Consolidating iTunes Library?!?!

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Okay, I have been trying to move my iTunes library from my iBook HDD to a network hard drive. By following the Apple documentation, I'm supposed to check the preferences to say "keep iTunes folder organised", then change the location of the library to the new location. Then I go and consolidate the library. It then copies all the files over to the new network HDD. As far as I'm aware that's all I needed to do, but no, when I go to play a track from iTunes, it's still playing it from the local HDD..... what am I doing wrong?

I ended up having to just copy all the files over to the network HDD, and then re-add them all to my library, hardly the best way to do it.

Also, is there a way to update the library if someone adds something else to the network drive, so that any iTunes accessing the drive can play the new tracks?

Thanks all
 
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Your Mac's Specs
MacBook 2.0GHz White, 512MB RAM, 60GB HDD
There are a couple of points here. First, the point of the Consolidate Library is to copy the tracks FROM where they are INTO your local iTunes library, not the other way round. This is your main problem - the instructions you followed were for copying from a network folder, not to it. The other thing is that you could just let each person have their own iTunes library and enable sharing on all of them. You can then browse each person's music as you like.

If you really want a network share, you must uncheck 'Copy music to iTunes folder ...' and then manually add them all from the remote share. There is no way to tell iTunes that a file has moved outside the library that I am aware of, but I can't think of another system that works that way either.
 
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Ah! I wasn't aware of that. I was assuming that it worked either way, to or from the Mac. At least I know now :)

The one network share is a must, as I am setting up a Sonos system (www.sonos.com) and want to be able to access all my music when there are no computers on.

I have seen some scripts on Dougs AppleScripts which may do the job of updating the playlists in iTunes with respect to a network drive. Looks good :)
 
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Consolidation Question Also

I consolidated my library because i'm preparing to move it to another computer and it worked well except for the mixes. For example if my friend once gave me a mix CD and i labeled all the tracks when i uploaded it to itunes, the consolidation has turned it back to track #, unknown artist, and unknown album. it did this to all my mixes. So my itunes library folder has the usual artist folders with the album folders inside containing the songs but it also has a "unknown artist" folder in which i have hundreds of Tracks. Is there a way to fix this with out making the artist-album folders myself? Shouldn't it have worked? because in itunes the artist, album, and name are filled out. its frustrating. any help? :Oops:
 

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