbook runs Mac OS X, version 10.4.11, while the new iMac has Snow Leopard.)

 

[Inside_line]

First I would consolidate just in case stuff is not where you think. In iTunes do File-->Library-->consolidate and let it work. Since you aren't actually moving any of your music... it's really easy, just copy your iTunes folder from your ~user/music directory to the same location on your new machine. When you open itunes from the new machine just make sure it is pointing to the external drive for the music files. Should be cake.

 

[Grizsly]

Thanks mate! It wasn't too bad - actually just copied my most recent iTunes library files from my Powerbook, pasted them into the external outside my iTunes folder. Then I started up iTunes on the new iMac, pointed the library to the external, and quit iTunes. Finally, opened the iTunes folder on the iMac, pasted the library files into it (allowing them to replacde the existing ones), restarted iTunes, and aside from analyzing the gapless on each track (took awhile), it worked immediately with all info preserved.

 

[Rapmastac1]

That's good it worked for you. I have never been able to transfer my library without losing anything important. I'm currently in the process of cleaning up my library and found a way to back up my songs and still keep track info and ratings (I don't do play counts and stuff like that).

I can't imagine what it would do for you to go through your library and re-encode it all in the same bitrate with the same file type (mine are all in 190 and 230 KBPS MP3), as well as correcting ALL album information.