This blog post is about how to move the Apple iTunes library to another drive and then access the files from a MAC OS or Windows PC.
Introduction
A while ago my sister wanted to transfer her iTunes library to a NAS drive and then access the songs, movies and TV shows etc via her WiFi network.
Warning: Please make sure you backup your iTunes library before following any instructions. You use these instructions at your own risk, whatever the consequences are.
Note: The instructions below are for Mac OS and Microsoft Windows users.
How to move the iTunes library:
- Move your iTunes library to another drive.
- When opening iTunes press the ‘shift’ key if you’re using Microsoft Windows and the ‘option’ key if using MAC OS.
- Select ‘Choose Library’.
- Browse to the iTunes library folder, then select the ‘iTunes Library.itl’ file and click ‘Open’.
Mini FAQ
Q. Why do I see the error message “The folder containing “iTunes Library” cannot be found, and is required. Please choose or create a new iTunes library.”
A. If you temporarily don’t have access to the drive which stores the library. For example, if using a NAS drive, is the NAS device turned off or is there a network issue? Another reason is that there unfortunately could be a disk problem.
Q. How can I stop my iTunes folder from resetting/reverting back to the default path?
A. Follow the instructions above, which involves holding the ‘shift’ key when opening the iTunes application.
Conclusion
I’m glad my sister asked for my help as I like helping people and now I also store my iTunes library on a NAS drive. I’m only using a 100/10Mbps ethernet network connection and that goes through a switch to a broadband router, before finally connecting to the NAS box. I’ve experienced no problems accessing my iTunes library.