how to share iTunes library between users on same macbook pro?

Thanks for the information. I have a new iMAC running Sierra with two accounts, me and the wife. I just want iTunes to work for both accounts sharing the SAME library (playlists, etc.) and sharing the same media (movies, songs, home videos, etc.)

Just to clarify:

If I place the "iTunes Media folder" (260GB) in the iMAC "Shared Folder" and I copy all the rest of the iTunes "files/folders" (including the "library.itl" file) into two places: first into my "Music" folder and duplicate it in her "Music Folder". And then in both iTunes "Preferences" under "Advanced", I show BOTH iTunes pointing to the "Shared iTunes Media" folder in the "Shared Folder".

Then when I open iTunes, it will use my "library" in my Music Folder but point to the "Shared iTunes Media" for the actual movies, songs, etc.

And when my wife opens iTunes in her account, it will use her "library" (duplicate of mine") in her Music folder but also point to the "Shared iTunes Media folder" for the actual movies, songs, etc. that she wants to play.

Note: we will both not alter the Playlists, libraries etc. in each of our accounts or if I do, I will go into both separate iTunes libraries in both accounts and alter them both exactly the same.

Unless we are able to each have a separate "library" of our own but simply share the "media source"?

Will this work?

Thanks

Actually, all Apple really needs to do is use a database a little better than what they are currently using. Then they could support multiple users accessing the database. They limit multi user access on purpose but not for any technical reason.

iTunes: How to share music between different user accounts ...

Welcome to Apple Support Communities

There is a folder in /Users directory named "Shared" which can be opened by all users and where you can put your iTunes library to be shared among different users. Another option would be to use an external drive.

You only have to copy the iTunes library to that folder. In order to access there, open a Finder window, select the Go menu -> Go to Folder, and type:

/Users/Shared

After doing this, open iTunes while holding down the Alt key, and point iTunes to the library saved in that folder. Finally, open iTunes, go to iTunes menu (in the menu bar) -> Preferences -> Advanced, and choose the iTunes Media folder in the Shared folder. Do this in all your users.

Both roaringgnome's and Niel's answer (which is the same as this one) are valid. Just use the one you want to :-)

Choose Go to Folder from the Finder's Go menu, provide /Users/Shared/ as the path, drag the iTunes library there, go into the other account, launch iTunes with the Option key held down, and choose that library.

(119068)

Thank you very much for this very valuable input.

I have two questions:

1. Can I use this library for two users simultaneously? I.e. the iTunes application being open at the same time in two different user sessions?

2. If I add a playlist, a song, an album, etc. with one user, will the other see the change as well or does he needs to add it as well?

Thank you in advance for your inputs.

The answer to question 1 is definitely 'Yes' if the library is located on an external drive. Not tried it in the manner you describe.

With regard to question 2, this is the big problem with shared libraries. You can add music on either machine and build separate playlists, but the only way I know of to keep the database the same for both users is to run a synchronizing program such as Chronosync. This is not ideal since both users have to remember to do it.

What we really need is built-in support for this function. Given that the machines run multiple accounts and file sharing is supported, it does seem odd that native sharing of a common iTunes database is not supported. Unless of course someone knows different?

rustyintegrale wrote:

The answer to question 1 is definitely 'Yes' if the library is located on an external drive.

The answer is definitely "No" regardless of where the library is located. While the iTunes "library" is in reality the entire contents of an iTunes folder, in the immediate sense it is the iTunes Library.itl file. This file can only be open by one incidence of iTunes at a time. If one user has the file open in one account and forgets to quit iTunes when switching to a different user account the other user will be prevented from opening the file.

The media files are a different matter. You can have two library files pointing to the same set of media files and unless you literally have to users trying to edit the metadata on the same media file at exactly the same time there should be no issues. however, you now have a case where you have two library files each with its own listing of media files and trying to keep them up to date with each other. There is no 100% solution to this.

Well the media library is what I was referring to - ie the location of the actual music files not each individual users database or .itl file.

It is the latter that causes all the problems for multiple users wishing to share one music folder location. Although each individual user can add music the .itl file will only be updated for the user adding the music. The other user will have access to it and can add it to their own 'library.itl' file manually.

Okay, just wanted to make it clear since all the solutions posted two years ago have the other person starting from the same .itl file. 🙂

Thank you all for your inputs and clarifications. I find it very sad, that after so much time and years Apple did not find a simple solution to this problem.

No worries! 🙂

This is one of the most common gripes I hear about iTunes and I have to confess it is really irritating. I have two machines each running their own dedicated libraries. To get round the synchronisation issue I have a self-imposed rule that I only rip music to one machine. Then once I've added album art and tidied up the metadata, I copy the actual music files over my LAN to the other machine and put them on the desktop. These are then imported to the second library on the other machine.

The only issue then is play counts, ratings and playlist data. Keeping these in sync is a nightmare so now I don't bother.

To the OP I totally share your frustrations. In an attempt to overcome multiple music libraries (not .itl libraries) I decided to try Vox http://coppertino.com/ This lets you upload your entire music collection to their servers and supports hi-res music files as well as FLACs (unsupported by iTunes). It then allows you to stream that uploaded music to any other device in the same quality as it was uploaded - so none of this 256kbps stuff from Apple Music.

Vox also adds your playlists and calls them 'collections'. But, these don't show up on the other devices. Neither do any playlists you create on a single device whilst using Vox. That is also a major irritant especially as Vox is a 'paid for' service.

If iTunes supported hi-res (better than CD quality) files and shared .itl files then our problems would be over! 😎

It works this way because iTunes uses a database file to keep track of music. The only alternative would be if iTunes were to constantly scan the entire media folder and each media file (several thousand GB for some people) constantly, slowing your computer to a crawl because nothing else could run. Even then it would need to store all this in memory temporarily somewhere unless you wanted it to have to scan your entire media folder each time you highlighted a track in iTunes. Then too Apple would have to start storing its own customized version of metadata in the files. For example, the industry standard does not include a "play count" field. Then take play count. Whose play count are you going to store unless you start customizing the file metadata even more to include names of users and their metadata> Now take one of those files and put it in your car player and it will go bonkers over what it is supposed to display.