How to share iTunes library on LAN w/ >5 clients

[ruftytufty]

Out of the box, iTunes lets you share your library with up to 5 client computers. However, 5 is the max.

I need to share my iTunes library (or a music library set up in some other way) with up to 9 clients on a local network. Does anyone know of client/server software that will let me do that? I'm pretty techy, and can work at the terminal level, etc., so it doesn't have to be an off-the-shelf solution.

I thought I'd heard of people doing this, and done a fair amount of searching, but haven't been able to find anything suitable.

Constraints:
All computers are running 10.4.11.
Right now, we don't have internet access, and may not have it any time soon (I know, I know, it's the dark ages, but I'm having to deal with bureaucracy and privacy issues). So, something like SimplifyMedia probably won't work - it seems to be dependent on internet access.

We add music fairly often, and the person who adds music is not techy, so adding tunes/updating what the clients see is either automatic, or at least easy. And, changes need to be seen by the clients immediately, or at least quickly.

I can potentially set up a file share, though this isn't ideal. Has anyone shared an iTunes library this way? Any guidance/tips?

Thanks!

 

[LtRammstein]

I share iTunes this way.

Move all music files (no iTunes dependent files) onto a high bandwidth fast machine (server works great). Have each person run an independent copy of iTunes. This means that their library file will be on the local machine, and they can select the music off of the shared drive/server/computer.

Works great until power outages or network down time occurs.

 

[ruftytufty]

I share iTunes this way.

Move all music files (no iTunes dependent files) onto a high bandwidth fast machine (server works great). Have each person run an independent copy of iTunes. This means that their library file will be on the local machine, and they can select the music off of the shared drive/server/computer.

Works great until power outages or network down time occurs.

How do you deal with updating each copy of iTunes when new music files are added? We add music fairly often, and the person who adds music is not techy, so that part needs to be either automatic, or at least easy (I'll add this to the constraints list).

 

[LtRammstein]

You can have iTunes re-search the drive for the music. You can automate it, but I don't remember off the top of my head how to do it. Worst comes to worst, you can always have it be a cron job that happens at midnight.

 

[ruftytufty]

Any other suggestions, anyone?