Backup/Storage for iTunes.

nas to store then make sure they are backed up again. sods law they could fail . at the cost of 1 tera going for just ovver £60. ikeep one back up at home and the other somewhere else. last count 2650 cds ripped. very boring . wouldnt want to do it again

Thanks rich, more stuff to do!
PS your tip on another thread about cables was helpful and saved me a bob or two.

I simply use a 1TB external drive hooked up to my Mac Book Pro via Firewire. All very tidy and easy to work with.

I run 2 libraries; the external is AIFF but the second library on the Mac Book itself is compressed which enables me to easily leave home with music.

Dabs are selling 2tb drives for £100 now.

No excuses.

quote:

I run 2 libraries; the external is AIFF but the second library on the Mac Book itself is compressed which enables me to easily leave home with music.

How do you manage to do this ? I have a MBP and the folks at Apple told me that it is not possible to run 2 libraries on a single MBP.

quote:

Originally posted by Dasher:

quote:

I run 2 libraries; the external is AIFF but the second library on the Mac Book itself is compressed which enables me to easily leave home with music.

How do you manage to do this ? I have a MBP and the folks at Apple told me that it is not possible to run 2 libraries on a single MBP.

It is actually pretty easy. Use two different user accounts. I do this on my Mini. I have a library of the compressed versions for loading iPods and a library of uncompressed files for playing at home. Periodically, I create compressed copies of my new stuff, switch (logout/login) to the other user and import them.

You can set your iTunes music folder to be fully shared or perhaps better, keep the compressed and uncompressed files separate. Set your main iTunes folder to be shared as read-only, and your secondary user ID will see the files and be able to import and copy them to a different folder. To switch, logout and log back in as the your other user. You can then clean up your uncompressed music folder by deleting the any redundant compressed versions. Sort in iTunes by bit rate and delete as a block (say yes to "move files to trash" option).

There are a lot of variations on how you could achieve this, but the key is the two separate users/accounts. You need to be a bit careful not to end up with too many copies, but "show duplicates" in iTunes is a useful tool for keeping things clean.

quote:

uote:
I run 2 libraries; the external is AIFF but the second library on the Mac Book itself is compressed which enables me to easily leave home with music.


How do you manage to do this ? I have a MBP and the folks at Apple told me that it is not possible to run 2 libraries on a single MBP.

When opening itunes, hold down the option key. You will then be prompted to open 'X' account or create another account.

Sorry, just to clarify; I meant to say Library's in my last post, not Accounts.

Aim is to set up your main library on an external drive and a second compressed library either on the external or on the MBP.

You can of course set up another account; just means you need to set up a new Mac User Account first.

You would be better off by far simply using the fantastic sharing features of itunes in your circumstances, its why it was designed.

Macs come with Time Machine built-in (from OSX 10.5 and later, from memory), so just use that to back up to one or more hard drives.

No need for separate libraries, just keep a single library on your computer (ALAC or AIFF if that's your bag) and then check the 'Convert higher bit rate songs to 128 kbps AAC on the summary panel in iTunes for your iPod or iPhone. Means you can take loads of music with you, but still have hi-res songs at home.

It takes a while to do the first conversion (my iPhone 3GS took HOURS) but worth it in my opinion; I got 12-13Gb back…

Simon

quote:

Originally posted by James L:

quote:

uote:
I run 2 libraries; the external is AIFF but the second library on the Mac Book itself is compressed which enables me to easily leave home with music.


How do you manage to do this ? I have a MBP and the folks at Apple told me that it is not possible to run 2 libraries on a single MBP.

When opening itunes, hold down the option key. You will then be prompted to open 'X' account or create another account.

Well who knew? My system is a clunker compared to that. Thanks.