Using iTunes with multiple hard drives

There is a setting in Preferences for iTunes that identifies the location.

But the easiest way, in my opinion, is to just hold down the option key when starting iTunes. That gives you the choice of navigating to and selecting the library you want to use.

Once chosen in this fashion, that iTunes will use that library until you change it.

Some of this will depend upon how you are organizing the music.

I have my media on two hard drives but all is organized by a single library on one of the drives. Of course I do not have itunes organize my music. As far as I know if I move a file from one drive to another I have to re-add that file to iTunes and any non-smart playlists that contain it. In doing so it basically sees the file as a new item and it will reset the playcount and rating for the item. That information isn't part of the file but is part of the library reference information. iTunes is pretty good about keeping track of a file moved on the same drive, but it loses them if moved between drives.

If you have multiple libraries (as another poster uses in a reply) you can just identify the new library location by starting with the option key held down and navigating to the new library location.

mbs4298 wrote:
... what is the easiest way to have iTunes recognize the new location of my music?

the best way would be to let iTune do the moving.

*Chris CA* had this brilliant tip in another thread:

In iTunes 9.
iTunes prefs -> Advanced.
Set the iTunes media folder location to the external.
Then select the movie files (or any files in iTunes) and right click Consolidate.
This will copy only the movies to the external location.
After it finishes, iTunes prefs -> Advanced and set the iTunes media folder location back to the internal. This will tell iTunes to use the internal drive for new files.
You can then delete the movies from \Music\iTunes\ on the internal to free up space.
To copy a movie back to the internal, simply right click - Consolidate (since you pointed iTunes back to the internal).

just edit these instructions to meet your needs.

mbs4298 wrote:
I have thought about the consolidate feature before but with the amount of music I have I don't want it to skip anything and will it work correctly if I am using 2 hard drives for the music?

yes. you can have media files split over a number of drives. the trick is to let iTunes do all the moving lest it loses track of their location.

here are some interesting reads on the subject: one and two.

mbs4298 wrote:
So, I can change the iTunes library location to one of the new drives and then select the half of my library going to that drive and consolidate those tracks, then change the library location to the other drive and consolidate the next half of the music to that drive? And then itunes will recognize the 2 new locations for music?

exactly. however, all drives with iTunes content should be mounted prior to launching iTunes or you'll get the dreaded exclamation mark.

happy computing !

mbs4298 wrote:
Cool. Now I just have to buy another hard drive and move 125,000 songs. Thanks for the help.

my pleasure and ... happy computing !

Thank you for very useful info as i didnt know that.

Another question if its not too much trouble.

Would consolidate work by setting up movies to lets say hd1, tv shows hd2 and music hd3?

msen wrote:
Thank you for very useful info as i didnt know that.

Another question if its not too much trouble.

Would consolidate work by setting up movies to lets say hd1, tv shows hd2 and music hd3?

of course. you just have to be aware where you point iTunes, then apply the procedure described above. be sure to *right-click/consolidate selection* or iTunes will attempt to move all media files to that specific location.

while the tip by *Chris CA* is very elegant, i don't trust myself to always remember the settings i made. consequently (and considering that my library exceeds 1.3 TB), i have chosen to use two of these drives (one as main, the other as backup). these drives are very fast and extremely quiet.

i prefer HD (for movies/tv shows) and Apple Lossless files (music), and considering the rate i'm adding content, i guess within the year i shall have to consider getting 2x4 TB drobo's to replace the LaCie's.

Thx Jolly Giant.

Do you know if i can use them in apple TV?

msen wrote:
Thx Jolly Giant.

Do you know if i can use them in apple TV?

if you mean whether you can connect a USB drive to the TV's USB port, the answer is no. the TV's USB port cannot be used for anything other than an USB light or fan.

After your recommendation i have setup 3 different library. 1-Music, 2-Movies and 3-Tv shows. As i was using itunes library i wanted to pair 3 new libraries which i did but i cannot sync it with apple tv as sync is not available now. I hope i managed to explain the problem.

thx again.

Metin