itunes to external HD

[cindyjj]

How is the contents of itunes backed up to external HD? I'd prefer it to open in external HD in the same format as it does when opening from laptop, if that's possible. I want to do this individually and not with time machine. Thanks.

Also, are there glitches with Sierra or is it entirely safe to update OS X? I currently have Mountain Lion and a Macbook Pro late 2011.

 

[priitv8]

You just copy your iTunes library folder to external and point iTunes' Media folder setting to that location.
That obviously goes better, if you have your iTunes library organised (if not, you can let iTunes organise its library just before moving out). That way all your media files are collected inside the iTunes media folder and moving them out to other drive is just so much easier.
http://bfy.tw/5LlA

 

[cindyjj]

You just copy your iTunes library folder to external and point iTunes' Media folder setting to that location.
That obviously goes better, if you have your iTunes library organised (if not, you can let iTunes organise its library just before moving out). That way all your media files are collected inside the iTunes media folder and moving them out to other drive is just so much easier.
http://bfy.tw/5LlA

After I drag it onto the external HD, I plan on leaving it on my laptop a well. So I don't think I need to do step 3 redirect, because I won't need to find items on the external HD. Is this correct?
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After I drag it onto the external HD, I plan on leaving it on my laptop a well. So I don't think I need to do step 3 redirect, because I won't need to find items on the external HD. Is this correct?

When I open the music folder to drag itunes, itunes is in a folder as well - do I drag the entire folder?
Also, in the voice memos folder (in the itunes folder), the titles, dates, times have disappeared; only a file type number is with each one. How do I get the titles to stay there so I don't have to "get info" to find something? Is there a way to keep in in the original formal?

 

[priitv8]

So why move it at all then?

I personally moved only my iTunes Media folder from inside the Music/iTunes folder.
iTunes keeps it's metadata within its library database (iTunes Library.itl and .xml files), so I left these on my laptop, so they become backed up by Time Machine.
The Voice Memo files have always been named with date-timestamp, as far as I know, so all other metadata is kept within the library database.

 

[cindyjj]

So why move it at all then?

I personally moved only my iTunes Media folder from inside the Music/iTunes folder.
iTunes keeps it's metadata within its library database (iTunes Library.itl and .xml files), so I left these on my laptop, so they become backed up by Time Machine.
The Voice Memo files have always been named with date-timestamp, as far as I know, so all other metadata is kept within the library database.
View attachment 666393 View attachment 666391

I'm moving them to store them outside of my computer. I want to continue to use itunes as it is and in the same format it is currently in. So to summarize, to save my files to the external HD, I will go to the itunes folder and drag it to my external HD. I don't think I need to do anything else. Is this correct?

 

[priitv8]

For moving media, no.
I still don't get your idea to move them out to external HD but also leave on your computer's internal disk.
Is this just for backup purposes?
Or to address a lack of space problem?

 

[cindyjj]

For moving media, no.
I still don't get your idea to move them out to external HD but also leave on your computer's internal disk.
Is this just for backup purposes?
Or to address a lack of space problem?

As said, it is to store them outside of my computer. Are you a computer specialist?
[doublepost=1476889972][/doublepost]

For moving media, no.
I still don't get your idea to move them out to external HD but also leave on your computer's internal disk.
Is this just for backup purposes?
Or to address a lack of space problem?

I'm not clear on what to do. This is what I need to do: 1. copy my itunes files onto an external HD such that they are easy to find with their titles and dates & times stored and such that they are formatted for listening at another time 2. leave them in itunes as they are 3. at a future time with another computer, be able to easily transfer them back into itunes from the external HD. Could you re-explain and say why the steps are necessary. Thank you.

 

[JTToft]

I don't get your purpose, either.

Is it for backup? If so, why not use Time Machine or a similar backup solution and include everything else besides just the iTunes folder at the same time?

If it is for backup, you simply need to copy the "iTunes" folder that lives in your Music folder to your external drive. And done.
Manual backups in that way are clumsy and not as good as something like Time Machine, so I wouldn't recommend it.

And yes, you should update to Sierra.

 

[cindyjj]

I don't get your purpose, either.

Is it for backup? If so, why not use Time Machine or a similar backup solution and include everything else besides just the iTunes folder at the same time?

If it is for backup, you simply need to copy the "iTunes" folder that lives in your Music folder to your external drive. And done.
Manual backups in that way are clumsy and not as good as something like Time Machine, so I wouldn't recommend it.

And yes, you should update to Sierra.

As said, it is for back up, and as said, I do not want to use Time Machine. To clarify, if I do what you said in your second paragraph, will I easily be able to find files in the external HD and to transfer them to itunes in a new computer by dragging and dropping? Thanks.
Also, are you sure I can go from Mountain Lion to Sierra easily in my macbook pro late 2011? And have the known glitches in Sierra been worked out?

 

[JTToft]

As said, it is for back up, and as said, I do not want to use Time Machine.

- Actually, you didn't say it was for backup, which is why we were confused. You did say you didn't want to use Time Machine, so I felt I should ask why since it is a superior solution precisely when your purpose is to take a backup.

To clarify, if I do what you said in your second paragraph, will I easily be able to find files in the external HD and to transfer them to itunes in a new computer by dragging and dropping?

- Yes. You would do the opposite on the new computer: Drag the folder from external to internal, replacing the existing iTunes folder.

Also, are you sure I can go from Mountain Lion to Sierra easily in my macbook pro late 2011? And have the known glitches in Sierra been worked out?

- Yes, I'm sure. I use it on my Early 2011. There are no appreciable glitches in my experience.

 

[cindyjj]

- Actually, you didn't say it was for backup, which is why we were confused. You did say you didn't want to use Time Machine, so I felt I should ask why since it is a superior solution precisely when your purpose is to take a backup.


- Yes. You would do the opposite on the new computer: Drag the folder from external to internal, replacing the existing iTunes folder.


- Yes, I'm sure. I use it on my Early 2011. There are no appreciable glitches in my experience.

I did a Time Machine back up a few months ago and it was very time consuming. I do not need such a thorough back up this time. I need to save itunes and that's all.
So if I drag the folder from external to internal on a new computer, will only the media files I have go into the new itunes - I may not want to "replace" the existing itunes folder if it is a newer version. Also exactly what is the folder I will be dragging from the current itunes to the external HD and then later from the external HD to a new computer called, so I move the correct one?

 

[JTToft]

I did a Time Machine back up a few months ago and it was very time consuming. I do not need such a thorough back up this time. I need to save itunes and that's all.
So if I drag the folder from external to internal on a new computer, will only the media files I have go into the new itunes - I may not want to "replace" the existing itunes folder if it is a newer version. Also exactly what is the folder I will be dragging from the current itunes to the external HD and then later from the external HD to a new computer called, so I move the correct one?

- If you transfer the entire folder, everything in iTunes will be as it was on the old computer.
For compatibility, I would recommend making sure the latest version of iTunes is used in both places before doing anything.

The folder in question is:

~/Music/iTunes

 

[Badrottie]

I moved iTunes folder to external wireless hard drive to save space on my rMBP 256GB SSD and also Able to stream to my iPad Air 2 until I get Apple TV 4th Gen (I already got it this month).

 

[priitv8]

I did a Time Machine back up a few months ago and it was very time consuming. I do not need such a thorough back up this time.

It is very time consuming only the very first time around. Next times it will go rather quick, as only the changed files since last backup get copied.
As for transferring iTunes to another computer there are 3 options, also including what JTToft already described above:
1) move just media folder and drag-drop it onto new itunes in another computer. You will get all the files, metadata (if you had it included in your media files) will be read in to iTunes anew. You will not get ratings or playlists transferred.
2) move full iTunes library, including the database - you will get exact replica on your new machine, including all metadata, playlists, ratings, play counts etc.
3) use TimeMachine to fully back up your current machine - you can create exact replica of your current machine on the next one (including apps, user accounts, user settings, everyone's photos, e-mails etc). Or you can just restore any part of the filesystem from the TimeMachine onto new machine - like ~Music/iTunes folder for example, thereby just restoring the iTunes library on a new machine, but ignoring all the other aspects.