iPod Help - Multiple Computers, Multiple iPods - What's the Best Way to Manage Your Tunes?

Discussion in 'Technology' started by nancyb, Dec 6, 2006.

  1. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hi Folks,

    We're a family of 6 with two and soon to be four iPods, two functioning computers, soon to be 3 or 4. We all share all computers because we have, basically, a computer room where all our gear is located. Each user has his own ID under Windows XP, which means separate iTunes libraries, for a total of 12-18 iTune libraries. We're not exactly wedded to the specific computers - the kids use them for word processing, internet and gaming. Only one is really game-worthy at the moment. I take whatever one is free when I want to use a computer.

    The multiple user ids, with separate iTunes libraries lets everyone keep their music straight from the other people's, but it causes problems. For one, you can't let iTunes manage your library as songs will be continually moved from one library to the next unless they're all stored in the same location. Is that an option? I like letting iTunes manage my tunes since it makes music downloading much easier for me.

    I'm currently dealing with my own separate libraries on two computers. Everyone once in a while, I try to synch things up, but I usually end up with a mega mess of multiple listings for the same song and things. I'd like to pull some of my kids' songs into my library and vice versa, but I don't want any of us to have to track down some song that's been lost to the library.

    Do any of you have suggestions on how to manage this effectively and keep peace in the house?

    Thanks.
     
  2. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hmm. I'll have to look further to see how that helps me. Have you tried it? Does it help multiple people manage multiple iPods? I'm not seeing that described as a feature.
     
  3. IntheNet

    IntheNet New Member

    Nov 5, 2002
    Northern Virginia
    Club:
    Blackburn Rovers FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nancy: there are a variety of shareware and freebeeware programs that will enable you to tailor your song collection however the central problem you will face is entire libraries being duplicated on the hard drive so that all your family has access to songs...

    I suggest you visit: IpodLounge and Ipoding as a starting point. Acknowledge that iTunes is a fairly robust song management application made for the Mac and ported to Windows, therefore much of the software created to assist iTunes will be along the Apple OS type with a lesser extent made for Windows (I see you are using Windows XP).

    A family of six with multiple iPods certainly needs assistance if you are using one central library (I assume each has a playlist) but the main library in iTunes will be the central library of all mp3 files; therefore you may decide to break this library up if you can manage seperate computers unless you have an enornmous hard drive..btw.. multiple versions of iTunes on a single hard drive is a sure recipe for disaster in Windows or Apple...

    I would use the shareware apps to augment iTunes own capability to manage your library and avoid song duplication; move off unused mp3s to a back-up hard drive for archival, and move toward using separate computers if you can, each with a single iTunes library with perhaps two users. Make sure you manage songs correctly and make all family members exercise due diligence in naming their songs with proper library titles to avoid song duplication or deletion...

    Media Management Software also has solutions for multiple users...

    Good luck...
     
  4. servotron

    servotron New Member

    Mar 4, 2004
    St Paul, MN
    I'm a big fan and practitioner of just managing the files as files, and not letting my iTunes or any other software dictate it for me. But you have to be pretty on-top of your music collection, which can be tough if you're just casually doing it.
     
  5. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm guessing having multiple versions of iTunes libraries on one computer is not recommended. Is it possible for us to have one central library, but with each user having his or her own iTunes version (under the XP users)? i.e., we all have the same files but our own, personal interface? I know that means not letting iTunes manage things for me. Do those shareware programs or that Audiopod things do that?
     
  6. Foosinho

    Foosinho New Member

    Jan 11, 1999
    New Albany, OH
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I seem to recall you had a rocky attempt at setting up a Samba server before. Did that ever work out?

    Like servotron, I want the software to put the files where I want it, and otherwise not move stuff around without my explicit instruction. The "My Music" directory on my desktop machine(s) points to a single folder on the server that is visible to all users (you can't delete music someone else added, however). Additionally, that same directory is imported into MythTV. So, rip a CD in MythTV, and pull up "My Music" and there it is, and vice-versa.

    As for iTunes, I only use it as a podcatcher, so I'm not certain how configurable it is. Don't have an iPod.
     
  7. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Samba is set up and is fine. I think my main problems stems from the folks in my family each having their own user id, with different versions of My Music, iTunes, etc. I got lazy and let iTunes manage my library because of my song swapping 'club' and I find it really pain to track what new songs I've gotten and whether I've got them in my iTunes library.
     
  8. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What do you use to import music from CDs? Or, are you beyond that now? I'm seriously way behind on that. I probably have less than 5% of my music on the computer. Since I don't have an iPod or other MP3 player myself, the motivation is low.
     
  9. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought I'd report how we decided to fix this problem.

    We each have our own library, although all music is stored centrally. When we start iTunes, we hold down the shift key. Doing that make iTunes ask you which library to open. Then, you browse to the location and choose the name of the library you want to open.

    It's working quite well and the only person who can't be trained is my husband.
     
  10. Foosinho

    Foosinho New Member

    Jan 11, 1999
    New Albany, OH
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nice solution.
     
  11. Dadinho

    Dadinho Member

    Feb 19, 2005
    San Diego
    Club:
    Vitoria Salvador
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It seems as if you are pretty tech saavy, so maybe this will seem a bit condescending (but I hope not).

    To find my new music I added the "Date Added" option in iTunes and then sort by it.
     
  12. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have that. What is that going to fix in terms of multiple people sharing stuff? If three of add music on the same date, that's sort of not meaningful. Does it show time added? And, what I love three of the songs added on a day, but my daughter hates two of the three? She doesn't want them junking up her iTunes library because my songs usually keep her from finding her latest Fall Out Boy tune. Also, none of us has an iPod big enough to store everything on the computer, so synching takes management on everyone's part.

    I actually use the date added option as in a dynamic playlist for synching up my teeny tiny iPod Nano.
     
  13. Dadinho

    Dadinho Member

    Feb 19, 2005
    San Diego
    Club:
    Vitoria Salvador
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    :eek: I guess I missed the whole point of the thread... That's what I get for glancing.
     
  14. That Phat Hat

    That Phat Hat Member+

    Nov 14, 2002
    Just Barely Outside the Beltway
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Looks like you've come up with a pretty good solution. Kudos and whatnot.

    I think the best (albeit less elegant) way to do it without creating multiple libraries is to create a separate folder for each person, and then you can separate everyone's playlists.

    Additionally, you can "tag" songs with keywords in the comments, and create smart playlists for the keywords. For example, I can tag the totally awesome Avril Lavigne remix I just downloaded as "TPH", and it will show up in my playlist. But if my girlfriend also decidedes she likes the song, she can tag it as "TPHGF", and now we both have it in our playlists.
     
  15. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Is that done in iTunes?
     
  16. That Phat Hat

    That Phat Hat Member+

    Nov 14, 2002
    Just Barely Outside the Beltway
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Yes, in iTunes. Create a new folder by selecting "New folder" under the "File" menu. You can put regular playlists, smart playlists and subfolders inside a folder.

    Here is the setup I have:
    [​IMG]
     
  17. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sometimes reading is fundamental.
     

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