Running itunes library on a NAS

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Level 1

124 points

Running itunes library on a NAS

I want to clean up my hard drive on my Macbook and key to this is putting music on my NAS.

The problem with doing the simple thing of setting up a NAS share in itunes is that no artwork can be copied over, and you also then can't synch your ipod or iphone to music in the shared library as it doesn't exist locally - Apple as far as i can see won't let that happen.

The next option i have spent 48 hours doing is creating a new library volume in iTunes - and making that library volume exist on the NAS.

This effectively worked, i copied across everything from my mac - but it unfortunately it also copies and over writes everything else, i.e your iphone apps and places these all on the NAS. I don't want this to happen in case i am away for proologned periods of time and need to synch the iphone etc.

SO - my question is, how do you do it so everything works seamlessly.

I really hope people will answer as i am slowly losing faith with my Synology DS110j and iTunes.

Ade

adelarks: I'm New!; Posts: 5; Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:18 pm

G4, Mac OS X (10.4.1)

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 12:07 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 20, 2011 1:42 PM in response to wonderwhat

Poor you. All you have to copy onto the NAS is the folder with all your mp3. You find it in user/music/itunes/iTunes Music if you decided to let iTunes manage your Files.

Then go to iTunes prefs advanced and change your media folder location accordingly.

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Answer 2

wonderwhat Author

Level 1

124 points

Jul 21, 2011 1:18 AM in response to FreehandAddict

See i was sure i did that, but when i changed the media folder, that's when it started updating all my apps, and when i clicked on one to "show in finder" it directed me back onto the NAS. Which worried me.

So are you saying that shouldn't happen.

Surely if you change the MEDIA volume, which is what you do in iTunes, everything from that point on will take be saved on the server.

If not - i'll start again!

Unfortunately, i have now deleted everything on my mac, and it's just sitting there on my NAS. I'll have to copy every file back now!

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Answer 3

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Jul 21, 2011 2:04 AM in response to wonderwhat

wonderwhat wrote:

I really hope people will answer as i am slowly losing faith with my Synology DS110j and iTunes.

there's a guy blogging on Mac and Synology here.

you might find some useful tips.

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Answer 4

Jul 21, 2011 5:04 AM in response to wonderwhat

I have been doing that for years. I have a library of more than 400 GB with music, videos and movies. All that on a server and I can even listen to music from my house or anywhere in the world if I am connected to internet, without changing anything in my setup. I can sync my iPhone and iPad.

1. In iTunes's prerefence, in advance, choose your NAS.

2. Be sure the two items below are checked (Keep itunes forder organize, AND copy files to media folder)

3. In the File Menu -> Library -> Organize Library -> Check Consolidates files and OK That's it

.... If you want them back to the original location, just change do the same thing in reverse. All file aleready at the right place will not be copied again. For a while I was doing this to make a backup.

You have still have the iTunes folder on your mac, and Yes artwork downloaded by iTunes will stay on your mac. You can use some software to embed the artwork into your MP3/MP4 but the icon preview will stay on your mac.

Warning.

I have done that on a LaCie NAS and it was a pain. File system was not HFS+ and I lost the é,è,à, etc

some will work.

I finally opted to use another mac as a server, create a share via AFP, and with domain name and a DNS installed, I can use it from anywhere, the drive beeing map with a full dns name, it can be resolved by the system either locally or away from home, great !!!! (you have to put the "Automount" option in your share.

Hope this help.

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