iTunes with an external HD

[buryyourbrideau]

ok well i have about 20 gigs of music on my ibook hard drive.

i dont want to put any more on this hd because it is almost full.

is there a way for the songs on my external to play in itunes when the hd is plugged in.

 

[MRU]

ok well i have about 20 gigs of music on my ibook hard drive.

i dont want to put any more on this hd because it is almost full.

is there a way for the songs on my external to play in itunes when the hd is plugged in.

Yep simply go into preferences / advanced file location and change the file location to a folder on your external drive.

Tell itunes to manage file location etc.

All my music is stored on an external drive, no problem at all.

 

[adrianblaine]

In iTunes, all you need to do is make sure under preferences that the option "copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" is unchecked under "Advanced" and then "general". When you drag your music to the library it will only play it from your external hard drive.

 

[buryyourbrideau]

ok but wouldnt that not allow me to play the songs on my current hd as well.

because i would be changing the folder to the external one and not the music folder on this hd.

 

[swiftaw]

ok but wouldnt that not allow me to play the songs on my current hd as well.

because i would be changing the folder to the external one and not the music folder on this hd.

So you want to keep the songs that are currently on your HD where they are but add any new ones to the external?

Okay, follow these steps

1) in iTunes preferences, go to advanced. Uncheck the boxes next to "Keep iTunes Music Folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library"

2) Change your iTunes Music Folder location to your external.

Now, iTunes will not move any of your files that are currently on your HD but all future songs will be placed on your external.

 

[CDailey]

edit: too slow

 

[gauchogolfer]

ok but wouldnt that not allow me to play the songs on my current hd as well.

because i would be changing the folder to the external one and not the music folder on this hd.

You might take a look at MultiTunes.
Or, just hold down the option key when starting iTunes and it will ask you which library you'd like to access.

 

[buryyourbrideau]

alright, thanks a lot.

i think i got it now.