iPhone + iPod + macbook + 2 itunes accounts: setup question

[yizzung]

We are a mutli-mac, multi-iPod, multi-iTunes, and soon to be multi-iPhone household. I'm looking for configuration help. My wife and I have separate iTunes accounts, which seems to be the main dilemma.

Here's the setup: 1 mac mini at home with 99% of our music. Most of it has been ripped off of CDs or purchased with my wife's iTunes account. We have several iPods (one just for car, one for jogging) and all of these are authorized devices on her account.

I have a macbook that I use for work and an iPhone. Not surprisingly I also have my own iTunes account but with only a couple of songs purchased along with a couple of iPhone apps.

I'd really like all the music/shows/apps to be available on any device without any stupid DRM issues coming up. For example, I want to purchase a song from my macbook and/or iPhone and then make sure I'm able to add it to the existing library on the mac mini at home. Everything is paid for and legit. Is this possible given that we have two iTunes accounts?

Does it make any sense for me to just abandon my iTunes account and start using hers? (Her account would become our new "household account".) What happens to the songs & applications purchased from my iTunes account if we both start using her account? What are the other downsides of this approach? Is there another, more optimal configuration here?

Thanks in advance.

 

[stevenmatyas]

you can share files between the computers very easily. first, make sure you have personal file sharing turned on for both computers, then you can access your library from your mac mini, drag the songs into that computer's iTunes library, then play the song (which will bring up a window asking for the password on the account that purchased the song), after which you will have the song on the mac mini without any problems.

 

[Small White Car]

First off, yes, I suggest abandoning your account. If for no other reason than it's easier to remember what password to use when it asks!

That's exactly what I did.

That being said, your iTunes and iPods can accept multiple accounts. Like you, I have old music from my old account and other music from my wife's account. They both live in the same iTunes library and they both play on my iPhone and on my wife's iPod. There's no issue with any of that.

So even if you don't abandon your account, you'll be fine. I just suggest merging them so that it's easier to know what's going on from here on out in regards to buying music and apps.

But that's just a convininece thing. Technically you can make any of it work on any of your devices.