How To Share An iTunes Library Among Several Users (Video)

Hi Baxtus - You're very welcome, I'm glad to help.

This is just what I was looking for.<br />

<br />

:-)<br />

<br />

Bill

Thanks Chris, I've only been using an iMac for about 6 months and my attempts to share its iTunes library never worked. Your instructions were perfect and I got it working on the first go.<br />

<br />

One question...can I assume it is safe to delete the original library (to save hard drive space) once the new library is set up?<br />

<br />

Best Regards,<br />

Major Roadrash.

Hi Major Roadras - Glad the video helped you out! You should be able to delete your "old" library without any issues. I would delete it and leave it in the trash for about a week just incase something went awry during the other process and it isn't evident yet. I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't be able to just delete it for good, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

A word of advice - if you have fast user switching enabled, there can be more than one user logged in at the same time. Only one instance of iTunes can access the Shared library at a time: you have to close the first iTunes before you can select the Shared library from the other user. Note this does not apply to libraries shared by iTunes itself (i.e. using DAAP), only to the technique described here.<br />

Also, option-starting iTunes to change library does not work if the user account has Parental Controls enabled. You have to disable Parental controls for the user (from an administrator account), change the iTunes library location, then re-enable PC. The changed library location appears to 'stick' after re-enabling controls.<br />

<br />

Max

Hi Max - Thanks for the info!

I just upgraded iTunes to version 8.1 - this caused a new library file to be generated (with much faster access!). However, the new library file permissions were reset to the default. You have to repeat the steps 6-17 above, to change the permissions back to full sharing, after doing the upgrade.<br />

<br />

I also noted an unrelated issue: if user A sets the genre of an album to a manually created value, then user B cannot set the genre to another manually created value, e.g. I couldn't change from 'Baroque Chamber Music' to 'Baroque Orchestral' except by logging in as the original user. I don't think this is anything to do with the permissions issue above.<br />

<br />

Max

Thanks for the update and info Max.

can I sync more than one iPod to this shared library?<br />

<br />

Can 2 users play songs or movies simultaneously from different computers?<br />

<br />

Thanks,<br />

<br />

Jeff

Hi Jeff / machinehead (I like 'Machinehead better!)<br />

<br />

I'll try and answer this<br />

<br />

<strong>"can I sync more than one iPod to this shared library?"</strong><br />

Yes, I think so. You can sync more than one ipod to an itunes library, and have different sync preferences for each ipod.<br />

<br />

<strong>"Can 2 users play songs or movies simultaneously from different computers?"</strong><br />

This tutorial was for a single computer that has multiple user accounts, where all the users want to share the same music collection. If I understand your question right, you want to have several different computers on your network playing material from a communal library. Which works just fine for music, although you will need a fast network to playback movie files without pauses. <br />

<br />

I'd recommend you try enabling library sharing within itunes on your main computer and share that way. The downside is that you won't see album artwork on the other computers when you connect to the shared library. Alternatively you could use file sharing to set up a shared disk or folder with the music, but from personal experience this can go a bit pear shaped - In work-life I successfully look after a small network of half a dozen graphics computers, but I still managed to completely mess up two itunes libraries at home by letting both macs try to simultaneously "Keep itunes music folder organised" (its under "Advanced" in itunes prefs). I felt like a complete idiot and haven't dared try anything similar since.

Souptin,<br />

<br />

Thanks for the advice, I will give it a try.<br />

<br />

The communal library is stored on a NAS, basically an external drive connected via USB to my router, set up as<br />

a shared folder. In this configuration, will the artwork still not be visible?<br />

<br />

So should I still not check "keep itunes libraries organized" on both computers?<br />

<br />

Cheers,<br />

<br />

Machinehead

Yes, you will see the artwork in that configuration. <br />

<br />

I'd recommend that you use one computer for ripping your cd's and sorting out things like artwork and artist names (depending how obsessive you get about alphabetical order etc). Then update the library on the other computer once you're happy. So computer #1 has "keep itunes library organized" checked, computer #2 unchecked. You'll occasionally have to re-locate tracks on your second computer if you change your mind about how to sort things, but it's not that big a deal.<br />

<br />

Note that I am assuming that you are keeping the music files on the NAS, but allowing computer #2 to build it's own itunes database, which will be saved locally, usually in 'computer2harddisk'/user/music/. Artwork which is embedded in the music files will display the exact same on both computers, but the artwork that itunes automatically assigns (if you use that option) gets saved into the local itunes database, and I do occasionally get inconsistent results via this method. <br />

<br />

If you try and force both copies of itunes to use the same "Itunes Library" file on your NAS I suspect you might run into the same problems I did. Hopefully someone else has more experience and will be able to explain better than I can.<br />

<br />

Maybe there should be a topic showcasing the more bizarre choices of album art itunes makes... or maybe it's just my bizarre taste in music that's the problem?

Thanks for the information!<br />

<br />

Has anyone "merged" two libraries?<br />

<br />

Is it more than just copying the songs from both into 1 folder?<br />

<br />

Also souptin, you mentioned updating the library on the second computer, is this done <br />

automatically or is there a command in the preferences menu?<br />

<br />

Thanks,<br />

<br />

Machinehead

"Also souptin, you mentioned updating the library on the second computer, is this done<br />

automatically or is there a command in the preferences menu?"<br />

<br />

You'd need to choose "Add to Library…" from the itunes file menu and locate the new music files in the file browser. It's smart enough not to create duplicates if you accidentally pick files/folders that you're already added. There's probably a more automated way of doing this but I'm afraid I don't know how. The process is quite quick, unless you have checked the "Copy files to iTunes Music Folder" setting under advanced preferences, which you probably won't want to do judging by your description of your setup.<br />

<br />

Not sure about merging libraries. The itunes library database file doesn't contain any music, just references to where the music files are located.<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

http://supersync.com/?gclid=CMm4jZ7FyJkCFRIeDQodaDMNSw<br />

<br />

found this, have not tried it, but seems promising,<br />

merges libraries, and allows you to access your music from the<br />

internet, and from a TIVO, hmmmm, maybe a replacement for the Apple TV??<br />

<br />

<br />

Jeff

A word of advice - if you have fast user switching enabled, there can be more than one user logged in at the same time. Only one instance of iTunes can access the Shared library at a time: you have to close the first iTunes before you can select the Shared library from the other user.<br />

<br />

<a href="http://www.codeconutrilife.com/Salud-Al-Dia/Fatiga.aspx">Fatiga</a><br />

this worked great ... first time. With the exception of the audiobooks. That is, the original account, when accessing the new location for the itunes library supplied everything, including the audiobooks, seemlessly. The new user was able to access everything but the audiobooks.<br />

<br />

Thoughts?

In the instructions you say to copy the itunes library. My library is 20GB. Can I delete the original library I copied? Will I lose anything like playlists, etc.

Hi<br />

<br />

I have an Itunes 9 library on a Time Capsule connected by Ethernet to a powerbook. I now have a macbook pro (with Itunes 10 and pure music) from which I want to access the same library. Have connected the macbook pro via ethernet to the Time Capsule as well. Have activated Itunes library sharing from the powerbook. <br />

<br />

Using this, on the macbook pro, I see the shared Itunes library and can play music from Itunes but not through Pure music. Also cannot see the artwork or coverflow. Is this a case of changing permissions on the shared itunes library only...if I do make the user of the macbook pro part of the same group as the itunes library on the powerbook with read and write permissions, will I be able to see the artwork/coverflow and paly music through pure music ?<br />

<br />

Besides am looking to use Remote on Ipad to control the music on the macbook pro..would Remote show the artwork since the library is shared ?<br />

<br />

Would appreciate any help...Thanks<br />

<br />

flashgordon

Did a bit of experimenting today...and all's working now...remote too works and so does pure music....great relief....and the weiss/pmc combination is so fatigue free...now back to enjoying the music.

You can do this with access control lists pretty easily and not have to move anything either.<br />

<br />

<code><br />

sudo chmod -R +a "other_username allow list,add_file,search,delete,add_subdirectory,delete_child,chown,file_inherit,directory_inherit" /Users/yourname/Music<br />

<code><br />

<br />

This needs to be all one line.<br />

<br />

Replace "other_username" with the username of the person who you want to give access to, and replace /Users/yourname/Music to where you keep your iTunes library.<br />

<br />

Repeat for each user you want to give access to.<br />

<br />

Before you do this, you have to turn ACL on (10.5 only; it is on by default in 10.6), which is done like this:<br />

<br />

<code>sudo /usr/sbin/fsaclctl -p / -e<code><br />

<br />

for the internal drive (which is represented at root level as just the / ) or for an external drive, <br />

<br />

<code>sudo /usr/sbin/fsaclctl -p /Volumes/externaldrivename -e<code><br />

<br />

Crucially, if you want to put the music library somewhere else than its current location, COPY it instead of moving it (and then only delete the original when you are happy everything works).<br />

<br />

More info at <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2005/04/macosx-10-4.ars/8">Arse Technica</a>

Please help me. I tried your directions and video for sharing an Itunes Library amoung several users and it worked until the last steps.