How to transfer iTunes songs from one computer to another
76Move iTunes songs from one computer to another
So you have iTunes music on two computers and want to consolidate? It's happened to me, too. Bought a new computer, and also downloaded music on my work computer. Thought I could transfer them to my main computer at home with my iPhone. No such luck. But you can move songs legally and not run into problems with Apple or iTunes (in fact, an Apple rep is the one who told me how to do it). Here's how you do it.
Transfer iTunes music from one computer to next
If you are moving your music from, let's say, your home computer, to your work computer (so you can listen to music at work), then first, go to your home computer and move your iTunes library to recordable media, meaning a CD (if you have a CD burner), DVD (if you have a DVD burner), or flash drive (if you have one of those).
- Go to your iTunes Music folder on your computer.Windows: (Documents & Settings > [your username] > )My Documents > My Music > iTunes > iTunes MusicMac: [your home folder] > Music > iTunes > iTunes Music
- Copy this entire folder to a CD, DVD or flash drive. You could try zipping it and emailing it if you only have a song or two, but anything beyond that, and it will be too large.
- At your second (recipient) computer, insert the CD, DVD or flash drive.
- Open iTunes
- Choose File > Add to Library...
- Select the iTunes Music folder in your recordable media in the dialog box
- Give it a few minutes to import all the files
- Done!
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Thanks Jimmy! It is pretty easy. Not sure why Apple doesn't allow you to use your iPhone or iPod to do the same thing!
Good job! Thanks
Now that is quite easy. Thanks.
Your fan.
Mon.
Thanks, Livelonger.
OMG - you are my hero! Recent computer crash and I'm all kinds of confused about getting my life back on the box that holds my life...my computer. Bless you!
Great advice. I also found out that when I got a new computer that files I had purchased from ITunes were reloaded once I plugged in my Ipod.
Thanks! I have about 36G of music on an external hard-drive that is linked up with my itunes on my home PC. Sounds like I can just plug it into my work Mac (if the external drive works with the Mac, which I'm not sure it will) and voila. I'll have to try it soon.
thanks for the tips, i was always wondering how to do that. For some reason some of my older itunes music comes up as "not found" so maybe i can just export it to my new laptop to see if it works.
i did this but when i take the flash drive out and try to play the songs i added it says it cannot find the folder and therefore will not work. what do i need to change? could it be a prob that one comp is mac and my laptop is not?
olivia: Not sure what's going on. Maybe after you do the Add to Library step, play each song just once, before you disconnect the flash drive. Let me know if that works.
Very Cool! I asked this question just today! Talk about the universe aligning! Thank You!
whatre we supposed to do if you have like thousands of songs? i tried to put it on a cd but it couldnt hold all of my music
Hi Kiera - Then you'll have to do it via an external hard drive. You can buy one with 100 MB for less than $50 nowadays.
Olivia. you need to drag and drop from your flash drive to a folder on your computer, then copy the songs from there into your itunes.
By only copying from your flash drive to your itunes library, only the song title data is transferred and itunes is accessing the music files directly off the flash drive. once removed...it can no longer access it.
hope that helps
Hey, guys... would you happen to know any way to move the songs on your IPOD into your ITUNES library?
Nicole - I heard about a piece of software called iDump that can take things off your iPod and add them to your computer. Not sure if there's another step after that to pull it into iTunes but I'd google iDump and see where it leads you...
Thanks for the info. It's just what I needed today.
there is also a program called tune tools for ipod that can help get stuf off your ipod and put it on a computer. it works as a great back-up system.
The problem comes between XP and Vista. I have had a terrible time doing this. All my iTunes downloads are on CDs which will not upload to vista iTunes. and it's not the CDs as they were burned, tested once, and never touched again.
Thanks!!!i can finally steal my stepdads music... Mwahahahahaha
EXCELLENT !!! THANKS FOR ALL.
working
jimmythejock says:
3 months ago
cool, alot easier than i thought, thanks for sharing this livelonger.....jimmy