Transferring My iTunes Library... Did I Do This Right?

I just received my new Macbook (switcher!) and I wanted to transfer my music onto the new laptop. I plugged in my backup cds and told the MB to restore to music. Everything looks normal, except for the fact that my files say "restored playlist." No biggie. Here's my question, before I plug in my iPod: is it this easy? This would seem to make it really easy for people to copy someone else's music onto their computer.

Also, is changing the iPod over to the new computer pretty staightforward?

Thanks for putting up with my computer illiteracy!

Ryan

 

Easiest way to move the library is to just copy the entire Music folder from the old machine to the new one. iPod will not need any goofy changes, no other work needed.

 

Actually the easiest way to transfer your music is to disable iPod syncing on the new computer. Plug in your iPod, and authorize the new computer. There will be an option to transfer your songs from your iPod to it. Thats what I did.

 

Ok so I got all the music over to the new computer... but now when I plug in my iPod, and it shows my iPod's status there is a chunk of memory the same size as my music marked as "other" taking up space... I already put the iTunes folder from my iPod folder into the trash and still this problem...

 

i don't know how it works with an ipod, but I noticed when I use a memory stick the space is not free until I also empty the trash... bizzare but true.

 

Trash is empty

 

the best way to transfer music when using iTunes, on a Mac or PC, is to go to Apple.com and look how they tell you to do it.

if all of your music is in the iTunes music folder, like it should be, unless you are trying to organize your music in a folder structure yourself, which completely misses the point of using iTunes, all you have to to is go to where ever that directory is. should be in the Music folder, you should see an iTunes folder in the music directory.

all you have to do to transfer your entire library to another computer, is copy the itunes folder to the iTunes directory on the new computer, which will always default to the music folder. This will keep all of your playlists, play counts, and ratings as well, as all the .xml data is kept.

it is very easy to copy music to a computer using iTunes, but purchased music can only be played on 5 authorized computers.

transferring purchases from an iPod, will do only that, transfer purchased iTunes music, not any of your music imported from disk or wherever.

just copy the iTunes folder.

and with the iPod I recommend just plugging it into the new computer and restoring it. just make sure everything on it is backed up on the computer like it should be. never treat an iPod as the only place you are storing your music.

 

i just switched yesterday. i used a program called tune tools that copies songs off the ipod onto the computer. and idk what this whole thing with restoring the ipod for mac is i didnt have to do anything like that and my mac sees my ipod fine.

 

Thanks for all the replies... Restoring the iPod did the trick!

 

Hey everybody.

I also a lot of songs on my windows pc, and I am also a switcher. I tried the trick with copying the Music folder to the iPod as a file, but when I put it on my MacBook, the files were locked and unuseable. now I've triede moving my files from my pc to my mac via our network. that worked with 4000 of 6000 songs. problem is that I miss my 2000 songs and my pc iTunes was empty after the network stunt. I've recovered my music, but what should I try now.?? I know that my files won't be locked anymore, but I need a fast way to transfer the 6000 songs again..

please help.

(I would like to excuse for typos and other incorrect spelling in my post)

 

I thought you were unable to transfer music directly from your iPod to iTunes on a new computer?

 

ehh ehmm, excuse me? haha, good to hear, now go enjoy your music!

I don't know why the other poster wasn't able to transfer via the entire music folder with the iPod in Disk Mode.

you are transferring from the PC to a MAC? if your iPod is used with the PC, which it is if you are just switching, then it should be formatted in FAT32 which should allow you to use the iPod on a PC and MAC as a HDD/Flash Drive no problem.

make sure it is set to have disk use enabled, and as soon as you see your iPod in My Computer, or Computer on Vista you should simply be able to copy your entire iTunes Music folder to the iPod, copy that folder to the Mac, Music folder, open iTunes, and if you haven't changed any preferences, your entire library should be there and the iTunes library should update.

if you are having trouble with that^^ give a more detailed explanation of your problem and I am sure we can help.

 

I did exactly that but could get my playlist to transfer over

 

I assume you mean "but couldn't get" so I will say, I really have no idea, there is no reason your playlists wouldn't have transferred over, as long as you copied the entire iTunes folder with all of the files that are in it.