iTunes move from iMac to Macmini. Appologies, another Howard iMac fails

Hi,

In iTunes : Preferences, change your library to the one on the server, rather than the default on the local drive; then, import the server's "iTunes Media" folder into iTunes via the File: Import command.

I usually have to try a couple of things to perfect the process, but these are the major concepts.

Best,

Nick

Howard - try the Apple forum. I have not had tremendous success with the most recent iteration of iTunes. I had a similar experience to you with my external hard drive. At some point it seems iTunes can't cope with the volume of files and is prone to error - my HD is just shy of 4TB. I have experienced absent songs, artwork, etc. It was a pain to resolve and still requires some tinkering.

I can't recollect an exact fix but the best tips did come from the Apple forum. What really irritated me was that the new process seems to reset the tags on copied files to render them useless, something to do with the new file management process in the new iTunes.

Sorry not to be more helpful but good luck!

Your intention to use itunes this way is ultra flakey but Nick has explained it.

WARNING.

Itunes is possibly the crapest software on gods green earth. I have used macs since 1991, I am not a hater, but iTunes is shit.

If you use a NAS in this way, then should that nas not be available even for a second and you launch iTunes it will revert your library locally and you will have to reimport it.

You need a methodologly for mounting the NAS under AFP and insuring it stays there. 

So I guess the question is why do you want to use itunes?

Hi, on the issue of reconnection Garyi is right, although I have found if you shut iTunes down and then access the drive in finder, the next time you reopen iTunes, it finds the drive so no need to rescan. I use Phile audio for ripping to the same external drive and I have to do the same there.

We have iTunes on the computer, simply to get the music onto out iPhones. It's a horrible program to use, it's seems to scatter songs around, can't find the artists and cover art is often nowhere to be found. I certainly wouldn't use it to feed the Hifi. There has to be a better way, such as ripping to FLAC and using Minimserver or the like.

Nowt wrong with iTunes - works well for me and feeds our phones, pods and the Hi-Fi. Certainly a lot easier and more reliable than UPnP !

Gary is nearly correct about the NAS and iTunes. I use mine in this way but have set up a script to mount the NAS drive first and then start iTunes on power up. This avoids any issues as the volume which contains the music is always there before iTunes starts. No problem if it doesn't find it. It will just not play any music. Mount the drive then re-start iTunes and all will be well. 

Well all I would say is, if the OP is using itunes because he assumes he has too, there are other options out there providing a better solution.

If he wants itunes for ammara etc fair enough. But on that basis I would get a quiet usb harddrive and connect locally, that harddrive could then back up to the nas.

Spot on James, I have no problems with iTunes but the hassle I had with uPnP on the Muso...

No problems with iTunes finding the library now I'm using a HD because it's always there when the 'puter's switched on, but when I was using a Drobo, which took a while to get itself going, I just set it up in "Users and Groups", "Startup Items", & didn't have iTunes start on switch-on.

IIRC Mr Wat had a clever little dodge whereby you put a shortcut in the library default location that automatically pointed iTunes back to the proper location. Can't recall the exact details though. Perhaps he'll be along later.

That's the opposite of my experience. I find library management and searching to be excellent.

I tried iTunes many moons ago and hated it, it messed around with all my files and was a pain to get rid of. Upnp has worked well for me for a long long time on lots of devices. I have friends who are all Apple who swear by it though.  As long as you have a method that works for you its all good

If you go to the iLounge website, you'll find the info you look for to properly migrate your library

Cheers

iver

iTunes has been working fine with the media on the server and the control on the iMac, I don't where all these horror stories come from, OK it might not be the best but judging by the problems have with other stuff neither are they.

SO just to re-iterate iTunes is working fine as is I just want move the control from iMac to Macmini the data stays put, for some reason I can't get the MM to see it without iMac's iTunes being active too.

From your original post It sounds like you are looking at a shared iTunes library on the iMac with your Mini (using iTunes sharing) hence why you need the iMac on.

You need to run iTunes on the Mini and set the music directory (in preferences) to where you normally keep it on the NAS - see the 2nd post in this thread and this will allow the Mini to work as you want it (and keeps the iMac out of the equation). If you want to listen to music using iTunes on the iMac then you can share the library from the Mini. Don't try and have both computers trying to access the library as this will confuse the database and lead to problems. Just allow one access and share from that library if needed. 

I play iTunes from my Mac Mini exclusively using USB to my V1. No streaming. My movies are stored on an external hard drive.

As far as copying/exporting is concerned, I use the Share Screen option from my upstairs iMac to control the Mac Mini, I have several copies as backups, created by simply dragging and dropping. Both my Mac Mini and the upstairs office iMac have individual Time Capsules, plus there is an external hard drive attached to the upstairs iMac via Thunderbolt which has a copy of iTunes and a copy of my movies. After ripping or DL an album, I just update as necessary.

To change iTunes Libraries, hold down the Option key whilst clicking on the iTunes icon. You will be asked where the iTunes Library is located. Browse to it and then click it to make that the default location. You can change Libraries as many times as you wish. Remember there is no DRM to stop you. I only change libraries temporarily to confirm all is well before reverting to my Mac Mini.

In the almost 2 years of ownership of my V1 and using my Mac Mini with iTunes, I have not once had a single instance of a problem connecting. It just works. I see streaming as an unnecessary inconvenience, but I am not interested in playing music in the kitchen or bathroom, etc.

Happy listening, Richard

I use the above 'option' method to open my iTunes library located on my NAS.

To ensure it's always there I use automount, so any time that directory is accessed then the NAS mount comes up.

Doing this I have iTunes, Sonos and now minimserver for my Naim all happily using the same effective music library... only 1 copy of iTunes at a time can access the iTunes library, and if you want different users to share the same library (it works) you need to make sure permissions are right..

If you're still getting nowhere, how about starting again and using 'Migration Assistant' to set up the MM. You can't tell it just to move your iTunes data, but you could move everything over, then delete everything you don't want. Then all the files, settings etc on the MM should, in theory, be identical to those on the iMac?

Thanks guys. I am having trouble understanding what I have done wrong or failed to implement.

I'll study replies when I have a quiet me moment. I'll report back in a few days, hopefully.

My turn for the RCM on Friday so I might get sidetracked cleaning those pesky HiRes discs.

I found that iTunes does not like smb mounted external music libraries but works fine with afp mounts. you can add the afp mount to your login items under system preferences>users. it will also revert to internal location if external one is not mounted on launch so if this occurs you will need to repoint under iTunes prefs.

can you clarify your set up.. Is it just the music files stored on the server or is the iTunes library file also located there? .. If the lib file and music files are located on the server, then just alias that to your userid>music folder on the mini and iTunes will use it on launch provided the external location is mounted.

Fascinated by your obvious knowledge, but what does smb and afp stand for?

Richard

They are different protocol for mounting files systems over a network.

AFP = Apple Filing Protocol

SMB = Server message block

There are others including file transfer protocol. 

NAS will offer all of these options for accessing its file systems, so you could reasonably 'mount' say your music folder as AFP or SMB

My current iMac -server system works fine as is, as long as one makes sure the server is connected before iTunes starts up, or one makes sure the iTunes is "pointing" to the server location of the media files.

When I look at the "file" information for a track in this set up it show in my case Volume/MasterMusic/Music/ Artist/Album/Track number and title.

If I look at the same information after I have "transferred" to the Macmini it shows file info as "Howard Sanders's Library", and will only see that data if iMac iTunes is open.

So the iTunes solution works for me as is, so "ALL'" I need to do is replicate it on the Macmini to run independantly of iMac.

Simples is what I am looking for, instruction and language please.

Can you see the same server volume for your Mac mini that iTunes on your iMac sees?

Absolutely, and I point Macmini iTunes to the same server and location.

And how are you pointing iTunes on the Mac mini to that library?

Hi BigH47,

it sounds like it works with iMac on due to home sharing, the mini is sourcing a stream from the iMac not your server.

you need to ensure the server is mounted on the mini, with same path as imac since you wish to import the iMacs xml lib.. 

Ensure user on mini has access rights to server file, will need read and write

within iTunes on mini.. iTunes prefs>advanced, set the iTunes media file location to the server folder where you store media

run the import of the xml on iTunes in the mini

ensure the server is mounted on the mini

attempt to play a song, if it asks you to connect to the server then there is a path difference, decline the connect option and it will give you a locate option.. Take that and navigate to where the file is located.. iTunes will then ask if you would like to use this location to repair other orphaned files.. Take that, if may take a few sample files to repair the whole library

if you don't need to import xml, if playlists and ratings are not required On the mini for example.. After mounting the server, in iTunes on the mini, take file> add to library and navigate to the server's media folder.. iTunes shoudl then populate the minis lib file with the tracks