Cloning iTunes

[Danold]

I have my principal iTunes library, 1.5TB media and cover art on my 3TB iMac connected to the music system. Now, for travelling, I purchased a 2TB external drive to use with my MacBook Pro.

 

My problem now is how to synchronize the two iTunes instantiations because on my MacBook iTunes is obviously pointed to the external SSD where the music files are, while some of the (cryptic) iTunes files x.itdb and x.itl reside in the iTunes folder > Music > User.

 

Can you recommend a method that synchronizes these two instantiations without confusing iTunes.app?

 

Thanks!

[semente]

How about using a data synchronization programme?

[Danold]

Well, yes, I use CCC, of course. At the beginning I simply cloned all of my iTunes folder to the external SSD, but iTunes even pointed to that Folder did not correctly recognize the Music and also missed the artwork. After a lot of fiddling it's working now but I still don't know where the crucial items belong to for a correct cloning?

 

If I start iTunes on the MB there is an iTunes folder on the internal SSD containing:

 

Album Artwork

iTunes Library Extras.itdb

iTunes Library Genius.itdb

iTunes Library.itl

iTunes Media (without a folder Music)

iTunes Music Library.xml

Previous iTunes Libraries

 

and when pointed to my external SSD, there is an iTunes folder containing:

 

Album Artwork

Automaticall Add to iTunes

iTunes Library Extras.itdb

iTunes Library Genius.itdb

iTunes Library.itl

iTunes Media (with my large Music folder)

iTunes Music Library.xml

 

Some of the x.itdb, x.itl,  and .xml items seem to necessarily be in my home folder's Music folder, some may be on the external SSD.

 

Does anybody know which of the items in italics MUST be in my home folder's Music folder and which may reside on the external SSD?

 

[kirkmc]

None have to be in the home folder. I find it safer, and faster, since it's always faster to read the library file from the startup disk. But you could put the entire iTunes folder on the external disk, and start up iTunes by double-clicking the library file. 

 

Or, just have CCC sync the iTunes folder in the home folder, and the iTunes Media folder on the external drive. 

[Danold]

On 28/07/2017 at 10:34 AM, kirkmc said:

None have to be in the home folder. I find it safer, and faster, since it's always faster to read the library file from the startup disk. But you could put the entire iTunes folder on the external disk, and start up iTunes by double-clicking the library file. 

 

Or, just have CCC sync the iTunes folder in the home folder, and the iTunes Media folder on the external drive. 

 

OK, thanks, I'd be delighted if that worked. I'll try next week.

 

Cheers.

[GregWormald]

You can keep the two libraries synchronised by using home sharing.

 

Greg

[kirkmc]

1 minute ago, GregWormald said:

You can keep the two libraries synchronised by using home sharing.

 

Greg

That's not true. You can keep their contents synchronized, but not metadata like ratings, play counts, last played, etc.

[GregWormald]

On 01/08/2017 at 8:01 PM, kirkmc said:

That's not true. You can keep their contents synchronized, but not metadata like ratings, play counts, last played, etc.

 

Yeah, some gets embedded in the files, some doesn't. I use "Grouping" for my ratings to ensure they get kept.

 

Greg

[kirkmc]

The metadata that is not embedded is that which is personal; ratings, last played date, play count, love, and any options such as skip when shuffling, playback start and finish, etc. This is so when you share using Home Sharing to another library, the files don't contain information about the previous user's tastes, plays, etc.

[paultaylor]

Also if using Wav files iTunes doesn't understand adding metadata to wavs, so any metadata you add to wav files via iTunes is stored in iTunes database.