How to transfer your itunes collection from one computer to another

Если у Вас появился новый компьютер, Вы можете перенести медиатеку iTunes, подключив компьютеры друг к другу либо воспользовавшись iPod или портативным диском. См. статью на веб-сайте поддержки Apple Резервное копирование и восстановление медиатеки iTunes на компьютере с ОС Windows.

Как собрать файлы в папке iTunes

Вы можете собрать все файлы Вашей медиатеки в папке iTunes, чтобы упростить перенос медиатеки на новый компьютер.

В приложении iTunes на ПК выберите пункт меню «Файл» > «Медиатека» > «Организовать медиатеку».

Выберите «Собрать файлы».

Файлы остаются на своем исходном месте, а их копии помещаются в папку «iTunes».

Резервное копирование медиатеки и медиафайлов

Важно! Настоятельно рекомендуется создать резервную копию медиатеки.

По умолчанию папка iTunes Media хранится в Вашей папке iTunes:

[Папка пользователя]\Музыка\iTunes\iTunes Media

В приложении iTunes на ПК выберите пункт меню «Правка» > «Настройки», затем нажмите «Дополнения».

Посмотрите, где находится Ваша папка iTunes Media, в разделе «Расположение папки iTunes Media».

Выйдите из iTunes.

Перейдите к папке iTunes в проводнике.

Перетяните папку iTunes из текущего местоположения на внешний диск.

Восстановление из резервной копии

Медиатеку iTunes можно восстановить с внешнего диска на компьютер. При восстановлении медиатеки iTunes с другого компьютера убедитесь, что на новом компьютере установлена самая новая версия iTunes.

В приложении iTunes на ПК выберите пункт меню «Файл» > «Выйти».

Перейдите к внешнему диску в проводнике, затем перетяните сохраненную резервную копию папки iTunes с внешнего диска на внутренний диск.

Важно! Настоятельно рекомендуется поместить папку iTunes обратно в папку [Папка пользователя]\Музыка\iTunes\iTunes Media.

Откройте iTunes, удерживая клавишу Shift (в меню «Пуск» выберите «iTunes» > «iTunes»).

Нажмите «Выбрать медиатеку».

Выберите папку iTunes, которую Вы перетянули на компьютер на шаге 2, нажмите «Открыть», затем выберите файл iTunes Library.itl внутри папки.

Продавая или отдавая компьютер, не забудьте деавторизовать его (выберите пункт меню «Учетная запись» > «Авторизация» > «Деавторизовать этот компьютер»). См. раздел Авторизация ПК для воспроизведения объектов, купленных в iTunes.

Building a gratified iTunes library, which contains our favourite albums, videos, podcasts, audiobooks and more, takes vast time and energy. Thus, many users would like to take along the iTunes library when switch to another computer, although moving iTunes library to new computer can be quite complicated. If you are also faced with this problem, just read this post and you will acquire three effective methods to transfer iTunes library to another computer.

Method 1: Transfer iTunes Library to New Computer with External Hard Drive

Using an external hard drive to migrate iTunes library to new computer is the first choice for most people, because it doesn’t require Internet connection.

1. Update your iTunes backup to ensure the library contains all the contents you want.
2. Connect the external hard drive to the old computer.
3. Consolidate and locate your iTunes library, and then move it to external hard drive.
4. Disconnect your external hard drive and then plug it to the new computer.
5. Locate the “Music” or “My Music” folder on new compute.
6. Copy the iTunes file folder from external hard drive to “Music”/”My Music” on new computer.

Method 2: Copy iTunes Library to New Computer via Home Sharing

The Home Sharing option in iTunes allows users to move iTunes library to a new computer that connected to the same network with the old one.
Note: Please note that this method doesn’t created a permanent backup on your old computer.

1. Launch iTunes on both of your computers and update it to the latest version.
2. Click “File” > “Home Sharing” > “Turn on Home Sharing” on the old computer. Then type your Apple ID and password in the pop-up window.
3. Go to the iTunes on new computer. Click “Account” > “Authorizations”, and choose “Authorize This Computer”.
4. Enter the same Apple ID and password in next window.
5. Turn on “Home Sharing” on new computer and select the type of data you want to transfer. Then click “OK” to import iTunes library to the new computer.

Tips: Migration Assistant from Apple Inc. is another good alternative for you if you want to transfer iTunes library to a Mac. Transferring iTunes Library from Mac to Mac or from PC to Mac are both supported.

Method 3: Transfer iTunes Library to Another Computer through an iPod

The steps to copy iTunes library to another computer with iPod is similar to Method 1, and here is how to do that quickly:

If you use iTunes to manage your media files, but can’t find any feasible solution to move its content to another computer, then you have come to the right place. Too many times, while moving from one system to another, we end up losing our iTunes media. Well, you don’t have to encounter this issue anymore and can easily transfer iTunes library to a new computer. In this post, I will cover 4 smart solutions that can help you move iTunes library to a new computer or an iPhone like a pro.

Part 1: How to Copy iTunes Library to a New Computer via iTunes Backup?

To start with, I will list the most common solution to copy iTunes library to a new computer. For this, you need to first take a backup of our iTunes library and later move it to another system. Since iTunes library can consume a lot of space, an external hard disk is mostly used to transfer our data. To learn how to transfer iTunes library to another computer, you can consider following these simple steps.

Firstly, you need to consolidate your iTunes folder. To do that, launch the iTunes application on your system and go to its File > Library > Organize Library option.

Part 2: Transfer iTunes Library to a New PC with Home Sharing

Apart from moving your iTunes library to a new computer, you can choose to sync it as well. For this, iTunes has come up with a Home Sharing feature. To implement this method, both the computers should be linked to the same Apple ID and must be connected to the same WiFi network. Please note that this feature is only available in iTunes 9 or a newer version. If you are running an older version of iTunes on your computer, then update it before you transfer iTunes library to a new Mac or Windows.

1. To sync your iTunes library, launch iTunes on both the systems, and make sure they are connected to the same network.
2. Now, on your source computer, go to iTunes menu > File > Home Sharing and turn this feature on. From here, you can enter your Apple ID and start home sharing.

Part 3: Transfer iTunes Library to a new iPhone with MobileTrans – Restore

Apart from transferring iTunes library to a new PC, a lot of people also like to move their iTunes content to another iPhone as well. If you use iTunes to do that, then you would encounter unwanted compatibility issues. Also, the existing data on your iPhone would be deleted in the process. To overcome these limitations, you can just use MobileTrans – Restore. This user-friendly application can extract an iTunes backup to any iOS or Android device. In this way, you can move your iTunes library to any iPhone and keep your data handy.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone

To start with, you can just launch MobileTrans on your system and go to the “Restore” option from its home. Also, connect your iPhone to your computer using a working cable and let MobileTrans detect it.

Step 2: Select an iTunes backup

From the provided options on the left, you can choose to restore a MobileTrans or an iTunes backup. Just select the iTunes Backup feature from here to view the list of the saved backup files.

Step 3: Restore iTunes backup to iPhone

This will further list various data types that you can move to the connected iPhone. Just select what you wish to move and click on the “Start” button as your backup content would be extracted to the connected iOS device.

I hope that after reading this guide, you would be able to transfer iTunes library to a new computer or iPhone. You can take the assistance of iTunes Match or Home Sharing to copy iTunes library to a new computer wirelessly. Besides that, I have also listed a detailed solution on how to manually move iTunes library to a new computer. Lastly, if you wish to move your iTunes backup to your iPhone, then you can just use MobileTrans – Restore. It is a smart and resourceful desktop application that would certainly come handy to you on different occasions.

Part 4: How to Copy iTunes Library to a New Computer with iTunes Match

To make it easier for us to migrate our music from one source to another, Apple has come up with iTunes Match. Though, this method to transfer iTunes library to another computer will only work for your music. Presently, it can’t move your videos, apps, or any other kind of data between different systems. Also, you need to have an active iTunes Match subscription beforehand, which costs $24.99 a year. Once you are ready, you can follow these steps to copy iTunes library to a new computer.

Firstly, launch iTunes on your old computer and go to its Store > iTunes Match to check its status. If you don’t have iTunes Match, then you can buy its subscription from here.

[UPDATE – 01/19/2010] – Some of you have left such helpful comments on how to move iTunes to a new computer, I wanted to point them out:

• if you just have the hard drive of your old PC, Ben has shared with us how to make the transfer
• if you aren’t keen on messing with XML files – and play count isn’t important to you – Oden has a simple process, involving smart playlists, for retaining song ratings when you transfer iTunes library. to find out those duplicate songs that you may end up with when transferring your catalog. to transfer while retaining playlists in your collection.
• If you are transferring between Macs, pbaron has a method involving FireWire mode.

Since I’m moving, I wanted to transfer all of my music from the iTunes library on my work computer to the iTunes library on my home computer. This is pretty simple – just transfer iTunes library from my work computer’s iTunes library onto my Firewire Hard Drive, take it home, and transfer the music onto my home computer – but I rely on all of my song ratings, accumulated over thousands of hours of listening to iTunes while I work, to populate my iPod Shuffle with songs from the “My Top Rated Songs” Smart Playlist. I couldn’t find any information on how to transfer my iTunes music, while still retaining my song ratings, but I finally figured it out.

Move Your Music Library

Before you do this, you’ll have to first transfer the actual files to your new computer. You may choose to burn CDs, DVDs, or use a thumb drive; but using a FireWire cable is easiest for large libraries, unless you have a portable hard drive.

Move Your Metadata

Here’s a video tutorial I put together. Written instructions are below.

1. Export the source iTunes library as an XML file (File>Library>Export Library…). This will create a file that holds information about the location, song filenames, and *song rating*!

Of course, you can prevent all of this by being organized in the first place. I probably should have just had an iPod that I synched with my home computer and brought to work.

If you need help getting the actual files over to your new computer, this video will show you how to copy your music to your new computer using iTunes Home Sharing:

UPDATE: If you’re looking to transfer music from your iPod to your computer, I’ve put together a short guide here. I hope to improve upon it soon, but please share your findings in the comments.

This post is filed under iTunes.

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iTunes is one of the most popular media players that’s also available for Windows 10 now. It’s known for its huge media library consisting of thousands of music files, plenty of TV shows, full-length movies, podcasts, and so on. This huge collection only clogs up your hard drive space causing it to slow down.

So, to reduce the stress on on your hard drive you can transfer the iTunes library content to another PC. Let’s see how.

Solution: Using A USB Flash Drive

Step 1: Open the iTunes app, go to the File tab on the upper left of the screen, click on it, and select Library from the context menu. Then, click on Organize Library.

Step 2: Now, in the Organize Library dialog box, check the box next to Consolidated files. Press OK to save and exit.

Step 3: Now, press the Windows key + E together on your keyboard to open the File Explorer. Click on This PC shortcut on the left and then double-click to open the C drive. Here we clicked on OS (C:).

Step 4: Next, navigate to the below path one by one to reach the iTunes folder:

• double-click on Users
• double-click on your current user account. Here we click on madhu .
• double-click on Music.
• Now, you reach the iTunes folder.

Step 5: Right-click on the iTunes folder and select Copy from the context menu.

Step 6: Now, paste this file onto your USB flash drive/pen drive, connect the pen drive to the other computer, and copy this iTunes folder to that computer.

Step 7: Now, press the Windows key + E together on your keyboard to open the File Explorer on the new PC. Navigate to the same path to reach the iTunes folder in the same manner as shown in Step 4.

You will see an iTunes folder in the new PC as well if you have been already playing iTunes on it. However, if you do not want to overwrite the content or overload it with too much of content, delete the old folder. Right-click on the iTunes folder, and click on Delete.

Step 8: Now, select the new iTunes folder (that you transferred from the old PC using pen drive) and drag-and-drop it to the Music folder of the new PC.

That’s it. You are done transferring the iTunes library to the new computer.

You can move your iTunes library to a different folder, computer, or drive. Here's how to do it, even in macOS Catalina, which ditches iTunes for the Music app.

Moving your iTunes library sounds complicated, especially if you have a vast collection of music, TV shows, movies, and podcasts. But it’s possible—if you follow the right steps.

Below we’ll cover how to move your library to a NAS device or network drive as well as a PC. Since iTunes has been replaced in macOS Catalina, we’ll also look at how to do it with Apple’s new Music app.

Locate iTunes Media

When you install and set up iTunes for the first time, the software automatically chooses a location to house your library. By default, that location is C:\users\[username]\ Music\iTunes. That folder stores the iTunes library file, which is a database of all your iTunes content, along with other files.

Your content itself is saved in the folder iTunes Media, which contains subfolders for your music, movies, TV shows, books, and other items. Confirm the location for your iTunes content by opening iTunes and navigating to Edit > Preferences > Advanced in Windows and iTunes > Preferences > Advanced on a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier. The location of your iTunes Media folder is displayed.

Move Your iTunes Library to a Network Drive

Why go through the trouble of moving your library to a network drive or NAS device? Well, a computer that houses your iTunes library needs to be turned on any time you want to access the content from a different device.

By moving your library to a network drive that’s always available, you or anyone else in your household can access the content from any computer or mobile device in your home at any time.

If you have a network drive or NAS set up, use the software for your router or NAS to create a specific network share to store your iTunes library. Name it something like iTunesContent, then open File Explorer in Windows or Finder in macOS.

Map a drive to this new network share, maybe assigning the letter “I” to iTunesContent. Finally, create a folder on your new network share called iTunes. Then, open your new iTunes folder and create a subfolder called iTunes Media.

Transfer the Folders

iTunes Media Folder

Open iTunes, then click the Edit Menu (or the iTunes menu on a Mac) and select Preferences > Advanced. Click the Change button for your iTunes Media folder location, then navigate to and select the iTunes Media folder on your network share.

The location should say: I:\iTunes\iTunes Media (assuming you used “I” as the drive letter for mapping). Then check the two options for “Keep iTunes Media folder organized” and “Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library.” Click OK to close the Preferences window.

Move and Rename

Add Folder to Library

Select Subfolders

Hurry Up and Wait

Did the Files Transfer?

Rename iTunes Folder

Rename the iTunes folder on your computer to something like iTunes-old. Hold down the Shift key and reopen iTunes from its shortcut. A message pops up asking you to choose the iTunes library.

Click the “Choose Library” button. In the Open iTunes Library window, navigate to and select the iTunes Library.itl file in the iTunes folder on your network and then click the Open button.

Test Your Handiwork

iTunes opens and should display the content from your music folder or whatever folder you last accessed. Select the other types of content from the menu, such as movies, TV shows, and books, to make sure the thumbnail images for those items display in iTunes. You should also try playing some music, movies, or TV shows to ensure that they play properly.

When you’re satisfied that all your content files now reside on the network and that iTunes is pointing to them, you can delete the old iTunes folder on your computer. From now on, any time you open iTunes, the software will access your files from the network.

Move Your iTunes Library to Another Computer

Copy Your Files Via a HomeGroup

If you’re a Windows 7 or 8.1 holdout, you can transfer files from one computer to another through HomeGroup. Once both computers are linked, open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[username]\Music folder. Select and copy the iTunes folder, then click the entry for HomeGroup, the entry for your username, and the entry for the target computer.

You should see all the shared folders of the target computer, including the Music folder. Open the Music folder and paste the iTunes folder from the source to the target PC. Take a nice, long break as the copy is likely to take awhile.

Copy Files With External Devices

HomeGroup is not available in Windows 10, so those with that OS (and Mac users) will have to find an alternative method to copy files between two different machines. You can copy them from the source PC to an external device, then copy them over to the target computer. Another option is to use a USB cable to connect both computers and copy the files over. If your library isn’t too large, you can always copy it to and from an online file storage site such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, Dropbox, or Box.

Authorize This Computer

Test Your Handiwork

Move Your Library in Catalina

Moving your library on a Mac that’s running macOS Catalina is a different process, mainly because iTunes has been retired as the default application for storing and organizing media. As such, your content is stored in different locations. The default locations are as follows:

• Music:C:/users/[username]/music
• TV Shows and Movies:C:/users/[username]/movies
• Podcasts:C:/Library/Group Containers/243LU875E5.groups.com.apple.podcasts
• eBooks and Audiobooks:C:/Library/Containers/ Data/Documents/iBooks/Books.

Accessing Podcasts on macOS Catalina

Accessing Books on macOS Catalina

For books, open the Books app on your new Mac; it should display any books you’ve purchased through iTunes. You can then download individual books to your computer.

To add other books you’ve obtained elsewhere, copy your entire Books folder (and Audiobooks folder if it’s separate) from your old Mac to an accessible location for your new Mac.

Open the Books app and click File > Add to Library, then select your Books and Audiobooks folders. Click Add and your books should be imported into your new library.

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Summary

To transfer your iTunes library from one computer to another, follow these steps.

1. Using iTunes, transfer all of your iTunes library content to your iOS mobile device.
2. Download and install TouchCopy onto the computer you wish to copy the library content to.
3. Connect your iOS device to your computer via the USB cable.
4. In TouchCopy, click "Backup" to copy your content from your iOS device to the computer.

You can download the free trial of TouchCopy below, allowing you to transfer up to 100 tracks, FREE!

Detailed Steps

How to move iTunes library to new computer – Many users need to do this exactly when they buy a new computer and they wish to transfer their iTunes library from the old computer to the new one. This also works to merge 2 iTunes libraries into one.

You can do this in four simple steps:

1. Ensure that your iPod/iPhone is loaded up with all your iTunes songs, videos and other content by syncing your device to iTunes on your old computer.
Check our Apple’s guide on syncing content from iTunes to your device.

2. Download TouchCopy and install it on your new computer.

3. Ensure that iTunes is closed before connecting your iPod. Then start TouchCopy and connect your iPod. TouchCopy will have fixed your iTunes preferences so that iTunes will not sync music or video with your iPod while TouchCopy is running. These changes are restored when you quit TouchCopy.

4. In TouchCopy, open the Music section, then click “Backup All”. All music and playlists will then be copied from your device into your iTunes library on your new computer.

TouchCopy will work just as easily if you’re moving from a PC to a new PC or from a PC to a Mac.

Mac formatted iPod? See our guide if you’ve got a Mac formatted iPod that you’re trying to use on a PC.

If you cannot fit your entire iTunes content on your iPod, you may need to load your iTunes content onto your iPod in smaller groups and copy it that way.

The best way to move your iTunes songs to another computer

When you have a beloved iTunes music collection that you’ve carefully curated for years, you definitely don’t want to leave it behind, and you may not want to re-download everything one album at a time from your Apple Account, either. While iCloud can help with smaller transfers, it’s not really conducive to moving your entire iTunes library.

Fortunately, Apple has a tool specifically designed to move data from one computer to another, especially when you just got a new computer and are updating: It’s called Migration Assistant, and it’s your best option for a smooth iTunes transition. You don’t have to download an extra app, because Migration Assistant is included in MacOS natively. If you are transferring iTunes to a Mac, you can use it. Here’s how to begin:

Step 1: Consolidate your files

Update everything on both computers so they are running the latest version of the operating system and iTunes. Then make any data backups that you may need. Prepare your iTunes library by opening iTunes, selecting File, going to Library, and choosing Organize Library.

Here you will see an option to Consolidate files. Select it to give your iTunes library a quick clean up so everything is prepared.

Step 2: Start Migration Assistant

Since the advent of MacOS Sierra, all you need is for both computers to be on the same wireless network for Migration Assistant to work. However, for a faster connection, you may want to use an Ethernet cable instead. Either way, make sure both are connected and ready to get to work.

Go to your new Mac computer and head to the Applications folder, which you can find in the Dock. Select Utilities, and then choose Migration Assistant. After confirming you want to start the process, Migration Assistant will ask if how you want to transfer information. You will want to make sure you have select From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk. Then choose Continue.

You can also use Migration Assistant to move iTunes files from a PC to a Mac (this doesn’t work with particularly old Windows computers, but as long as you have Windows 10 you should be fine). When Migration Assistant asks how you want to transfer information on your new Mac, make sure you choose the option that says From a Windows PC.

Step 3: Migrate on your old Mac

Now head over to your old Mac and open Migration Assistant there as well with the same process. However, at the Migration Assistant screen, choose “To another Mac” when asked how you want to transfer information. Then select continue.

Go back to your new Mac once again. Migration Assistant should next ask if you want to transfer information from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or a specific startup disk. Here you should select the Mac option, and choose continue. Apple may give you a security code to confirm on both computers at this point, so make sure the code appears correctly before you move on.

Step 4: Select your data to transfer

Once you choose a specific source to migrate data from, the Assistant will ask you to Select the Information to Transfer. If this is a brand new computer, you’ll probably want to transfer almost everything, so selecting all options is a good idea. If you are on a used Mac and only want to transfer iTunes, click on your user profile and select your Music folder to get started. When you’re ready to begin, select continue. The transfer process may take a while, especially if you are moving a lot of data, so stay patient!

When finished, log into your new Mac and check to make sure all your iTunes content is there. You will probably have to authorize the computer to use your iTunes content before you can play it.

Alternatively, use an external hard drive

Don’t feel like messing around with the Migration Assistant? You could always hook up an external hard drive and transfer your music files manually from one computer to another. If you are moving files between a Mac and a PC, you should also make sure that the drive is partitioned correctly for your needs.

This option may take a little longer and requires enough space on an external hard drive. However, it may be your best choice if you are gathering music files from a diverse number of places and even formats, and moving as many as you can to one iTunes account.

This is also one of the best options if you are transferring from PC to PC or from Mac to PC, where Migration Assistant can’t help you out.

I have several gigabytes of music files in iTunes, and I just bought a new PC. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how to get them from my old PC to my new one.

Don’t fret; it’s easy to do:

Copy the files to several CDs or a single DVD. Make sure that you copy them, and don’t burn them as audio CD tracks. You’ll find your iTunes files in your My Music folder.

TIP: If you’re selling, scrapping, or giving away a computer that has iTunes installed on it, make sure you “deauthorize” it. If you don’t, it will still count as one of the up to five computers you can play iTunes files on. To deauthorize your computer, in iTunes select Advanced – Deauthorize Computer, select Deauthorize Computer for Apple Account, and enter your Apple ID and password.

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