Transferring Music from Windows to new MacBook Pro

[snahrl]

So here's my problem:

I have all of my music stored in a directory on Windows (E:\Files\Music). From there, I have all of my music from this directory sorted in playlists through iTunes.

What's the best way to go about transferring my music and playlist data to my new MBP?

 

[zflauaus]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry Pearl 8130: BlackBerry8130/4.3.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Do you have iTunes organizing your music? If you have an "iTunes Music" folder, just copy that into your Music folder in OS X. All your playlists and music will carry over because it will see your iTunes database file.

 

[snahrl]

I use iTunes to organize my music, but iTunes isn't *automatically* organizing my music.

Basically I drag and drop the files in my music folder (E:\files\music) into an iTunes playlist in order to listen to music and organize it myself.

 

[snahrl]

bump

 

[!on]

i think there is a prog called 'copy pod' somewhere, that might do it

i wasn't to bothered about playlists & ratings (wanted to start afresh) so on my pc i just deleted the xml & restored my ipod to blank. then moved all my music files into the ipod hard drive (disk mode).

i then dumped music into mbp. i know you want to keep playlists & that, but i found this way preferable as when i restored the ipod again, but this time on the mac, it had reformatted the ipod from windows to mac.

then i just added files to itunes in mac & sync ipod. alot quicker than doing it on a pc, & free.

 

[NRose8989]

or you can get a couple of DVDs and open itunes on your PC then select

Advanced ----> Consolidate library (this will put all of your music file into one spot)

then select

File ----> Back up to disk.

your pc will then write all of your music onto the DVD(s)

then on your mac...

open iTunes and insert the DVD(s) and iTunes will then restore your library

 

[pdxflint]

or you can get a couple of DVDs and open itunes on your PC then select

Advanced ----> Consolidate library (this will put all of your music file into one spot)

then select

File ----> Back up to disk.

your pc will then write all of your music onto the DVD(s)

then on your mac...

open iTunes and insert the DVD(s) and iTunes will then restore your library

It might be quicker and easier to use an external HD for this backup and restore...

 

[NRose8989]

It might be quicker and easier to use an external HD for this backup and restore...

Quicker? YES. Easier? is it really that hard to insert a DVD and click a button?

this way he preserves his playlists and doesn't have to navigate through directories just to find their music. plus the OP didn't specify if they had a external HD and DVD's are CHEAP, just go to wall-greens and get a pack of 5 for 3 or 4 bucks.

 

[pdxflint]

Quicker? YES. Easier? is it really that hard to insert a DVD and click a button?

this way he preserves his playlists and doesn't have to navigate through directories just to find their music. plus the OP didn't specify if they had a external HD and DVD's are CHEAP, just go to wall-greens and get a pack of 5 for 3 or 4 bucks.

No, it's really not that hard to insert 'multiple' DVDs and click several times, but to expand upon your question... is it really that hard to connect a hd and click a button?

If, as you suggest, the OP doesn't have an external HD, let's hope he has a DVD burner in his old PC running windows to burn his backups to. Then, you're right that it's cheaper, but still not easier due to the disk swapping required and time to burn then copy. But it could be a moot point, as lots of older PCs don't have DVD burners.

I think (just my opinion... ) it's easier (and quicker we both agree) with an external HD, because even if they're formatted for NTFS Windows instead of FAT32, formatted drives can at least be read by Macs, so they're basically cross-platform, and by 'backing up' his iTunes music from the PC to the external hard drive, he can then just plug the external HD into the MBP and restore onto his MBP hd and walk away. No waiting to swap dvd disks during burning and restoring. External hard drives are cheap and read/write much faster than burning/reading DVDs, making the whole process a piece of cake. This is assuming the OP can afford an external hd (I could be wrong, but he just bought a new MBP, so that's what I was thinking... )

Bottom line is, whatever way the OP chooses he can get done what he wants to do. Your option certainly is worth looking at as long as he can burn his original stuff to DVD for the transfer. Cheers.

 

[GUILTIE]

Is there a way to preserve the play lists, album covers, etc., and still use the external hard drive? Also, my music library is spread out

 

[UltraNEO*]

Is there a way to preserve the play lists, album covers, etc., and still use the external hard drive? Also, my music library is spread out

It should be easy...
iTunes itself as a option to export it's library as a XML file, there's no reason why you can't import it after! Even if it's from PC to MAC.

Just insert a USB drive into your PC (FAT32 Formatted) and copy the music archives as they appear. Afterwards copy them into the iTunes folder on the Mac. Before you import anything, setup the application's preferences and import the export library file. I imagine you'll need to do a little tweaking..

 

[durant0s]

I think you all are making this very complicated... If your on the same network, join the same work group. Then just make sure whatever folder your music is in on your P.C. is shared. Open your finder in OSX, under shared click on the name of your P.C. and navigate to the shared music folder, take out anything you like. It's quite simple to get it off the P.C. and onto the mac, what I'm having trouble with is the visa versa. Finding the shared folders on my mac from my P.C. and transfering everything to my P.C. I'll probably end up getting a external harddrive for that.

 

[lukoson]

I think you all are making this very complicated... If your on the same network, join the same work group. Then just make sure whatever folder your music is in on your P.C. is shared. Open your finder in OSX, under shared click on the name of your P.C. and navigate to the shared music folder, take out anything you like. It's quite simple to get it off the P.C. and onto the mac, what I'm having trouble with is the visa versa. Finding the shared folders on my mac from my P.C. and transfering everything to my P.C. I'll probably end up getting a external harddrive for that.

Really??!! What Mac and PC OS are you using. I have been trying to do this since I got my mbp in January. I can see my PC in my finder and even my shared folders (i.e. My Music) but when I click connect it prompts me for a password, I enter what I use to logon to the PC but nothing happens. I have searched the web extensively on how to resolve this but with no luck. It seems I'm not the only one that has this problem either. Do you have a trick?
BTW I'm using XP home edition and os 10.5.4

 

[GUILTIE]

It should be easy...
iTunes itself as a option to export it's library as a XML file, there's no reason why you can't import it after! Even if it's from PC to MAC.

Just insert a USB drive into your PC (FAT32 Formatted) and copy the music archives as they appear. Afterwards copy them into the iTunes folder on the Mac. Before you import anything, setup the application's preferences and import the export library file. I imagine you'll need to do a little tweaking..

Tweaking on iTunes? Couldn't I just put my music in the iTunes folder on the Mac and import the XML file?

 

[!on]

Really??!! What Mac and PC OS are you using. I have been trying to do this since I got my mbp in January. I can see my PC in my finder and even my shared folders (i.e. My Music) but when I click connect it prompts me for a password, I enter what I use to logon to the PC but nothing happens. I have searched the web extensively on how to resolve this but with no luck. It seems I'm not the only one that has this problem either. Do you have a trick?
BTW I'm using XP home edition and os 10.5.4

yeah i attempted this on wifi... it involved disabling my firewall. i got it to start transferring all my music but it hanged... plus i wasn't comfy with f/wall being off so i gave up.

seems like a black art to me. maybe i missed some setting in the mbp but i read everything i could find on the topic i was banging my head.

i think external drive is the way, if only for back ups than nothing else.

 

[UltraNEO*]

Tweaking on iTunes? Couldn't I just put my music in the iTunes folder on the Mac and import the XML file?

Should be fine... like i said, it might need a little tweek. As i'm not completely sure will the XML file store the locations of your music (in the PC). You have to remember the filing system and folders structure are a little different between OSX and Windoze.

 

[durant0s]

Really??!! What Mac and PC OS are you using. I have been trying to do this since I got my mbp in January. I can see my PC in my finder and even my shared folders (i.e. My Music) but when I click connect it prompts me for a password, I enter what I use to logon to the PC but nothing happens. I have searched the web extensively on how to resolve this but with no luck. It seems I'm not the only one that has this problem either. Do you have a trick?
BTW I'm using XP home edition and os 10.5.4

I use XP 64 Bit and OSX 10.5.4, just make sure both of your sharing option for boths OSs are all the way open and it should work, at least it does for me. I always d\l stuff to my p.c. and use it as a main storage device, 2 TB hdd so I just put what I want on my MBP right before I leave on a trip or something. On your Windows side when you go to network places> workgroup> does it list both your mac and your p.c.?