How to integrate/sync iTunes libraries on mac and windows partition

[balamw]

In other words, each time I add songs on my Mac side and open iTunes on my Windows side, I would have to manually Add to Library to update it since iTunes has yet to have a Refresh Library functionality.

You have one file structure, but two databases. This is why you have to do this and had to hex edit the file. This will not keep playlists/playcounts/ratings synced between they two OSes as Maxi86 wants and requires this manual intervention each time you switch OS.

The approach in the link I posted above (http://www.jeremyskinner.co.uk/2009/09/05/sharing-your-itunes-library-between-os-x-and-windows/) would work automatically, but would rebuild the database each time you opened iTunes on the "other" OS.

For a 2.25GB library (hundreds of songs) the delay from rebuilding the database would be insignificant. My main iTunes library is ~100x larger than that and takes many minutes to rebuild even after an iTunes update. I don't know how big Maxi86's database is.

B

 

[underwaterboy10]

You have one file structure, but two databases.
The approach in the link I posted above (http://www.jeremyskinner.co.uk/2009/09/05/sharing-your-itunes-library-between-os-x-and-windows/) would rebuild the database each time you opened iTunes on the "other" OS.

B

This actually would solve my problem of having to manually update the library. It would be very convenient for it to basically update the library automatically every time I open iTunes.

But is there a way to set the frequency of this automatic update and not have it do it every time? I guess I could continue with my manual updates but it would be nice to set it to automatically update/rebuild the library at a less frequent interval (say, once a week) so I wouldn't have to worry about it. Or if there were an option to have it rebuild it at will aka manually through user input (I guess this is almost like my method) while using the above link's method (ie using the same iTunes Library file to preserve song stats/data), that would be perfect. Do you know any way to do something like this?

 

[Maxi86]

each time I add songs on my Mac side and open iTunes on my Windows side, I would have to manually Add to Library to update it since iTunes has yet to have a Refresh Library functionality

I don't like this... this makes it very cumbersome. That's just what's it like having two libaries. The only benefit is being able to sync with both OSes, right?
What about for updating or adding new apps? Do you have to do that also twice? This is very important...

 

[Maxi86]

I don't know how big Maxi86's database is.
B

I have like 2000 songs, almost 900 apps, and I do like to use podcasts.
And I use apps extensively on my iPhone and iPad. I do have a lot of updates daily.
To be honestly, I work more on Windows than on Mac nowadays. So it's really important for me to be able to use iTunes on both OSes in this way:
sync on both OSes, adding new songs/apps/podcasts just once.
If I can make that happen, I wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes before the library is updated after switching OSes....

I will try the method you linked, B. Thanks

 

[Maxi86]

I tried to follow the steps mentioned by Jeremy Skinner.
http://www.jeremyskinner.co.uk/2009...s-x-and-windows/comment-page-1/#comment-31883

But at step 2, it says install MacDrive, but since I've my (Mac) iTunes Media Folder on a separted partition called Meda (F: ), I hope it's possible in some other way. I replied on Jeremy's article, hopefully he'll respond.
Please take a look to see what I mean exactly.

 

[balamw]

But at step 2, it says install MacDrive, but since I've my (Mac) iTunes Media Folder on a separted partition called Meda (F: ), I hope it's possible in some other way. I replied on Jeremy's article, hopefully he'll respond.
Please take a look to see what I mean exactly.

You should just have to replace his "E:\Users\<Your username>\Music\iTunes" with the path to your library as seem by MacDrive. In your case "F:\...\iTunes".

i.e.

mklink /d iTunes F:\...\iTunes

EDIT: This assumes that your library and media are in the same folder. If you've separated them and your "iTunes Library.itl" file and
the media files are on two separate partitions, move your iTunes library over to your Media partition first this only works if everything is managed by iTunes.

The standard directory structure is iTunes is the folder that contains the ITL file and iTunes/iTunes Music is the folder than contains all the media files, but they should be together.


B

 

[Maxi86]

thanks B! I just revisited my first thread, that's where symbolic links first came up... and I watched a YouTube film explaining how to create them...
if am right, is this what I have to type after cmd:
mklink /d C:\Maxi\Music\iTunes F:\iTunes

btw does it mean I've to empty or delete C:\Maxi\Music\iTunes first?

 

[Maxi86]

move your iTunes library over to your Media partition first this only works if everything is managed by iTunes.

how can I see which Library iTunes (Mac) is currently using?
and you mean I should transfer it to the Media partition using iTunes?

 

[balamw]

how can I see which Library iTunes (Mac) is currently using?
and you mean I should transfer it to the Media partition using iTunes?

Finder. It should be enough just to copy the file "iTunes Library" to your Media partition then Option-Click on iTunes and select that library to make it the active library.

B

 

[Maxi86]

so basically these are the steps I've to take:
1) copy the iTunes Library to F:\iTunes and rename it to .itl
2) open iTunes holding alt-option and choose the Library on F
3) reboot Windows 7
4) create symbolic link:
mklink /d C:\Maxi\Music\iTunes F:\iTunes

or is it:
cd Maxi/Music
mklink /d iTunes F:\iTunes

 

[Maxi86]

I have 2 questions left:
1) do I need to create symbolic links in Mac OS X?
2) why do I need to create sym links in Windows 7? Can't I just select the right Library and directory for Media files?

 

[balamw]

Either form of mklink should be equivalent.

I have 2 questions left:
1) do I need to create symbolic links in Mac OS X?
2) why do I need to create sym links in Windows 7? Can't I just select the right Library and directory for Media files?

1) No
2) You should actually be able to do it without links, but option-click doesn't work on Windows. I think you need to shift-click or control-click for it to bring up the library selection dialog. The symbolic link just make things easier in this case since it makes the library look as if it is in the standard location for it.

B

 

[Maxi86]

I did it! Without using symbolic links, at least for now.
In both iTunes I have changed the directory of the Media folder to F:\iTunes\iTunes Media

One minor issue is I have to authorize both iTuneses.

btw like mentioned in some other thread.. the iPhone/iPad backups are stored on different locations. I think I will transfer them to F:\ as well and use symbolic links to the appropriate locations. That way, I won't have duplicate data!
I take it's possible to create two symbolic links to the same folder, in two different OSes?

 

[balamw]

Great! How long does it take to rebuild your database?

I take it's possible to create two symbolic links to the same folder, in two different OSes?

Symbolic links are one to many. You can have a single real target, with many links to the same location.

B

 

[Maxi86]

When I first installed iTunes on Windows, I already chose the same Media folder... the only problem was I couldn't load the same Library. But since it's now .itl that's fixed...
So I figure that's way it only took some seconds before iTunes was ready...
I can't believe I was this close so long ago already...

I will now go back to Mac and see whether the updated playlist will be updated there 2.

 

[Maxi86]

Back on the Mac it took around a minute to rebuild the database, but the good news is.... everything is up-to-date!!!! At last, I got it to working properly...

btw in the thread 'iTunes (+iPhone) migration from PC to MAC' (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1019928/) I had mentioned the folder location of the backup files:
- Mac: /Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

but now there's no folder there! could it be replace since the iTunes update?

EDIT: it's ~ /Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

 

[Maxi86]

now I need some help to get this right the first time...
I moved the Backup folder from (A) ~ /Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup to (B) /Volumes/Media/iTunes/MobileSync/Backup
in Mac, I've to use Terminal to make a Symbolic Link, right?

how do I continue from there?

 

[balamw]

now I need some help to get this right the first time...
I moved the Backup folder from (A) ~ /Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup to (B) /Volumes/Media/iTunes/MobileSync/Backup
in Mac, I've to use Terminal to make a Symbolic Link, right?

how do I continue from there?

I wouldn't do that. Windows won't follow your symlink.

Since you already got MacDrive I'd focus on getting ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup linked to the proper location in Windows.

B

 

[Maxi86]

Why wouldn't Windows follow my Symbolic Link?
do you have a suggestion for a better location?

btw I don't have MacDrive either...

btw I used Automator to create a Symbolic Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdXVvu15MTg

 

[balamw]

Why wouldn't Windows follow my Symbolic Link?
do you have a suggestion for a better location?

btw I don't have MacDrive either...

btw I used Automator to create a Symbolic Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdXVvu15MTg

I forgot that your media partition is FAT32 or exFAT. Symlinks are OS/file-system dependent, so what you make work in OS X won't be honored in Windows etc.

Your best bet here is to move the contents of the ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup to a folder on the media partition. Then in OS X create a symlink from ~/Library/Application Support to the media partition. Then in Windows make a symbolic link from the location in %userprofile% to the shared location on the media drive. There is a risk that either MacOS or Windows will not follow your link though.

You might want to experiment if you want to make the links at the Backup folder or at the MobileSync level.

 

[Maxi86]

I see...
I already moved the Backup folder to F:\iTunes\MobileSync

in OS X I succeeded in making a Symbolic Link using Automator... very convenient...


now I'm in Windows trying to create a Symbolic Link in C:\Users\Maxi\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup to the same folder in F:\

but when in Windows Command Processor... I can get an error saying the syntax of the command is incorrect...
I think I can't use a space like normal in 'Apple Computer' .... how do I type that?
Apple_Computer doesn't work either

 

[balamw]

how do I type that?

Double quotes around the whole path should do it, but I'm lazy and just use tab completion. Start typing Ap then hit TAB it will complete the text for you.

B

 

[Maxi86]

YAAAAHOOOO!!!

It worked!
Thanks a lot, B!