Buffalo Forums

   

I'm seeking a set of simple instructions to do the following:

1. centralize my wife's and my iTunes accounts into a single account

2. use the newly acquired LS Pro Duo as the storage medium for all of the iTunes songs from two PC's

3. Ability to sync two iPods from the shared songs

 

 

iTunes is designed to use a location on your actual hard drive forits primary Library.  It is able to view shared libraries on othercopies of iTunes (or on the LinkStation/TeraStation products), but asread-only, and not for syncing.

 

It IS possible to modifyiTunes to use a network volume for hosting the library, or a seconddata drive on your computer other than the volume iTunes itself isinstalled on, but this is not something we at Buffalo can assist with(and Apple will probably be hesitant to guide you through this processas well).  Guides are available if you search the Internet for movingyour iTunes library... but it's out of scope for us.

 

Usingmultiple machines to manage a single iTunes library is not reccomended,as the application is not designed with this functionality in mind. Therefore, it's not possible to open the library and edit it from twomachines at ones, and this can cause problems for the data stored iniTunes.  I would advise against this, personally, but again, there areguides that cover this process, and moving iTunes to run off of a NAS,easily available via a simple Google search. I tried "using one iTuneslibrary from mulitple machines" and found several guides immediatelythat cover both of your requests.

 

The iPod syncing willbe a no-brainer if you're able to accomplish 1 and 2.  Once 1 and 2work, the iPod will have no idea the files are being stored on thenetwork, and will just work with iTunes as normal.

 

Hopefullythis will point you in the right direction.  I would strongly advisebackup up your data if you attempt this, becasue neither we nor Applewill be able to help you reverse any damage done by trying to modifythe way iTunes works on a Fundamental level like this.

   

I don´t know what modifications Scott "almost proposes", but I have just changed the location if the iTunes library to a mapped drive ie Buffalo LS. Both me and other users see the library and also all other LS´s in the network. Use of library at iTunes has to be enabled.

 

I only use one computer to put music into the library, but it seems that even if this computer has sometimes lost its iTunes connection, I have still been able to add music into the same library.

 

At the one computer I use to put music into the library, iPod works normally. Here comes some difficult things, which differ also between iTunes versions especially between Macs and PC´s. So, depending on the version you may either have to move the complete library to your computer and make some massive deleting when its done; or you can pick albums one by one which is more elegant.

 

My experience still is that iTunes tries to do everything by itself and how it wants. So far I still have managed to do what I have wanted to do with it.

 

So, there may not be simple instructions. I would also like to hear some good ideas.

   All- thanks for the assistance.  I should have qualified what I wanted to do somewhat.  I wish to merge two existing iTunes accounts into a single account; then move the library of the merged account onto the NAS but be able to sync two separate iPods from this new arrangement.  I could live with using a single computer (iTunes account) for purchasing new songs if needed but want to share all of the songs from our collection.  Not wanting to break any laws or upset the equilibrium of the universe according to Apple and Buffalo.  does this then get easier?