Article
Two iTunes Music Libraries on one computer
By Jerrod H.
Contributing Editor, iLounge
Published: Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Category: Ask iLounge, iPod nano, iTunes, Windows
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:
We have a Dell Windows XP PC which currently has my iTunes on it, with which I am synchronizing my iPod. My son wants an iPod nano for Christmas, but after consulting Apple, who told me you
can’t run 2 seperate iTunes on the same PC, we decided against it.
I have been speaking to a friend today and he says that he is running 2 versions of iTunes on his PC. Is this really possible? I can’t imagine why Apple would have given me the wrong information. If this can be done, how?
- Jason
A: With your wording above, Apple may have interpreted your question as asking about having two different versions of the iTunes program (i.e. 5.0 and 6.0) installed on your computer. This is not possible.
However, it’s far more plausible that you’re simply wanting to have two completely independent iTunes Music Libraries, which you’re certainly able to do. The easiest and most proper way to accomplish this is to simply create an independent user profile in Windows XP (or MacOS X, for other readers). Then, each user account has a completely separate iTunes Music Library.
To have multiple independent iTunes libraries running in the same Windows XP or MacOS X account, things get significantly more complicated, and third-party software such as Libra (PC/Mac) or iTunes Library Manager (Mac) is required. iLounge typically recommends against this method, simply because it’s not supported by Apple, and may break with future versions of iTunes.
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Ask iLounge Archives:
5-24-12: iTunes TV show size totals don’t match actual disk storage
5-23-12: Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries
5-22-12: Converting Purchased Videos to 1080p HD
5-21-12: Find My Friends always reports home location
5-18-12: Creating an iTunes Match library from an external hard drive
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1
When I have tried to download a couple of podcast, they ask me to copy the url into my iTunes browser. Where do I put it? There is no widow into which I can drag the address. What do they mean? Can you help? Thanks, Gaby.
Posted by runtfish on December 16, 2005 at 6:05 AM (PDT)
2
Gaby - Click Advanced > Subscribe to Podcast.
Posted by papayaninja on December 16, 2005 at 8:27 AM (PDT)
3
i have a 4g ipod n when i got it i connected it n installed itunes etc n got 120 songs o nthen my comp broke so i had 2 buy a new one.i install itunes and connect my ipod and when it saysconnect your ipod on the instalation it doesnt do anything. my pc see it but doesnt recognise it and i cant do anything but charge it. i was goin to restore it but i wont let me because it doesnt know theres an ipod so ive got a $299 ipod that i cant use. And 120 songs is hardly taking advantage of a 20gb harddrive
Posted by fom_4_life on December 19, 2005 at 11:44 AM (PDT)
4
I have an ipod 15 GB and it doesn’t work. Even if you are charging it from the wall or computer. What do you think it is? Can I do something about it?
Posted by lilbro510 on December 21, 2005 at 2:07 PM (PDT)
5
Is there a way to download songs from another user using the iTunes networking feature?
Posted by drevilismyidol on December 22, 2005 at 10:47 AM (PDT)
6
How do I move my library from one computer to another? Moving and need to transfer to a new computer without losing everything. Also, the old computer is Windows XP and the new computer is windows 98
Posted by Lorib1061 on April 20, 2006 at 2:36 PM (PDT)