Run out of storage on your computer? Thinking about removing iTunes library and sending it to the external hard drive? Well, this article can help you out with two simple solutions on how to move iTunes library to external hard drive.
Aug 22, 2011 Keeping your original iTunes library around as a backup isn't a bad idea, but most people are motivated to move to an external drive for the sake of freeing up space on their computer.
By iMobie | Posted on: Nov. 22, 2018, Last Updated: Nov. 22, 2018
- Mar 11, 2020 Conclusion of How to Move iTunes library to an external hard drive is you’ve got a lot of space on your Mac bypassing the iTunes into an external hard drive. If you Launch iTunes without a connected external hard drive, then you’ll appear given down type of screen.
- If the external drive you wish to move it to is already empty, click and drag the iTunes folder from the Finder window directly onto the icon for the external drive. Alternatively, copy the iTunes.
- Backup iTunes to External Hard Drive on Windows. Step 1: Sign in to your Windows PC and launch the desktop. Step 2: Find iTunes icon and start the application. Step 3: Click the “Sign In” button located at the top-left corner. Step 4: Input your Apple ID credentials and sign in. Step 5: On the.
Home > AnyTrans for iOS > iTunes Manager >How to Move iTunes Library to External Hard Drive
When we get a large collection of music in our iTunes library, it would be not easy for us to delete certain songs from the whole collection. However, when you are confronting that there is not enough space on your computer, it would be a better option for you to move it to an external hard drive. Besides, for these beloved songs, you may just like the question above want to transfer your iTunes library from one device to another.
Then here comes the problem: how to move iTunes library to external hard drive? This post can render you two possible ways to achieve it. Read on to learn more.
How to Move iTunes Library to External Hard Drive with iTunes
Step 1To find the location of your iTunes media folder, launch iTunes on your computer > Then click “Edit” (PC) or “iTunes”(Mac) on the menu bar > Preferences > Advanced > Here you will see the “iTunes Media folder location” in your computer.
How to Move iTunes Library to External Hard Drive with iTunes – Step 1
Step 2Then click File > Library > Organize Library > Check the box named as “Consolidate files” > Click OK.
How to Move iTunes Library to External Drive with iTunes – Step 2
Step 3Quit iTunes > Connect your external hard drive to the computer > Open the iTunes media folder from the location in step 1 > Drag the folder to the external hard drive.
If you intend to delete the original iTunes media content in your computer, to make iTunes still work with this iTunes library, you have to open iTunes > then click “Choose Library” in the pop-up window > select the iTunes library folder in your external hard drive.
Remember you have to connect your external hard drive to your computer every time you want to use iTunes with this iTunes library.
How to Move iTunes Library to External Hard Drive with AnyTrans for iOS
Besides using iTunes to move the music from your iTunes library to external hard drive, there is an easier way for you to achieve it – AnyTrans for iOS. It is a professional iOS data manager that allows you to simply transfer your iOS data from one device to another.
- Transfer music directly from iTunes to your hard drive or another iDevice without hassle.
- Transferring music speedily. AnyTrans for Android supports you transfer more than 1000 songs in minutes.
- Manage and transfer almost all your iOS data like contacts, photos, ringtones, music, calendar, from one iDevice to another or from iDevice to computer and vice versa.
- No leak or loss of data. AnyTrans for iOS assures that all the data in the process of transferring would not be leaked or lost.
AnyTrans for iOS – iTunes Library Manager
Thinking about a good way to transfer your iTunes library to an external hard drive? AnyTrans for iOS can be your perfect helper. You can easily move iTunes Library to external hard drive or computer or another iDevice without any trouble.
Download AnyTrans for iOS now on your PC/Mac and follow the below steps to know how to move iTunes library to external hard drive.
Step 1Launch AnyTrans for iOS > Click the button in the middle of the top bar > Choose iTunes Library in the drop-down menu.
How to Move iTunes Library to External Hard Drive with AnyTrans for iOS – Step 1
Step 2Select all the items at once or some of them > Click on Send to PC/Mac button.
How to Move iTunes Library to External Hard Drive with AnyTrans for iOS – Step 2
Step 3Click “view files” to find the exported files in your computer > Then connect your external hard drive to the computer > Drag the folder to your external hard drive.
How to Move iTunes Library to External Hard Drive Windows with AnyTrans for iOS – Step 3
The Bottom Line
That’s the two methods on how to move iTunes library to external hard drive. As you can see, with the help of AnyTrans for iOS, you can manage your iTunes library or iPhone data easier than ever. You can also back up your iOS app and restore them to your iDevices at any time. Download it now and enjoy your free trial!
Where is the library folder in mac os sierra. Product-related questions? Contact Our Support Team to Get Quick Solution >
Tips
By Stephen Robles
Tuesday, February 03, 2015, 09:17 am PT (12:17 pm ET)
Tuesday, February 03, 2015, 09:17 am PT (12:17 pm ET)
Itunes Library On External Drive Mac Pro
When trying to free up drive space on your Mac, one of the first things you can do is move the iTunes Library to a portable hard drive. Here's a detailed guide on how to back up your music, movies and more to reclaim your hard drive.All the music, podcasts, movies and TV shows you've downloaded to iTunes are most likely taking up a good amount of hard drive space and can easily be moved.
Before starting the process, we suggest making an up to date Time Machine backup of your computer to an external hard drive or Time Capsule. Be sure the external hard drive you use to perform this backup is different than where you will move the iTunes Library should anything happen.
To begin moving your library, open iTunes, click File in the Menu Bar and select Library > Organize Library
Check the box that says Consolidate files and click OK. This will make sure all the music, movies and other files are actually located in the iTunes Media folder that will be moving to your external drive.
If you moved your iTunes Media folder in the past, it is best to double check the folder iTunes is actually accessing for your library files. To do this, go to iTunes in the Menu Bar > Preferences and click the Advanced tab.
Under the iTunes Media folder location you will see a path to the files you are about to move. By default, this should be located in the Music folder of your Home directory.
Itunes On External Hard Drive Mac
Quit iTunes by going to iTunes in the Menu Bar > Quit iTunes or press Cmd + Q. Connect the external hard drive that you will use to copy the iTunes library. You should see it appear on your desktop.
Open a new Finder window and click Music in the left sidebar. Click and drag the iTunes folder onto the external hard drive icon on your Desktop.
Depending on how large your library is and the connection speed of the external drive, it may take several minutes or longer to complete the copy process.
Once the copy is completed, hold the Option key on your keyboard and open iTunes from the Dock or Applications folder again. A new window will pop up asking you to Create Library or Choose Library. Click on Choose Library.
In the browser window that appears, navigate to your external hard drive, click the iTunes folder there and choose the iTunes Library file.
iTunes will then open and as long as the external hard drive is connected, iTunes will reference the library on the external drive and not on your computer's drive.
Quit iTunes once again and eject the external hard drive holding your new iTunes Library. Open a new Finder window and navigate to the Music folder in the left sidebar again.
Right click or Ctrl+click on the iTunes folder and move it to the Trash.
Finally, to free up the space on your internal hard drive, open the Trash from the Dock or Finder window and click Empty Trash in the upper right corner.
Your iTunes Library has officially been removed from the internal drive. You can now reconnect the external hard drive you used to copy the iTunes Library, open iTunes and use it as normal.
If you open iTunes without your external hard drive connected, iTunes will give you an error message saying the 'Library cannot be found.' Quit iTunes, connect the external hard drive and reopen iTunes to fix.
You may want to copy your iTunes folder onto a second external hard drive as a backup as well. iTunes Match for $25 per year will also backup all your music to Apple's cloud service.
Where to buy an external drive at discount
Choosing a high-quality Mac-formatted external hard drive instead of an Apple-branded Time Capsule will often save you hundreds of dollars. Of all the Apple Authorized Resellers who deal heavily in storage devices, B&H Photo, Adorama, and Amazon offer the best mix of brand options, discounted pricing, availability, and cost-free shipping. Below are some quick links that jump to the available Mac-formatted storage options currently available from these resellers:
1TB to 6TB External Hard Drives (Mac Formatted) from $95.99 @ B&H
1TB to 6TB External Hard Drives (Mac Formatted) from $119.00 @ Adorama
750GB to 6TB External Hard Drives (Mac Formatted) from $65.00 @ Amazon
500GB to 6TB Portable Hard Drives (Mac Formatted) from $99.00 @ B&H
500GB to 6TB Portable Hard Drives (Mac Formatted) from $56.99 @Adorama
500GB to 6TB Portable Hard Drives (Mac Formatted) from $58.00 @ Amazon