iTunes library sharing on LAN

[giueno]

hi all!

I'm looking for a solution to my office problem..
i want that all the macs on my LAN go to play their music from the same location an a file server. I'm tired to take cleaned up the macs' disks from the music file of each worker here inside. There's a way to create a itunes music library on a shared volumes on a server (freebsd server, raid 5+0 ) and use it as a normal itnues local library?

G.

 

[Black Belt]

Wouldn't that be nice. I keep asking the same question. Maybe Steve will wise up and realize there are these things called networks. iTunes still runs off the "Desktop Computer" model from 1984.

 

[giueno]

so...no one knows how we can resolve it??

no one had try pointing the itunes library from the preferences tab to a remote space?

and If iTunes isn't ready for a multisession access to that library?

is that a good idea?

com' on, guys!

 

[dwishbone]

you could probably have one mac stay on as your iTunes server.
keep that mac on and have its library redirected to your network share where you want the music to be kept. then all the other macs on your network can access that music via that mac's shared iTunes library.
i havn't tried that, but it would work in theory.

 

[milo]

I have tons of networked files in my itunes library, works great. Just share the stuff on a network drive.

Or if you want it to be a total no brainer, why don't you just use the network sharing built into iTunes?

 

[giueno]

dwishbone: yeah, I know...but i need to let lightly charged each mac hd. In fact I'm using a freeBSD file server!

milo: Of course, the iTunes built-in share is wonderful,but...read above!

Righ now, I think that i'm near to the solution.
I've created a folder on my f-bsd server, and ( holding alt key while booting up iTunes) I've setted up Itunes to create a new library on this new network folder. and I've done the same on all the mac on my lan. So, simply dragged and dropped my files in this new Itunes library. Perfect. All the macs now are able to use this "hard shared" library.

Only one problem. The mac that try to use the library while the previous mac still using it get an error message...about: busy volume, busy file.


d'you like it? :-O

 

[Ninden]

Hmm, I thought that if one person has their library shared everyone else on the network can see it. Granted, you can only have 5 people connect to it at a time before it reaches the 'max connections'.
At college, you could usually find numerous other iTunes libraries being shared over the wi-fi network. If you're all on the same network, the sharing should work.

 

[luki3k5]

Firefly runs great on my Deb linux

I bet it will work same on FreeBSD.

Here are details:
http://www.fireflymediaserver.org/
and here are some additional things:
http://wiki.sblug.org/Setup_iTunes_server_in_linux

All the best
Lukasz

 

[fredsherbet]

it's easy enough to reference music on a networked drive in iTunes, but you have some choices... (none are perfect)

1. have a master itunes library, set to copy files when added (but not to keep library organised), then 'slave' libraries on each computer (all libraries are stored locally, but point to the music on the network). Only add music using the master library, and rescan the drive on the slaves (iTunes will add new music, but not existing music)

2. Store the iTunes library files on the network too... this only works if you're only using all macs or all windows (otherwise have a windows library and a mac library) hold down alt when opening iTunes (shift on PC) to choose the library. The biggest disadvantage is that you should only have one person with iTunes open at a time i'm not too sure what happens if you have multiple people accessing it at the same time. I think it works but some ones changes will be lost.

anyway, with a little playing, you can definitely find a solution aliases can help. create the library first, using one mac and the network drive (consolidate library) and backup the library files. Now avoid doing anything that will move files around (disable 'keep music organised') We have a single (double backed up) store of music, which 4 computers (3 PCs and 1 mac) point to it mostly works fine too

 

[Mac In School]

I store all of my music on an old Windows machine, and the 4 computers in the house access the files... However, I let each computer control their own library files. We all have different musical tastes, and don't have to deal with wading through each others' playlists.

It also lets us each uncheck items (for AppleTV & iPod syncing) per our own tastes, rather than the family's as a whole.

I couldn't ask for a better system for my needs, but they may not match yours.

 

[Black Belt]

I can't even believe some of the shenanigans people are going to and it still doesn't work. I thought Apple was supposed to make things easy.

Maybe Steve should take it like a man and ask Woz for help in straightening out crap like this he's gotten himself into.

 

[dmk1974]

I store all of my music on an old Windows machine, and the 4 computers in the house access the files... However, I let each computer control their own library files. We all have different musical tastes, and don't have to deal with wading through each others' playlists.

It also lets us each uncheck items (for AppleTV & iPod syncing) per our own tastes, rather than the family's as a whole.

I couldn't ask for a better system for my needs, but they may not match yours.

This is exactly what I am in the process of setting up. If all 4 PC's also have the same iTunes account for purchases, can songs purchased on PC#1 be played on PC#2, vice-versa, and so forth?