[wallinbl]

I know the location of the library can be changed as a setting, but do people do this frequently? Are there any issues that arise from doing so? Is it as simple as closing iTunes, moving everything and then changing the path?

[slugslugslug]

Just do it from within iTunes. It should be less likely for it to lose track of your files that way, because I think it might occasionally use absolute instead of relative paths in your Library xml file.

The only issue that may arise otherwise is if you run iTunes while the drive is disconnected, but it'll find your tracks again once you reconnect.

[ghporter]

Be aware that the external drive must be mounted before you open iTunes, or iTunes won't necessarily find the files. I used a network drive for my library for quite a while and it worked fine except for having to mount the drive before listening to music. Or adding to the library. Or browsing song information... You get the picture here. I got tired of having to remember to connect to the drive first, so I eventually moved everything back onto my Mac.

[gooser]

i've been doing it that way for years. no problems.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Be aware that the external drive must be mounted before you open iTunes, or iTunes won't necessarily find the files. I used a network drive for my library for quite a while and it worked fine except for having to mount the drive before listening to music. Or adding to the library. Or browsing song information... You get the picture here. I got tired of having to remember to connect to the drive first, so I eventually moved everything back onto my Mac.

Isn't there a way to mount frequently used network drives automatically? If not, this seems like a massive oversight if Apple wants Macs to be used in highly networked environments (re: business).

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Be aware that the external drive must be mounted before you open iTunes, or iTunes won't necessarily find the files. I used a network drive for my library for quite a while and it worked fine except for having to mount the drive before listening to music. Or adding to the library. Or browsing song information... You get the picture here. I got tired of having to remember to connect to the drive first, so I eventually moved everything back onto my Mac.

I'd like to avoid it, but the drive inside the iMac is nearly full and the iTunes library is the largest piece of it.

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

Isn't there a way to mount frequently used network drives automatically? If not, this seems like a massive oversight if Apple wants Macs to be used in highly networked environments (re: business).

You can drag the mounted drive from Finder to your Login Items. That only ensures it's automatically connected at login.

If you create an alias of the network resource on your local drive, OS X will automatically mount the drive. For instance, I have an alias of my iTunes Library file (which is on a network share) in my local Music folder. That way when I open iTunes, it opens the library on my network share and I don't have to remember to mount the network drive first. I still have to manually mount the 2nd and 3rd shares that are part of my library.

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

I'd like to avoid it, but the drive inside the iMac is nearly full and the iTunes library is the largest piece of it.

Managing a large library isn't that much of a pain. My iTunes library is over 1TB and split over 3 500GB network drives. Drive 1 has the iTunes Library file and all of my music and tv shows. Drives 2 and 3 have movies.

Since the files are spread out over 3 drives, I have to manually copy the files to the appropriate drive before adding it to the iTunes library. Any files that are under the "iTunes Music" folder when added to the library will still get reorganized into the appropriate sub-folder (if the Keep iTunes Music folder organized option is checked).

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

Isn't there a way to mount frequently used network drives automatically? If not, this seems like a massive oversight if Apple wants Macs to be used in highly networked environments (re: business).

Probably, but I never went to the effort of looking for it. It was a hassle, but one that didn't give me enough pain to actually do anything about until I moved my library.

[Spheric Harlot]

It used to just auto-mount the drive when you double-clicked a song in iTunes to play it.

It no longer does this, for whatever reason.

[all2ofme]

Am I right in thinking that if you have your library on another disk that your (non-mp3-embedded) iTunes Album Artwork folder will still be in your user folder? I'd like to have it all in one place.

In fact, I'd like to be able to swap easily between two libraries:

1) The new stuff - all held on the MBP (complete with artwork etc.)
2) Full library - held on an external disk at home (again, complete with artwork)

Is there any way to do this? Aperture does it well, AFAIK.

[Spheric Harlot]

No, you are wrong. The iTunes artwork is stored within the iTunes folder. If you keep that on an external drive, that's where the artwork goes.

Hold down the option key when starting up iTunes to set up additional libraries and switch between them.