How to move my itunes library to a LAN device?

[micrometers]

I'm running a macbook air that has storage problems.

I'd like to move my music library from the air to like a NAS or something. I want to be able to sync an ipod through the macbook air and pulling files from this NAS.

How can this be done? I already have a windows PC that I'd like to use, but I can't figure it out.

 

[micrometers]

Also, I can't find "connect to server" anywhere on my mac. What gives?

 

[TheStu]

Also, I can't find "connect to server" anywhere on my mac. What gives?

From Finder, do Go (menubar) > Connect to Server

 

[ViRGE]

There may be a better way to do this, but when I pulled this off what I had to do was to export the library to XML, do a find & replace to change the URLs to the file server, and then reimport the library via that modified XML file.

 

[TheStu]

There may be a better way to do this, but when I pulled this off what I had to do was to export the library to XML, do a find & replace to change the URLs to the file server, and then reimport the library via that modified XML file.

I have never really messed with it, but from what I know about iTunes, that sounds like one of the few ways to do it.

Here is what irks me... they have iTunes Match, and the Time Capsule... why not store all the user's iTunes content on the Time Capsule? That way you don't need to keep it on any system, and it just streams over gigabit or wireless N to the whole house?

 

[micrometers]

From Finder, do Go (menubar) > Connect to Server

ty!

Yeah, got a network drive mounted. It shouldn't be too hard to setup an itunes library this way.

 

[micrometers]

Did a test run. Sync'd one mp3 file from the windows pc to itunes. Have ot make sure you turn off "copy file"

Yup, works like a charm. This is pretty cool. I can store my entire itunes library on a desktop PC, save up the ssd for applications.

 

[TheStu]

Did a test run. Sync'd one mp3 file from the windows pc to itunes. Have ot make sure you turn off "copy file"

Yup, works like a charm. This is pretty cool. I can store my entire itunes library on a desktop PC, save up the ssd for applications.

If you have a desktop, why not just put the entire library on there, in iTunes, and just share it?

Or, upload your music to iCloud ($25/yr) and stream it to your laptop?

 

[micrometers]

If you have a desktop, why not just put the entire library on there, in iTunes, and just share it?

Or, upload your music to iCloud ($25/yr) and stream it to your laptop?

er, that might be smarter. but I want to be able to maintain sync relationships.

Whatever, it's already done.

This solves the macbook air storage problem quite nicely.

 

[runawayprisoner]

Well, I guess not a lot of us know about this: (I'm not surprised since we almost never had to do this... until SSDs came along)

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

The catch is that you have to permanently mount the external drive, or your MacBook will throw all sorts of tantrum when you try to launch iTunes.

Still, it can be done.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

There may be a better way to do this, but when I pulled this off what I had to do was to export the library to XML, do a find & replace to change the URLs to the file server, and then reimport the library via that modified XML file.

I've done that.

But it's easier to just copy the iTunes library to the network drive, hold down option when loading iTunes, select the copy on the network drive as your library, and try to play something.

When iTunes can't find the file, it will ask you to find it, and then after you show it where that file is, it will ask if you would like to use that location to find any other missing files.

iTunes will then scan through your library, find all the missing files (all of them) then scan through the folder structure where you found the other file, and find the rest of them.

I've done this about half a dozen times in the last few months, with the various computer upgrades, reformats, and "what the hell drive letter did I assign that volume? dadgummit..." moment.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

er, that might be smarter. but I want to be able to maintain sync relationships.

Whatever, it's already done.

This solves the macbook air storage problem quite nicely.

iCloud streaming isn't streaming. It plays while downloading. You'll run out of space pretty fast if you actually listen to everything in your library.

edit: well, that used to be true, when iTunes Match was launched. I honestly don't know if it's still the case.

 

[micrometers]

So new problem.

itunes routinely tags files as "missing"

the only way out is to actually play them.

Because there is a "wakeup" period in connecting to the network drive, this happens a lot.

How to...get itunes to refresh all the files?