Transfer music from my old PC (on itunes)

[Originalbeanie]

Hi, so basically about 2 years ago i transferred from pc to mac but i still haven't transferred my music, mainly for two reasons:

1. my PC is amazingly slow and annoying
2. when i have transferred files they retain the old names

now the second one is the problem I'm mostly concerned about, when I first put my music on my old PC I renamed the files manually, in iTunes. But this didn't change the actual file name, so that when I have tried to move a small slice of my music, it retains file name (usually Unknown artist, track 1 etc etc) and I have to rename it in iTunes all over again.

Is there a way that i can change this so that i can easily change all the file names before i move them? or so that if i drag the files from iTunes instead of their folders (sometimes this is easier than hunting down the file because i was young and didnt care about proper file management) it will retain the same track info when i put it back into my Macs iTunes?

 

[bmcgonag]

Hi, so basically about 2 years ago i transferred from pc to mac but i still haven't transferred my music, mainly for two reasons:

1. my PC is amazingly slow and annoying
2. when i have transferred files they retain the old names

now the second one is the problem I'm mostly concerned about, when I first put my music on my old PC I renamed the files manually, in iTunes. But this didn't change the actual file name, so that when I have tried to move a small slice of my music, it retains file name (usually Unknown artist, track 1 etc etc) and I have to rename it in iTunes all over again.

Is there a way that i can change this so that i can easily change all the file names before i move them? or so that if i drag the files from iTunes instead of their folders (sometimes this is easier than hunting down the file because i was young and didnt care about proper file management) it will retain the same track info when i put it back into my Macs iTunes?

I believe if you move the entire music library over, and replace the library file correctly you'll retain all the names, rankings, meta-tags, playlists etc.

This guide refers to iTunes 9, but is probably still valid. No harm in giving it a try.

MacWorld Guide to moving iTunes from PC to Mac

Also, just google for guides, and there are a ton...

"How to move iTunes from pc to mac"

is what I searched.

Hope it helps

 

[Originalbeanie]

cheers mate, this was proper helpful!

 

[podsorcerer09]

cheers mate, this was proper helpful!

If you haven't done your move yet, I had a thought after I had moved all mine over that I wish I had tried. Take a leftover ethernet cable and connect the two computers, so that you can mount the windows harddrive on your mac. Find the Library file on the windows computer and remember where it was. Hold down option while opening itunes on your mac so that you get the option to choose a library. Navigate to the library file on your windows computer and let it open that library.

Now your mac should know where all the media is stored on that other computer.

Now here's the brilliant part that I thought of only after I did mine.

Go into settings and then get ready to change the location of the library file to ~/Music/iTunes like it normally is. Not impressed yet? Make sure that you have the checkbox checked where it says "have itunes organize my media" or something like that. One more step

Click on the file menu > Library > organize library, and then hit consolidate.

This should tell iTunes to move all the media in it's library (currently still on the windows computer) to it's new library location (on your computer) and make a nice folder structure while your'e at it.

Violla! Hope that helps, I'm not sitting in front of my computer right now so I can't confirm all the checkboxes and stuff and where they are in iTunes preferences, but I know they're there.

 

[dXTC]

Find the Library file on the windows computer and remember where it was. Hold down option while opening itunes on your mac so that you get the option to choose a library. Navigate to the library file on your windows computer and let it open that library.
...
Go into settings and then get ready to change the location of the library file to ~/Music/iTunes like it normally is.
...
Make sure that you have the checkbox checked where it says "have itunes organize my media" or something like that.
...
Click on the file menu > Library > organize library, and then hit consolidate.

This should tell iTunes to move all the media in it's library (currently still on the windows computer) to it's new library location (on your computer) and make a nice folder structure while your'e at it.

A followup question, first with a bit of background. My wife got an iMac, but her iPod touch is still synced to her old PC. I can open up her My Documents, which has the iTunes library, as a shared folder, so I can use this to transfer her library.

My question: Will this also move over iOS apps saved in her Library? She hates how slow iTunes loads on her old machine and would like to sync the touch to the iMac, but doesn't want to lose the apps she has. iTunes Home Sharing apparently opens up music and video, not apps.