romad
Level 3 (626 points)
Desktops

Q: Migration Assistant to copy ONLY iTunes Library?

I want to copy certain items from my iTunes Library in iTunes 11.x on an iMac running Mac OS 10.8.5 to iTunes 12.x on a MacBook Air running Mac OS 10.10.x.

 

Can that be done with Migration Assistant? The iMac has 35 GB in the iTunes folder while the MBA only has 40 GB available on the hard drive so I don't want everything.

Posted on Jun 8, 2016 4:26 PM

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romad

Q: Migration Assistant to copy ONLY iTunes Library?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 8, 2016 4:38 PM in response to romad
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 8, 2016 4:38 PM in response to romad

    No. MA will transfer all of your Home folder, but is not intended as a basic file or folder backup program. You may just as easily drag the contents of the Music folder on your old computer to the Music folder on the other computer. Or you may choose which particular files you wish to import into the new iTunes library from the old one. A better solution is an external drive on which you can keep the entire music library.

  • by romad,

    romad romad Jun 8, 2016 4:50 PM in response to theratter
    Level 3 (626 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 8, 2016 4:50 PM in response to theratter

    No external drive for the MBA unless I use an SD card. How do I choose which particular files to import into the new Library? Just use the Add to Library function in iTunes on the MBA?

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 8, 2016 7:32 PM in response to romad
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 8, 2016 7:32 PM in response to romad

    Correct on both questions. Your actual music files will be found in the /Home/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/ folder. You can select what you want then add it to the new library by using the Add to Library option under the File menu of iTunes. When the selector opens navigate to the path above.

     

    You can use an SD card if it has a large enough capacity or a USB flash drive of sufficient capacity. You can connect both computers to your home network using Wi-Fi. Be sure to set the old computer into File Sharing mode using your Share preference panel. The following links should help if you aren't sure what to do.

     

    1. Share files between two computers with target disk mode
    2. Mac Basics- File Sharing
    3. File Sharing on Macs
    4. Mac 101- File sharing


  • by romad,

    romad romad Jun 8, 2016 8:02 PM in response to theratter
    Level 3 (626 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 8, 2016 8:02 PM in response to theratter

    Sharing has been enabled for years; it was I had heard it was dangerous to copy items from one iTunes Library to another. However in this case we aren't COPYING per se but rather importing from one to another using the iTunes app not the Finder. I was going to use the SD card as the storage medium and my USB card reader as the link, but maybe a flash drive would be better.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 8, 2016 8:14 PM in response to romad
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 8, 2016 8:14 PM in response to romad

    You sill have no problems importing music directly from the other, older system. I have done this a number of times and it works well. You can also transfer the music you want out of the old iTunes Library and into an external device then "Add" to the new library.