Transferring iTunes library to new iMac

[StephenCampbell]

Currently my iTunes library is stored on a secondary drive in my Mac Pro.

On my new iMac I'm going to migration assistant the startup disk to the internal iMac drive, and then copy over all the data from that secondary drive.

iTunes on the iMac probably won't find the iTunes data because it will be looking for it on a secondary volume, correct?

If I go into the iTunes preferences and select the location where the iTunes data is, will it bring it all in? In my experience the only way to properly import data into iTunes is to drag it into the open iTunes window, but I don't want to resort to that.

Would it be simpler to re-transfer the iTunes data onto my startup disk on the Mac Pro before transferring that disk over to the iMac with migration assistant?

What would you do to ensure a smooth transition?

 

[rkaufmann87]

Currently my iTunes library is stored on a secondary drive in my Mac Pro.

On my new iMac I'm going to migration assistant the startup disk to the internal iMac drive, and then copy over all the data from that secondary drive.

iTunes on the iMac probably won't find the iTunes data because it will be looking for it on a secondary volume, correct?

If I go into the iTunes preferences and select the location where the iTunes data is, will it bring it all in? In my experience the only way to properly import data into iTunes is to drag it into the open iTunes window, but I don't want to resort to that.

Would it be simpler to re-transfer the iTunes data onto my startup disk on the Mac Pro before transferring that disk over to the iMac with migration assistant?

What would you do to ensure a smooth transition?

Apple has the best explanation for moving an iTunes library, it's pretty darned simple if you follow their directions. Please click on

support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

for the article.

 

[StephenCampbell]

Thanks. I've dealt with this a lot over the years and I've always felt like it's almost impossible to get an iTunes library to show up in iTunes simply by moving the media folder to a certain location.

According to that article if I put my existing iTunes folder inside the Music folder on the new mac and then open iTunes, everything should be there. Can anyone confirm that this actually works?

My only successful experience with moving an iTunes library was doing it from within iTunes when all the content is already in there, and simply changing the folder location from within the iTunes preferences.

Thanks.