Sharing music between users?

Decado

Decado

Kallikanzaroi
Is there a simpel way to share music between the different users on the computer (so my girlfriend can listen to the songs i have in my iTunes through her iTunes), without keeping double files?
 
If you both have iTunes 4 and you are on a network, Rendezvous will allow you to have another's library show up in your iTunes source window. Go to prefrences in iTunes and click sharing and select what you want to be shared, do this on each computer.

lycka till
 
Darn, your on the same computer.... well you could keep the files in a neutral location meaning not in your home folder so both of you may access it.
 
There's an option to copy music files into the ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music folder when adding songs to your library. Disable it and it'll only add the reference to the file and not make a copy. The file will be played in-place. Then keep the files in a common folder.
 
Yes, here is what I would do...

Copy your music to the neutral directory.
Clear all the songs from your library in iTunes.
Then goto File... Add to library to get the songs back in.

Do this on both users.
 
1) Make your Public folder available to all (though Sys Prefs / Sharing) and 2) set iTunes to understand all music is to be found there. 3) Repeat step 2 for your girlfriend.

Now all music is getting read and copied into your Public folder.

Alternate solution: place all music on another, public disk.
 
Originally posted by toast
1) Make your Public folder available to all (though Sys Prefs / Sharing) and 2) set iTunes to understand all music is to be found there. 3) Repeat step 2 for your girlfriend.

Now all music is getting read and copied into your Public folder.

Alternate solution: place all music on another, public disk.
Click to expand...

Umm, how come everyone forgets about /Users/Shared?

Put your music there. All users on the system have access to this directory. Then just "Add to Library..." for each user and point it to the music folder in /Users/Shared.
 
You may or may not also want to share the same iTunes Library info. If you do then you will not end up with her having songs she's added that you don't have, vice-versa. Very useful to keep both users updated on added songs. However you will see each others playlists.

To do this simply keep the iTunes Library in another neutral place like the Shared folder along with the songs. Just make sure that iTunes points to the same Library in iTunes preferences.
 
cybergoober is right, BTW. Use Shared (as my machine is single-user, I had completely forgotten that) instead of Public. The protocol is now 2 steps long:

1) Select Shared as the iTunes folder.
2) Idem for your gf's session.

;)
 
Works like a charm!
I put all the music in the shared folder, cleared itunes prefs and then choose "add to library" and changed the target-folder in the prefs (for future importing). Then i did the same thing on the other account. The only thing is that you have to update the list manually when the other user have imported tracks (add to library / new artist). Dont know how to share library info...
 
Perhaps you could put the iTunes 4 Music Library and iTunes Music Library.xml files from the most up-to-date user in the Shared directory, then make aliases to them from the Shared directory to each user's iTunes folder. That way each user would be using essentially the same file. If one user adds something, the other should see it when they launch iTunes.

This is similar to what I did with my bookmarks when I first loaded OS X on my iMac at home and was still using OS 9. I just put an alias of the Explorer folder from /System Folder/Preferences into ~/Library/Preferences. That way any bookmarks I added in either OS would show in the other.
 
Dear Decado:
It has come to our attention that you are "sharing" music between users on your computer. This is in violation of the statement in paragraph four, line 23 of the "CD User Agreement" which you agree to when opening any album sold in stores. If you do not cease sharing music files within one (1) week of this notification, legal action will be taken.

Thank you, and keep buying CDs!

~RIAA


;)
 
HAHA

Sweden ? Let me laugh.
[cliché]
Here in France our police force is good only at beating Arabs.
[/cliché]
 
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