How to Transfer iTunes Library from Mac to Mac

Part 1: How to Transfer iTunes Library from Mac to Mac

Often, Mac users will have more than one Mac in their home. It is the nature of the beast, as they may be so pleased with their exclusive Mac environment that there may suddenly be a MacBook or an iMac in the house where there may have been only one Mac computer previously. So, like households with both PC and Mac systems in them, households with more than one Mac may decide that it’s time to copy their iTunes library from one Mac to another. There are a number of steps to follow when transferring iTunes from one Mac computer to the other, just as there are when you transfer iTunes from PC to Mac. Here is how it’s done:

Step 1. Open iTunes. Go to Preferences > Advanced

From there, click “Keep iTunes Media folder organized” in order to see your iTunes folder stay properly organized and keep the transition from one computer to the other smooth.

Step 2. Deauthorize your computer from the iTunes store

It’s important to ensure that you deauthorize your old computer from the iTunes Store if you are planning on not using your old computer on iTunes anymore. All you need to do is go to Store>Deauthorize this computer, and your old computer will be deauthorized.

Step 3. Move your iTunes Media Folder

From here, it’s simply a matter of closing iTunes on your old computer and moving your iTunes Media folder across the network to your new computer. Locate the Music folder (~/Music) and use either an external hard drive or a wired or wireless network to get the job done.

Step 4. Change the Library on the new computer

Move the iTunes folder to the same location on the new machine as you had it on the old machine. This will help your iTunes on your new computer locate all the music files on your new machine.

Step 5. Launch iTunes while holding down the Option key

A dialog box will open, asking whether you want to "Cancel", "Create a new library", or "Choose an Existing Library". Select "Choose Library", then navigate to where you moved the iTunes folder. Remember that you will overwrite any existing music files in your library.

Step 6. Authorize the new computer in the iTunes Store

This allows you to get any authorized purchases in your iTunes account.

While Mac may be the platform of choice for many iTunes users, there are multiple users who have iTunes for PC and may be looking at transferring iTunes to another PC system. Therefore, it is important to know how to transfer iTunes from one PC to another.