Consolidate your iTunes library. Before you make a backup of your iTunes files, consolidate all of your media into the iTunes Media folder. To consolidate your media: Open iTunes. From the menu bar at the top of your computer screen or at the top of the iTunes window, choose File Library Organize Library. Select 'Consolidate files.'
Many users are asking about how to transfer iTunes library to a new computer. Most of them are interested in this topic because they want to keep all the songs, apps or any other kind of data when switching PCs. Have you ever been annoyed with such a job? Here two ways are offered to help.
Two methods to transfer iTunes library to a new computer
Method 1. Manually transfer iTunes library to new PC
Disadvantages:
- Reinstalling iTunes on your new PC is required.
- An external hard drive or USB stick with enough storage space for your iTunes library is needed.
Step 1: On the old computer, go to 'My Documents' > 'My Music', copy the entire 'iTunes' folder to an external drive.
Step 2: On the new computer, reinstall the latest version of iTunes, copy the iTunes folder from the external drive to 'My Music' folder on the new PC.
Depending on the number of files you have in your library, it may take a while to get things done. And if you want an easier way, you can try EaseUS PC transfer software. The program allows you to move iTunes to new PC with all the playlists, albums, TV shows, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, apps, and other files.
Method 2. Use PC transfer software to move iTunes to new PC
EaseUS Todo PCTrans is a secure PC transfer tool that can help you migrate apps, files, and your Windows accounts from one computer to another via different ways. It can also help you move apps from between your computer drives.
Advantages:
- Directly move iTunes and library data to a new PC via Wifi, avoiding all the disadvantages of method 1.
Step 1: Install and launch EaseUS Todo PCTrans on both PCs (source and new PCs)
On the source computer, select the 'PC to PC' transfer mode and then click the 'PC to PC' button to continue.
Step 2: Connect two PCs (the source and target computers)
1. Make sure both computers are connected to the same LAN and click 'Continue'.
2. Select your target computer by its IP address from the detected devices and click 'Connect' or click 'Add a PC' and enter its IP address.
3. Enter the login password of the target computer and click 'OK'. (If there is no login password, click 'OK' to continue.)
4. Select the transer direction - 'Transfer from this PC to other PC' and click 'OK' to continue.
Step 2: Select apps, programs, and software to transfer
1. Check 'Applications' and click 'Edit' to select applications to transfer.
2. Tick the specific programs (marked as 'Yes') that you want to transfer to another computer and click 'Finish' to confirm.
Step 3: Click 'Transfer' to start transferring programs from one computer to another.
The speed of the transfer process varies based on the size of the apps.
Having had a general understanding of the two methods, now you can choose the one you like to move entire iTunes library to from one computer to another.
So you want to move your iTunes library to a different spot, maybe to a network drive, network-attached storage (NAS) device, or another computer.
It seems like a complicated job, especially if you have a vast collection of music, apps, and other content. But by following the right steps, you should be able to perform the operation successfully. Let's walk through how to move your library to a NAS or network drive as well as a PC.
1Locate iTunes Media
When you install and set up iTunes in Windows for the first time, the software automatically chooses a location to house your library of music and other content. By default, that location is C:users[username] MusiciTunes. That folder stores the iTunes library file, which is a database of all your iTunes content, along with other files.Your content itself is saved in the folder iTunes Media, which contains subfolders for your music, movies, TV shows, books, and other items. You can confirm the location for your iTunes content by opening iTunes. Click Edit > Preferences > Advanced. The location of your iTunes Media folder is displayed.2Move Your iTunes Library to a Network Drive
Let's first look at moving your iTunes library onto a network. Why go through the trouble of moving your library to a network drive or NAS? Well, a computer that houses your iTunes library needs to be turned on any time you want to access your music or other content from a different PC or other device. By moving your library onto a network, you or anyone else in your household can access the content from any computer or mobile device in your home.Okay, let's say you've already set up your network drive or NAS. Now, create a specific network share in which to store your iTunes library and content. You'll need to do this through the software for your router or NAS. You can name it something like iTunesContent. Then, from your computer, open File Explorer or Windows Explorer. Map a drive to this new network share, maybe assigning the letter I to iTunesContent. Finally, create a folder on your new network share called iTunes. Then, open your new iTunes folder and create a subfolder called iTunes Media.3Copy Files
Still in File Explorer or Windows Explorer, copy all the subfolders in the iTunes folder, except the iTunes Media folder, from your computer to the iTunes folder on your network.4iTunes Media Folder
Open iTunes. Click on the Edit menu and then select Preferences. At the Preferences window, click on the Advanced icon. Click on the Change button for your iTunes Media folder location and navigate to and select the iTunes Media folder on your network share. The location should say: I:iTunesiTunes Media (assuming you used I as the drive letter for mapping). Then check the two options for 'Keep iTunes Media folder organized' and 'Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library.' Click OK to close the Preferences window.5Move and Rename
A message will say it's updating your iTunes library. It then asks if you would like it to move and rename the files in your new iTunes Media folder to match the “Keep iTunes Media folder organized” preference? Click Yes.6Add Folder to Library
Now, it’s time to move your iTunes content. Click on the File menu. Then click on the command to 'Add Folder to Library.'7Select Subfolders
From the 'Add to Library' window, drill up or down to your iTunes Media folder and select all the subfolders except for the 'Automatically Add to iTunes' folder. So you should select Audiobooks, Books, iTunes U, Mobile Applications, Movies, Music, Podcasts, and TV Shows. Then click the Select Folder button.8Hurry Up and Wait
iTunes now starts adding the content from the library on your computer to the new library on your network. Step away from your computer and take a nice long break as the copying is likely to take a long time, especially if you have a large library.9Did the Files Transfer?
After the copying is complete, close iTunes. In File Explorer or Windows Explorer, open the iTunes Media library on your network and make sure the folders and files for your music, apps, books, and other content are there.10Rename iTunes Folder
Rename the iTunes folder on your computer to something like iTunes-old. Hold down the Shift key and reopen iTunes from its shortcut on the desktop or the Start menu. A message pops up asking you to choose the iTunes library. Click on the 'Choose Library' button. In the Open iTunes Library window, navigate to and select the iTunes Library.itl file in the iTunes folder on your network and then click the Open button.11Test Your Handiwork
iTunes opens and should display the content from your music folder or whatever folder you last accessed. Select the other types of content from the menu, such as movies, TV shows, and books, to make sure the thumbnail images for those items display in iTunes. You should also try playing some music, movies, or TV shows to ensure that they play properly.When you're satisfied that all your content files now reside on the network and that iTunes is pointing to them, you can delete the old iTunes folder on your computer. From now on, any time you open iTunes, the software will access your files from the network.12Move Your iTunes Library to Another Computer
Now, let's go over the steps for moving your library to another computer. For this exercise, we'll move it from one Windows computer to another. Let's call the current iTunes computer the source and the new iTunes computer the target. First, install iTunes on the target computer if you haven't already done so. But don't open iTunes just yet. If you did already open iTunes on your target computer, launch File Explorer or Windows Explorer. Navigate to the C:Users[username]Musicfolder. Delete the entire iTunes folder.13Join a HomeGroup
To move the library, copy the iTunes folders and content directly from the source computer to the target computer. The easiest way to do this is to have both computers join the same Windows HomeGroup, a quick, simple way to access shared folders from one networked computer to another.On the source computer, open File Explorer or Windows Explorer. Navigate to C:Users[username]Music folder. Select and copy the iTunes folder.Still in File Explorer or Windows Explorer, click on the entry for HomeGroup, then the entry for your username, and the entry for the target computer. You should see all the shared folders of the target computer, including the Music folder.14Paste Your Files
Open the Music folder. Right-click on any empty area and click on Paste (or press Ctrl+V) to paste the iTunes folder from the source to the target computer. Take a nice, long break as the copy is likely to take awhile.15Authorize This Computer
After the copy finishes, open iTunes on your target computer. If you haven't yet authorized this computer for iTunes, click on the Account menu, move to Authorizations, and then click on 'Authorize This Computer.'At the window to authorize the computer, sign in with your Apple ID and password and then click the Authorize button.16Test Your Handiwork
Now, move to the different categories, such as Music, Movies, and TV Shows, and make sure you can access and play the content.If all is well, go back to your source computer. Make sure you deauthorize iTunes so it's not chewing up a license. You can then delete your iTunes content and uninstall iTunes at the source.