Article
Transferring iTunes Library to a new Mac
By Jerrod H.
Contributing Editor
Published: Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Articles Categories: Ask iLounge, iTunes, Mac
Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-, iPhone-, iPad-, iTunes-, or Apple TV-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.
Q: I currently manage my iTunes library from an eMac at home, but as I move away for college, I’ll be buying a MacBook to take with me. What’s the best way to transfer my music library (including all playcounts, playlists, and ratings) to my new computer before I leave?
- Josh
A: The easiest method - by far - is to simply utilize Apple’s “Migration Assistant,” a feature of MacOS X Tiger that makes getting a new Mac extremely easy. You’ll need a 6-pin to 6-pin Firewire cable, but other than that, simply follow Apple’s easy directions, and your entire music library, Documents folder, eMail settings, iPhoto library, and more are transferred to your new Mac, just as they were on the old one. We’ve used it several times before, and for the most part, you’ll feel perfectly at home when you start up the new machine after the Migration Assitant is done.
If for any reason this isn’t an option to you, or if PC-based readers are interested in answering a similar question, take a look at our article Copying Music from an iPod to a Computer, for detailed instructions on how to use your iPod as a middle-man in order to transfer your entire iTunes library and its metadata to a new computer.
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1
What is the best portable speaker system for ipod that has a nice sound that can be projected for a good distance outside? I would also need to use it on AC and DC. What do most people prefer and where is the best place to purchase it?
Posted by munsons on June 13, 2006 at 4:37 PM (PST)
2
I’m having a problem with the play order on my iPod in that it seems to order the correct play order of each song on the album.
When I import a CD in to iTunes, it seems to store and play the songs in the order of the songs as they are on the CD. I then drag the album over onto my iPod, and it appears that the songs are in the correct order. But when I play an album in my iPod, it seems to ignore the play order of the album. What am I doing wrong?
Posted by rbendis on June 27, 2006 at 10:17 AM (PST)