How to Import Music from One Computer to Another Using iTunes 9!
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Couple of years ago I wrote about myTunes Redux, a software which helped users copy music from any shared iTunes library.
A similar feature has been add to the recently released iTunes 9 which lets you copy music from one computer to another on the home network.
The number of authorized computers that can copy music from each other is restricted to 5 and requires each computer to be authorized before music can be copied between computers.
Follow the steps mentioned below to authorize each machine and download music..
User should have a iTunes store account to take advantage of “Home Share” feature on iTunes 9, so, If you don’t have it, get one now by launching iTunes -> Store -> Create Account. Follow the wizard to create an online ID.
Now you are all set to Authorize your computer. Launch iTunes, Go to “Store” on the menu and select “Authorize Computer”.

Enter the ID and Password to authorize the computer

Once authorized you will see a similar alert..

Once authorized, enable “Home Sharing”. Go to “Advanced” tab and click on “Turn On Home Sharing” and use the same ID and Password to login and enable Home Sharing..

You will see a similar message once the login is accepted.

Repeated the steps mentioned above on machines you’d like to share music with, but remember the ID and Password used to authorize and enable Home Sharing should be same on all machines.
Once you repeat the steps above on other machines you will see a library on the sidebar under “Shared” tab

Click on the library to see the files on the other computer.. Now you can either play music or simply import it to the machine.
To import, select all the songs you want to copy and click on “Import”

Selected songs are imported once the “Import” option is selected..

Easy right?
Couple of things one should keep in mind …
1) This works on 5 computers only, so don’t forget to deauthorize the machines you don’t often use.
2) Home Share works on local network only. Machines cannot be authorized on the Internet.
3) Last but not the least, this feature only promotes personal use of the Music you own!
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Comments
hey....i did everything it says...but when i turn on home sharing on my imac andthe laptop, the sharing thingy in the itunes sidebar (on the left) disappears....and i dunno how to get it back
can u help coz its really annoying me now :@ :L
Hey Ben,
Wondering if you are on the home network or trying to share between two machines on the internet?
If the machines are on the local network then the steps I mentioned above should work just fine.
-Abbas
I don't get it, I've done everything and it won't work! I'm trying to share between my sister's Macbook and my Windows desktop, and she can see my songs, but I can't see hers. We are on the same network, but when I try to log on to home sharing with her account, it says it's on but it won't show a share tab at the left.
I'm having the exact same problem as the girls above me! Does it not work when i have a mac and the other person have a pc?
I have the same issue all set, cannot drag or see the import button at the bottom. ?? Not an option - only import i get is import playlist off the file menu, the itunes instructions say to click and drag that does not work either.
Is this suppose to work for pc's also.? I don't see an import anywhere except for import playlist and that doesn't work.
Having the exact same problem as others have mentioned. I have a macbook pro and a windows 7 pc. I can access the shared libraries on both computers and play the songs in them. I can't import anything from either library to the other though.
Why didn't Apple just expand the sync feature I use with my Ipod to also include shared libraries?
I did everything correctly, but it won't let me import from the shared library, and there's no import button. I'm wondering if it's because I first registered with a different email address and password on this computer. If so, do you know how to undo that?
i have the same issue as above. i am sharing between two macs, can see the shared library, but there is no import button and the drag and drop does not work either. Any help would be GREAT!
Same issue. I am sharing on the same network (not on the internet) between a MacBook Pro and a Windows Desktop. I can see and play songs from both libraries, I just cannot drag and share the songs. I didn't even know an import button exists because I have not seen one. I used to be able to drag and drop songs just fine, but then one day it stopped.
ME TOO! No freaking import button. I can stream music but I want to move my library. I have a new laptop, but no disc drive so I was counting on homeshare.
Hey Guys.. thanks for leaving comments...
After seeing the comments I initially thought this feature might be missing in the new update, its not! I tried the steps mentioned on the article and they work fine.
These steps have been performed on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
I will pick two commenter's from the list and try to work with them to find out what the issue is.
Will update the rest of you guys soon.
I can confirm 2 Vista PCs (one 64-bit and one 32-bit) both with iTunes 9.0.2.25 and I can see and stream between them but not import or drag and drop. That second to last screen cap with the "Show| All items," and the Settings ... and Import buttons does not show up under any screen.
Thanks in advance.
I have figured out the problem. If you do not see the import button in the lower right corner but you are able to stream music from another library, then your 're not actually using home share. You are using the original streaming feature. Home share looks almost identical. Make sure you have turned homeshare on on both computers. I even turned mine off and on again to be sure.
The icon for home share will be a little house. If the icon is not a little house you're not using home share.
None if that's very technical but I hope it helps.
Here is the solution for the lack of "import" button: You need to make sure all computers on the network are using the same itunes account and password. This will not affect you music purchases, but all computers on the network need to be using the same itunes profile.
I hope that helps!
Well, I had set up both machines with Home Share and entered the correct password for the iTunes account. Still did not work. Until I turned off Home Sharing on both and then turned it back on. Then it decided to work fine.
what is the difference between home sharing and normal sharing? i'm having the same problem as everyone else and can't figure out how to make it work. i tried turning sharing off and on again in preferences, but my itunes looks different on my pc than on my mac. they're both itunes 9 though and so it should work. but i don't see the house icon i saw when i tried yesterday, so i know i'm doing something wrong.
Thanks so much! I was having the same problem and the issue seems to have been that we weren't using the same account. Now we can share music
Sorry, still doesn't work for me. Both computers are running iTunes 9 (I have a slightly lower version than my husband's.) Both accounts are authorized on each of our computers. I turned off Home Sharing on both computers, closed and restarted iTunes, and then turned on Home Sharing.
Each of us can see the other's library but no import button.
To the person who says the icon is a little house, where do you see this? What I see on the left-hand side is "SHARED" - much like you would see "STORE" or "PLAYLISTS", with a triangle to expand/collapse.
Suzanne
RTFS! Oh, man, I am SO sorry... It just wasn't clicking in my head to use the SAME account when creating home share on BOTH computers. When I was creating Home Share on my computer, I used my account. When I was creating Home Share on my husband's computer, I was using HIS account -- I should have been using mine...
*slaps forehead*
Suzanne
Man, I had a hell of a time figuring out how to import before this article - though I managed to do some imports earlier. Weird that Apple seems to want to make this so difficult. Thanks !!!
Okay, I have done EVERYTHING suggested multiple times and still NOTHING! I have NO WAY to import, drag, copy, etc any of my shared files into my Library. I am beyond frustrated and only moments away from chucking my iPod out the window! Any suggestions that don't involve boycotting Apple altogether?
VERY helpful!
thank you so much. Remember to be on the SAME NETWORK!
took me an hour to realize this. good luck
I have a MacBook and a Mac.
I just got the MacBook.
I finally got the Mac's library into my library, but there is no import.
They are under the same exact account.
I have turned the sharing on both, on and off several times.
There is still no little house on either one.
I can see the libraries in both, but I can't do anything with either.
What am I missing?







Very Useful Information.