Manage Multiple Itunes Libraries Mac

Sep 09,2019 • Filed to: Manage iTunes • Proven solutions

Do you want to create a new iTunes library on Mac computer ?

The recently-released iTunes 7 has added the much wished-for ability to manage multiple music libraries, and the Klavr weblog points out how simple it is.
Use multiple iTunes libraries on PC. You can have more than one iTunes library. For example, you could have a library of holiday music that wouldn’t appear in iTunes the rest of the year. Or you could keep your music in a library on your computer and your movies in a library on an external storage device.
It turns out these programs can actually manage multiple libraries at the same time. When most people think of putting more than one iTunes or iPhoto library on a Mac, they usually associate that with separate user accounts for each each person who uses the computer.

Oct 08, 2019 PowerTunes allows iTunes users to create multiple libraries, organize their music among multiple music folders, and share music and libraries between multiple users on a machine. In addition to simply creating and keeping track of your libraries, PowerTunes also offers many additional features to help organize your music. Sep 09, 2017 Many people have music in two iTunes libraries, on two different computers, and eventually decide they want to combine or merge those libraries. Here's how to do it. First, some background. ITunes stores your music and other media, and maintains several files that contain information about this content. They're found in /Music/iTunes/ ( is a.

Sep 15, 2014 iTunes is the world’s best way to play — and add to — your collection of music, movies, TV shows, apps, audiobooks, and more. If you are iTunes fans, you can miss the top 5 must-have apps.

Did you know that you can manage more than one iTunes Library on your Mac at the same time? Most Apple users are often pleasantly surprised by this revelation. You never know when you might need multiple iTunes Libraries on your Mac. So why exactly should you have more than one iTunes Library on your Mac?

Part 1. Open a different iTunes Library File or Create a New iTunes Library

If you have multiple iTunes libraries, it feels like as if there are two different computers with different iTunes accounts on them. Having different iTunes Libraries allows to separate each person’s movies, music and applications, and they won’t be added to each other unless you intentionally copy files to that library. This is extremely helpful, especially if the Mac you’re using is a family computer and more than one family member uses it.

This way, you can sync multiple Apple devices (iPod/ iPhone/ iPad) so that you do not access other people’s music accidentally. Through this, iTunes would manage different types of music differently, from the same set of files. Since it is still using the same set of files, it is easier to back up all of them, so you don’t have to worry about doing any tiresome task when backing up your music.

How to create a new iTunes library on Mac besides the original one?

So how exactly do you create a separate iTunes Library for your Mac? It’s easy, just follow the steps outlined below and you will have two iTunes library on your Mac at the same time!

Step 1: Before you start anything, quit iTunes if it’s open right now. Keep pressing the Option Key for Mac Users, and also tap the iTunes icon to launch iTunes Library again. Hold the key till the pop-up is visible. Since we need to create a new library, click on the “Create Library” button.

Step 2: Fill out the details when it asks you to tell your name and location for the new iTunes library that is going to be created. Tip: It will help you if you name your new iTunes Library something distinct and not similar to your old library in order to keep them separated from each other. Now, you’ll have to choose where you want to put your new iTunes library in your computer. Also, there is also the possibility that you can just create the new library in the same Music/ My music folder that you already have, which is also the easiest and the best option, since all the library’ content will be stored in the same place.

Step 3: Now that you’re done with that, Tap the “Save” button and behold, your new iTunes Library has been created! Now, iTunes will launch through the newly created library.

How to Open a Different iTunes Library on Mac?

Now that you’ve created a different iTunes library, how do you manage to select between them and open different iTunes libraries?

When you open iTunes, click on the “Choose Library” button.
A pop up window will appear, which will show you your Music/My music folder. However, if you had decided to store your iTunes Library in someplace other than these folders, just navigate to that location, and click on the folder to select that new folder.
Now, just select the “Choose” option, and iTunes will launch the library that has just recently been chosen!

Disadvantages of having multiple iTunes library on Mac

So, having different iTunes Libraries seems like such an attractive option, one might be wondering. So why do more people not know of this option? Well, having different iTunes Libraries can also cause you a lot of headaches. Let’s take a look at some of those.

If you’re using iTunes on your Mac, and have more than one iTunes library, you will just be directed to the last used library if you do not keep pressing the Option button on your computer.
All your iTunes libraries are by default signed into the iTunes account that was last used. So, in order to be sure that every person is using his/her own iTunes account when using their library, you should always remember that you have to sign out after using iTunes.
Even though you will have multiple iTunes libraries by following these steps, the parental control settings are the same for all your libraries on your computer, and you’re not allowed to have different settings for different libraries.

Part 2. Best iTunes Library Cleanup Tool - iMusic

If you have multiple libraries, or even a single library, you will most likely face the problem of having a cluttered library, which might contain duplicate songs, absence of covers, and wrong and missing tags. Now, you can clean up your library trough the revolutionary tool, iMusic.

You might be thinking, what is iMusic? With this software, you can discover new music, download this music, record songs that you’ve never heard, and transfer your favorite songs from any platform to you iTunes library. The best advantage of this software is that it is compatible with both Android and iOS, which is just one of its distinct features. If you’re an audiophile who loves to tinker with his music professionally, there is no better software for you than this. Many people have a huge amount of songs in their iTunes library, and it would take so much time to clean it up. However, iSkysoft does it all by itself, which will save you a lot of time so you don’t have to go through the tiresome task yourself.

Step by Step guide to use iMusic to clean up iTunes Library

iMusic - Best iTunes Library Clean up Tool

Download music from more than 3000 music sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Vevo, Hulu, Spotify, and much more through copying and pasting the URLs.
Transfer music between a computer, iPhone, iTunes Library, iPad, iPod and Android phones making it easy to share songs.
Record music from radio stations and streaming sites and gets the identification of the songs including the title, album artist, and genre.
It acts as a management toolbox that lets you manage iPad, iPod, iPhone and Android phones iTunes Library through options like backup iTunes, recover iTunes Library, fix iTunes music tags and covers as well as remove music DRM protection.
1 click to transfer downloaded music and playlist to USB drive to enjoy in car.
Ability to burn downloaded songs and playlists to CDs easily.

Steps to Clean up iTunes Library by iMusic

Step 1: First of all, launch the iMusic software. Now, at the top of the software, you will see “Toolbox” written. Click on that to enter the management option for the iTunes Music Library. Now that you’re done with this, click the music button present on the left side of the window. After this, the fourth button on the right side of the window is the Cleanup button. Just click that.

Step 2: A pop up window will now appear. If you just choose the “Scan” option, it will allow iMusic the freedom to scan for any songs that are duplicates or have broken and mislabeled tags. The time that it takes for this process to occur depends on how many songs are present in your library. If your collection is huge, it will still only take a mere few minutes.

Step 3: When the screening process is done, all the missing tags. Covers and the duplicate tracks will now be seen in the result window. If you just click on the “Clean up” option, iMusic will repair all the problems for you!

Step 4: Skip this step if you proceeded with Step 3. If however, you want to fix everything yourself one by one, that is also possible. For all the options (Missing tags, duplicate tracks, missing tracks), click on the option that you want to clean up and it will happen. Choose “Fix” to repair music tags, click on “Get Covers” to have access to all the missing covers, and choose “Clean” to get all your missing tracks, and click “Delete duplicates” to get rid of any duplicates that your library might contain.

Video Tutorial: How to Clean Up iTunes Library with iMusic

Though it is not a necessity to use your computer as a means to sync your iPhone or iPad content anymore, there are still lots of people that use iTunes on their computer for just that purpose. If you and your family all use one Mac but have have different content on your devices, you can set up iTunes to sync each one separately. It just takes a little advanced setup. Here's how.

Creating a user account for each person on your Mac

When you create separate user accounts, it makes it possible for each person to basically have a separate computer with a separate iTunes app. This method is ideal if each person syncs their device differently or if any of the devices have parental controls set up.

How to create a new user account on your Mac

The account administrator is the only person that can create a new user account. Make sure you have your administrator user name and password before you begin.

Click on the Apple menu (ï£¿) at the top left of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the drop down menu.
Click on Users & Groups.
Click on the lock in the lower left corner of the Users & Groups window.
Enter your administrator username and password.
Click Unlock.
Click the Add (+) button under the current users list.
Select an Account Type from the drop down menu. I suggest using 'Standard' for other adults and 'Managed with Parental Controls' for kids.
Enter the full name of the new user.
Enter an account name. This can be a nickname.
Enter a password.
Verify the password by entering it again.
Enter a hint to help you remember the password if you forget.
Click on Create User.

Repeat this process for user account you'd like to create on your Mac.

When the new users logs into their account for the first time, they will be able to set up their Apple ID and iCloud account.

How to switch between user accounts on your Mac

Switching between user accounts is as easy as signing out of one and into another. Make sure you switch to your user accounts before connecting your iPhone.

Click on the Apple menu (ï£¿) in the top left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select Log Out [user name].
Select Log Out when the dialog window appears.
Select the user account associated with the iPhone you want to sync.
Log in.

Creating a separate iTunes library on your Mac

If everyone in your household uses the same sync settings and no one's iPhone or iPad is restricted with parental controls, you can create separate iTunes libraries instead of having a separate user account on your Mac for each person. This will allow each of you to sync your specific content, like movies, music, books, and apps, without mixing in with anyone else's content.

How to create a separate iTunes library on your Mac

Before you start, make sure iTunes is closed completely and not running in the background.

Quit iTunes.
Launch iTunes and hold down the Option key at the same time.
Click on Create Library when the window appears.
Enter a name for the new library under Save As (I suggest naming it after the person that will be using it).
Make sure the save location is the Music folder.
Click on Save.
Click on iTunes in the app menu at the top left of your Mac's screen.
Select Preferences from the drop down menu.
Click on the Advanced tab.
Untick the box for Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library. This step is important. It will tell iTunes not to add duplicates of your current iTunes library to the new one.
Connect the iPhone associated with this new iTunes library to your Mac to sync it. All content on that iPhone will sync to this new library. You can also drag and drop movies, music, books, and other media content from your Mac into this new iTunes library and it will sync with the associated iPhone. Make sure you resync after any changes you make.
Disconnect the iPhone and repeat this process for all iPhones in the household that you want to create a separate iTunes library for.

How to switch between iTunes libraries on your Mac

Switching between libraries just takes a few steps right when you launch iTunes. Make sure you switch the iTunes library before connecting your iPhone.

Quit iTunes.
Launch iTunes and hold down the Option Keyat the same time.
Click on Choose Library when the window appears.
Select the iTunes library associated with the iPhone you want to sync.
Click Open.
Sync the iPhone associated with this library.

Any questions?

Multiple Itunes Libraries On Same Computer

Do you have any questions about creating and switching between iTunes accounts or libraries? Put them in the comments and we'll help you out.

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