iTunes Home Sharing questions

Hi guys, hoping for some information here!

Ok, I have had a Windows 7 PC as my primary computer for a few years, and that is where my iTunes library is, currently. I've recently gotten a MacBook Pro, and am working on a way to transfer my library over, but maybe still have it available (or residing) on the PC so that my Bose SoundTouch speaker can access it since it's an always-on machine and the MacBook will not be.

So.....what I'm hoping will work is to use Home Sharing to transfer my library to my MacBook (actually copy the files over so they're on the MacBook), but have it remain on the PC as well. My question is, do the two machines remain linked in terms of updating? For example, if I add a file either by ripping a CD or downloading on the MacBook, are those music files automatically moved to the PC's files as well?

Thanks for any help you guys can pass along to a learning MacBook user!

Home sharing doesn't actually transfer the iTunes Library and files from one device to another. With Home Sharing enabled files are read over the network from one machine to another. In your case, even with Home Sharing enabled, ripping a CD on the Mac would not cause it to appear in the main library which is on the other machine.

In your case the cheapest solution is probably enable Home Sharing on the machine that is always on. Any time you add music to the iTunes library., ripping, purchasing from iTunes, etc., do it from this machine. The changes will appear on the Mac as part of the shared library. This way you don't have to worry which machine has what files on it. The most up to date library will always be on the machine that is always on.

You could store the files on a network attached hard drive and have each computer read the files from there. In that case it's still simplest to add files to the library from one machine.

Gotcha, thanks for the quick reply. I had looked at the info on this page and thought from reading it that it would transfer the files to the MacBook. Linking on my iPhone, so not sure it'll be an active link.

http://www.heyhowto.com/music/move-your-itunes-music-to-a-new-computer-with-home-sharing/

A NAS drive may be the answer, but I've read about some issues with the SoundTouch units. I was trying to keep the files available to it on the PC, but have my library on the MacBook as well. Maybe that's not doable, the way I'm hoping.

Home Sharing should work for what you want to do as long as you remember two things:

1. If the "always on" system goes to sleep and the Mac tries to load a file there may be a bit of a lag as the system wakes up. Not huge but might be noticeable.
2. Make sure that any changes to the always on machine is the one used to make changes to the library (adding files, deleting files, etc),