How to manage iTunes storage.
Posted by: BigH47 on 18 May 2010
I use my iMac as a tertiary source TT and CD are my primes. It is simply connected to the pre with a copper cable from MACs headphone socket, and is ALL I need ATM.
So to the question itunes is taking more and more space on the MACs hard drive, I do a backup every now and then.
Should I be using iTunes "off MAC" as it were, ie some sort of external system just for the music, especially if iTunes grows much more?
I really don't want any thing complicated , bit errors and jitter free solutions all sound far too complicated (expensive) and are not needed.
Simples answers would be appreciated.
TIA
Howard
Posted on: 18 May 2010 by pcstockton
Biggie,
The one problem I have encountered with my Mac and also recently with a friend's Mac is that when storing on an external drive, the Mac stops "seeing" the drive periodically.
This happens for no apparent reason.
If the music is kept on a local (internal) drive this doesn't seem to happen.
-Patrick
Posted on: 18 May 2010 by JeremyT2
Patrick
It seems iTunes does not like me keeping the tunes on my NAS. It drops out occasionally and I keep getting an error message that the iTunes file cannot be saved - although it is!
Searching the Mac forums it seems this problem has existed way back iTunes 7.
The HDX looks at the same NAS for its music stores and has no problem.
Howard - My son keeps his iTunes songs and movies on a WD 500GB hard drive - about £70 - to save space on his Macbook. It seems to work fine and he has another for Time Machine back ups.
When his Macbook was stolen last week it saved a lot of tears before bedtime as the time machine back up recreated all his settings and software including all his A level film and Music course work and he was up and running in a couple of hours.
Jeremy
Posted on: 18 May 2010 by garyi
You just want to set the nas to mount on start up of the mac, I have never had an issue with itunes not spotting it.
Further more if you get a half way decent NAS it can act as an itunes server which takes the problem away completely.
Posted on: 19 May 2010 by PBenny1066
Howard,
all this talk of network attached storage (NAS) might be a bit scary if you can't be bothered with the technology. Simpler way is just to connect an external drive to your Mac using the USB port. External hard disks so cheap now, no reason not to. You will however have to move your iTunes music to the new hard disk. Attached Apple support link describes how - quite easy, although well possible for the unitiated to make a Horlicks of it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449?viewlocale=en_USCheers, Paul
Posted on: 20 May 2010 by BigH47
quote:
although well possible for the unitiated to make a Horlicks of it.
I know how to do that!
Thanks guys, it will take a while to get my head round these suggestions. I of course forgot that I have a Time Capsule so ,y tardy back up system isn't so bad. Also further investigation my iTunes is only 1.5 Gb so far, so it's not taking up that much H/D space ATM.
