Home sharing does not work with iTunes 12

Question

Level 1

6 points

Home sharing does not work with iTunes 12

I have been using home sharing with iTunes a lot, mainly to stream TV shows from my Mac Pro (2008) to my Apple TV (3rd Gen). But after installing Yosemite and iTunes 12 it doesn't work any longer. My Apple TV finds the iTunes Library, but can't connect with it. At the same time home sharing worked just fine with my iPhone 5 and iPad 2 (iOS 8.0.2). After installing iOS 8.1 home sharing with my iOS devices doesn't work, too – same problem as with Apple TV: iTunes library is found but devices can't connect with it.

I already tried to solve the problem with the suggestions on Apples troubleshooting page: Fehlerbehebungsmaßnahmen für die Privatfreigabe

My setup:

Mac Pro (2008) with OS X 10.10 (14A389), iTunes 12.0.1.26, connected via Ethernet and WiFi
Router: Fritz!Box Fon WLAN 7270
iPhone 5 with iOS 8.1
iPad 2 with 8.1
Apple TV (3rd Gen), newest software update, connected via Ethernet

Any ideas, what the reason for that problem could be and how to solve it?

Thanks a lot in advance.

BTW: Sorry for my English. I am not a native speaker.

Greetings from Germany

;-)

Posted on Oct 21, 2014 10:50 PM

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Answer 1

Blade404

Level 1

4 points

Oct 22, 2014 11:12 AM in response to biochemiker

I had the same.. I found that by signing iTunes out of the store and back in again seemed to correct the problem.

Hope this helps 🙂

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Answer 2

ad-vivum

Level 1

5 points

Oct 22, 2014 12:06 PM in response to biochemiker

I spent most of the day trying to sort out the same problem. 😊

You need to sign in to home sharing (iTunes>File>Home Sharing>Turn on Home Sharing) or sign out and then sign back in.

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Answer 3

biochemiker Author

Level 1

6 points

Oct 22, 2014 12:24 PM in response to Blade404

Unfortunately that doesn't work. I tried that at first.

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Answer 4

biochemiker Author

Level 1

6 points

Oct 22, 2014 12:30 PM in response to ad-vivum

I wish that would solve my problem. But no chance. 😟

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Answer 5

ad-vivum

Level 1

5 points

Oct 22, 2014 12:41 PM in response to biochemiker

Right then...

Close iTunes

Move your iTunes folder (/Music/iTunes) to your desktop.

Open iTunes (it will be empty)

Turn on home sharing / sign in

Close iTunes

Copy the iTunes folder back from your desktop to Music/iTunes/

Open iTunes (It should have your library in it)

Turn on Home Sharing / Sign in

It should work

Fingers crossed.

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Answer 6

Oct 22, 2014 2:40 PM in response to ad-vivum

Jump down, turn around, pick a bail of cotton? Sheesh....

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Answer 7

D_Train

Level 1

5 points

Oct 22, 2014 6:26 PM in response to SideBurns70

LOL!!!

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Answer 8

biochemiker Author

Level 1

6 points

Oct 23, 2014 9:15 AM in response to ad-vivum

Therefore I need another harddisk. My iTunes library contains over 1.6 TB data.

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Answer 9

Oct 25, 2014 5:58 AM in response to biochemiker

I had the same problem after updating to iTunes 12 and using my iPhone 6.

I have solved it by doing these simple steps:

1. Turn off Home Sharing in iTunes. Close it.

2. In your iOS 8 device, Turn on Home Sharing: Settings/Music/Home Sharing

3. Open back iTunes

It looks like in one of the updates, possibly iOS 8.1, had signed off Home Sharing completely.

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Answer 10

MacL0v3r

Level 1

31 points

Oct 26, 2014 5:22 PM in response to biochemiker

May have found a solution: ATV 3 Version 7.0 Home Sharing not woking with Yosemite and iTunes 12

Hope this helps!

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Answer 11

Oct 26, 2014 10:26 PM in response to MacL0v3r

Thank you MacL0vr3! The solution provided in that link worked for me. Usually the solution was to log out and log back into home sharing (When will Apple ever fix this issue? It has been going on for years.) The solution to change the computer name (Preferences -> Sharing) worked for me. It works both with Apple TV 3rd & 2nd Generation.

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Answer 12

Nov 1, 2014 9:06 AM in response to biochemiker

I have tried all of the solutions offered here, including the one about changing the computer sharing name. My problem is that even though I am connected to the internet, I cannot sign out of the itunes store or turn on or off home sharing. I just get stuck at something like "Contacting Apple" for ever. This is definitely a Yosemite/ iTunes 12 issue, as I have my Mountain Lion installation backed up and when I boot to that drive and system everything works perfectly as it should.

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Answer 13

Nov 2, 2014 7:19 AM in response to biochemiker

I finally figured out how it works for me.

in iTunes go to the file menu and select Home sharing then enable home sharing.

after that all mi iOS devices and my Apple TVs worked fine.

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Answer 14

Road Hog

Level 1

20 points

Nov 3, 2014 9:42 PM in response to Blade404

This solved the issue for me. Thanks.

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Answer 15

Nov 5, 2014 4:42 AM in response to biochemiker

Same issues here. Since upgrading to Yosemite, iTunes 12 and OS 8.1 Home Sharing between my 2013 iMac, 2012 Air and 2 Gen 3 ATVs has become useless - and they are all linked via an Airport Extreme router supported by an Aiport Express configured to extend the network. Everything was fine before the software 'upgrades'. Additionally the presence or absence of the computers in the 'Shared' section of the Finder seems cmpletely random (but now always absent when not on the same network) and it feels as though this is something that is quite fundamental to the networking processes - not just Home Sharing. I'm sick of continually turning options on and off and rebooting only to see things work for a few hours before stopping again. And to think that I used to believe a benefit of Apple was that 'it just works'.....

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