Migrating Large Itunes Library

#1 ncl_knight

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Posted 22 September 2011 - 10:15 AM

Hi All.

Can anyone enlighten me on the best way to do this.

I have a PowerMac Dual G5, and it has been my iTunes library master for many years. It is dying slowly, so I wish to copy this off to a new Mac Mini. Here is what I don't understand.

The iTunes media is stored on a locally attached (firewire) RAID external box. It is too large for the internal drive of the Mac Mini, and I wish to keep the iTunes library on the external RAID box, and just copy it to the new machine, BUT, I also would like to keep all the 'iTunes history' (playlist's, play count etc etc).

Do I just copy the .xml file from the old computer to the new one? Do I need to modify it (as the Mac's have different names etc)?

I appreciate peoples insights and thoughts.

Regards

#2 arcanedevice

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Posted 22 September 2011 - 12:58 PM

ncl_knight, on 22 September 2011 - 11:15 AM, said:

Do I just copy the .xml file from the old computer to the new one? Do I need to modify it (as the Mac's have different names etc)?

That's it exactly. If you have an existing iTunes folder on the Mac Mini (usually in Music) then delete it first. Then copy XML file across and then connect your RAID box, then change your preferences in iTunes and it should just update the XML file.

That's how I've always done it and never had a problem, but I have been told that sometimes you may need to modify the 'Music Folder' string in the XML if you do it out of that order...