Idiots guide to sharing iTunes library required please!

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Level 1

4 points

Idiots guide to sharing iTunes library required please!

HI

Sorry if this is repetition of a much asked/answered question, although I have trawled the Internet and still in search of a straight talking and understandable answer (I am not the most techie of people!).

I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive that I plug into my (non Apple) laptop. This was set up when I first bought an iPod 10 or so (maybe more) years ago. Most of the music currently on my iTunes has been uploaded by me from CD's. I am signed into my iTunes on my iPad (3rd generation) and iPhone 4c, where 'most' of my music appears although I have noticed not all.

My partner has an iPad Air and a iPhone 6 and all of his music is on my iTunes (he used to use my iPod), he would like to access my iTunes library on his iPad and iPhone instead of starting his own. Is this possible? He obviously generally signs onto his devices with his own Apple ID.

We previously signed up to iTunes Match as thought this would solve the problem, although I now get the impression it is only for purchased music and most of our music currently is from uploaded cd's?

So to recap:

My iTunes library is on an external hard drive I plug into my (non-Apple) laptop. It contains mainly CD's uploaded by me over the past 10 years or so (Not much iTunes downloaded music).

I access my iTunes on my iPad and iPhone, although it does not seem to show everything.

My partner would like to access my iTunes library as his only iTunes music option on his iPad and iPhone.

We are happy for both of us to be linked to the same payment card and any changes/purchases made by either of us to appear everywhere (ie mirrored library on all devices).

We do not want to be signed into our devices in general with the same user name/passwords as have different app requirements etc.

Hope I haven't bored on too long and if anyone can give me a simple and clear answer (the idiot version!) I would be so appreciative.

Many thanks.

Posted on Oct 31, 2015 1:42 AM

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Answer 1

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,330 points

Oct 31, 2015 2:11 AM in response to suz p

Probably the main point of iTunes Match is to have your own music (e.g. copied from CDs or bought from other sources) available in the cloud (your music will be matched to store versions if it's in the store, if no match your copy will be uploaded) so that you don't have to manually sync or copy it onto your devices and computers : http://www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-match/

For the matched library to then show on the device you need to be using that id in Settings > App And iTunes Stores on it :Use iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or your computer - Apple Support

When you signed up to iTunes Match, did you have your music in that iTunes library so that it could match or (if there wasn't a match found in the store) upload it ?

For home sharing to work you need :

- the music to be in the computer's iTunes library that you are sharing from

- home sharing to be enabled on that computer's iTunes (File > Home Sharing menu option)

- home sharing, using the same account as you used to share on your computer, to be enabled on the iPad and iPhone (if you want to share to both) : Settings > Music > Home Sharing

- iTunes on that computer to be open

- your computer's iTunes and iPad and iPhone to be connected to the same wifi network

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