Submit Hint Search The Forums LinksStatsPollsHeadlinesRSS
14,000 hints and counting!


Click here to return to the 'Use one iTunes 9 library from two Macs at once' hint
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Use one iTunes 9 library from two Macs at once
Authored by: atomb on Oct 16, '09 08:20:28AM

Can this be done with a Mac and a PC sharing the same iTunes 9 Library. Are you just pointing one mac to the others library or are they both pointing to a NAS?



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use one iTunes 9 library from two Macs at once
Authored by: Christian Leue on Oct 16, '09 09:02:32AM

This opens interesting perspecitves if it works reliably. You could in theory then put the library on a NAS or server volume, and wouldn't have to use the iTunes sharing. It needs to be explored how record locking is done. What happens when two machines add music to the library at the same time? Looks like I have a project for this weekend!



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use one iTunes 9 library from two Macs at once
Authored by: TF on Oct 16, '09 09:49:02AM

@Christian, please report back you findings from this weekend. It would be great to find out what you learn. Thanks in advance.



[ Reply to This | # ]
don't use one iTunes 9 library from two Macs at once
Authored by: Christian Leue on Oct 16, '09 11:47:26AM

That was quick enough: yes, you can do a "ln -s" of the local Music/iTunes folder to a shared drive or NAS and you can launch iTunes on two Macs at the same time. But that's all, and I think that "feature" has been available for many iTunes generations. Any additions to the library from one iTunes instance are reflected on the second machine only when you quit and relaunch iTunes on the second machine. If you edit a title on the first machine, the changed title becomes visible on the second machine only after you click the song to play it. I didn't bother to check what chaos will happen when both iTunes instances change the library at the same time, as I'm sure my library is too valuable to me to even want to try it.

Thus, you should only access the library read-only from the second machine. And then you might as well enable iTunes sharing on the first machine (yes, it has to stay turned on and may not go to sleep) and stream to the other Macs.



[ Reply to This | # ]