iTunes app on two different computer to same media library?

Chris CA wrote:

I guess this is the part that wasn't clear to me before trying things out myself. I find that any number of computers can open the iTunes library at a time, but only the first one will actually be able to modify it. If you just want to play what's in the library, it works fine (for me so far).

So each computer at the same time, is using the same iTunes library.itl stored on the NAS?

And it can be opened multiple times (using the iTunes Server on the NAS)?

iTunes library = iTunes folder (with iTunes library.itl, etc. and all iTunes media, regardless of where it is located).

iTunes media folder = By default, contains the media in iTunes and by default is located inside the iTunes folder.

Yes, I have both computers set up to use the same iTunes library.itl that is stored on the NAS. Both can open the .itl file at the same time, but only the first one that opens it will be able to make changes to it that actually get retained. No problems with simultaneous playback.

Note that you mentioned "iTunes Server on the NAS", but that is a separate thing. The Synology does have an iTunes server, but that turned out to not do everything I wanted it to do, which is why I tried this single, shared iTunes library approach.

Gotcha...

I was wondering about this myself. I just go a Macbook Pro last week and am using Windows 8 via bootcamp on it, along with a PC from work. My iTunes library is self-contained (library files and all) on a seagate portable 1TB drive, so I'm able to access the music and video files by clicking shift and selecting the library file on the external drive. It's worked out fine so far, but I've only synced to the original work PC until I can make sure there won't be any serious issues.

Any further feedback?

I still haven't run into any real problems yet, and I've been using it a decent amount for the last few days. But my setup sounds a little different from yours. Are you trying to share between Mac iTunes and Windows iTunes, or is it just two Windows iTunes instances? I have no idea if Windows iTunes and Mac iTunes have any differences in the iTunes library.itl schema.

I'm talking about using it on two Windows iTunes instances. I have no intention of running it on the Mac OS version of iTunes because, after my research, it would appear that the Mac OS handles the library a little differently. Besides, I spend most of my time on the Windows partition anyway.

I've made a complete clone of my entire iTunes library, so maybe I'll take the plunge and give it a shot. At least that way, if something were to go wrong, I have the entire library somewhere else and not at risk.

Well, now I'm experiencing a problem where I can only connect to the iTunes library from one computer at a time. I'm not sure when this problem started because I haven't really been opening iTunes on the iMac for a while. It may have been a recent update to the Synology NAS that I ran about a week ago.

So I can still share the library, but only one Mac can open it at a time. Kinda blows. 😟

If I have time to figure out a fix, I'll update here.

I've been reading this with interest, as I'm having problems running iTunes on two different machines, with the iTunes library, media etc. on a Seagate Goflex drive.

I've run iTunes on a Windows 8.1 laptop for over two years with no more problems than you would expect from iTunes! I have recently acquired a MacBook Air, and am wanting to run iTunes on that, using the same library and the same media. The impression I get from the above is that that shouldn't be a problem providing I only have iTunes open on one machine at a time.

The problem I have is that each time I open iTunes on either machine and try to play some music, I get the message that iTunes can't find the file to play. I find it manually, and select for it to use that location to find the other missing files, which it does. However the next time I open iTunes the same thing happens.

Can anyone offer any advice on this please.