Comments on: iWish: Multiple iTunes Libraries

By: mikejohnson222

mikejohnson222 — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:00:43 +0000

Some programs allow to manage multiple iTunes libraries, among them:

iLibs for PC: http://www.copytrans.net/ilibs.php

iTunes library manager for Mac:

http://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/ituneslibrarymanager.php

and Libra for Mac:

http://homepage.mac.com/sroy/libra/

Hope this helps you all,

By: Kirk

Kirk — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:31:37 +0000

If you’re using a Mac, hold down the Option key when launching iTunes – you
can then either create a new library or choose the one you want to open if there
are several. If you’re on Windows, hold down the Shift key.

By: Scott L

Scott L — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 20:18:35 +0000

Just bought a new iPod nano for my wife (I have 4G 60Gb) and she wants to add all her Abba, Spandau Ballet etc to iTunes. We only use the one user account, so I don’t want her choice of music in ‘my’ library – where is this multiple library feature you refer to as I can’t find it?
I know that I’m a music fascist – but I am!!!

By: Kirk

Kirk — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:58:00 +0000

Well, since I wrote the story, iTunes added multiple libraries, so that’s clearly the
best way to do so now.

Kirk

By: yop

yop — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:55:02 +0000

Hi,

Your best bet, according to me, if you wish to manage Multiple iTunes Libraries is iLibs http://www.copypod.net/ilibs.php
It’s simple, intuitive an really reliable.

Mike

By: Kirk

Kirk — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 17:54:53 +0000

Yes, this would be a good thing. But I think a better option would be a
checkbox for Do not add to shuffle play. You should be able to exclude tracks
you don’t want to come up when you use shuffle play on an iPod. That would
keep out MP3 audiobooks and radio shows I have, for example, as well as
specific tracks that just don’t work in shuffle mode.

By: Tim Robertson

Tim Robertson — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 17:39:16 +0000

I would also like this, but not for the iPod reasons. I have a LOT of audio in
iTunes, including comedy and adult songs that I don’t want my kids to hear. I
would like multiple libraries that I could "load" into iTunes depending on
different factors, such as random play for "kid safe" music (so, for instance,
Prince’s Erotic City does not play around my kids, while I myself may want to
hear it on Random with the headphones on)

Tim
http://www.mymac.com

By: Kirk

Kirk — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 12:27:52 +0000

Well, yes and no. I’ve got about 40 GB of classical music (actually 120 GB, but
only 40 GB in the library) and as much of other musics. Since I have multiple
playlists on the non-classical iPod, that rules out the use of this strategy.
Also, my classical music is on an external HD, for space reasons.

By: ckd

ckd — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 23:49:03 +0000

In your example, you could use the genre field to limit one iPod’s playlist to
classical, and the other to non-classical.

It does get tricky when you have two people with overlapping musical tastes
who each want their own set of ratings, etc; that definitely would benefit from
a way to store multiple sets of the library metadata pointing to the same
copies of the actual music.

By: ipodcases

ipodcases — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 21:34:27 +0000

This would be a good idea specially when you try and manage multiple iPods like we do also.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 11:39:42 +0000

Yes, you’ve pulled the rug out on my iPod shuffle article. :-)

The problem, though, is that while this works for a shuffle, it wouldn’t work if
you have 2 iPods with 40 GB each.

By: ckd

ckd — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 03:23:26 +0000

You might use different Smart Playlists set to sync to each iPod. That’s how I
would do it (and if I get an iPod Shuffle, probably will).

By: DougAdams

DougAdams — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 18:15:39 +0000

Kirk, haven’t you tried my iTunes Library Manager? It enables
you to create and manage multiple iTunes libraries.