Transfer iTunes Library from Windows to Mac

mac57 · May 13, 2006

I have just purchased a Mac and wish to somehow move my iTunes library from my old PC to my new Mac, with everything intact (songs, playlists, ratings, etc.). Is there a general "how to" written on this somewhere? This must be a very common question (although a search on this forum didn't turn up any answers!). Thanks!

PowerBookG4 · May 13, 2006

download pod_util (others have other favorites, but i like this application) plug your ipod into the mac, and run the program, it copies all the songs off the ipod like they were when they were on your other computer.

mac57 · May 13, 2006

This sounds like it would do the trick. Where do you get pod_util? I Googled it and got an amazinglly small 2 links - neither seemed to be a place where it could be downloaded, or anything like a home page...

macAttack · May 13, 2006

actually, use senuti, http://www.fadingred.org/senuti/

PowerBookG4 · May 13, 2006

macAttack said:
actually, use senuti, http://www.fadingred.org/senuti/

Also a good program

sorry I thought i remember it having a underscore.. if you still want to go with podutil then the link is here http://www.kennettnet.co.uk/software/podutil.php

mynameis · May 13, 2006

Just copy your iTunes music folder on your PC over to your Apple, thats about it. I would just do it over the network, if you have it setup, so you don't have to download some extra program that wouldn't be necessary.

mac57 · May 13, 2006

Thanks everyone, Senuti looks pretty good, but after much, much more Googling, it looks like I can literally just copy the files over and use the Add Library function of iTunes (I haven't checked this idea out yet, just read about it). I will try them all and let you know! Thanks again.

campayne · May 13, 2006

or you could just use data CD's idk

mac57 · May 18, 2006

Well, all done. I copied the whole Windows iTunes folder over to my Mac, started iTunes and used it's "Add to Library" function. I pointed the dialog at the copied Windows folder and it did the trick. Slow, but effective. Unfortunately it only brought over the songs, not the playlists. Looks like I am going to have to reconstruct those painfully by hand. No one said platform switching would be fun!

mynameis · May 19, 2006

mac57 said:
Well, all done. I copied the whole Windows iTunes folder over to my Mac, started iTunes and used it's "Add to Library" function. I pointed the dialog at the copied Windows folder and it did the trick. Slow, but effective. Unfortunately it only brought over the songs, not the playlists. Looks like I am going to have to reconstruct those painfully by hand. No one said platform switching would be fun!

If you would have copied over the entire iTunes folder with 'iTunes Library.itl' and 'iTunes Music Library.xml', then you wouldn't have had to do 'Add to Library' and your playlists would be there.

mac57 · May 19, 2006

Are you sure of that? Essentially you are saying literally replace the existing iTunes folder on the Mac with a copy of the Windows one, and all will be well? I can certainly try that...

HOWEVER, before I do, I had a look into the "iTunes Music Libary.xml" file, and it is rife with file references of the sort "C $:\$ Documents and Settings\User\...." - you know, Windows path names. I am guessing that a Mac based iTunes wouldn't be able to figure this out.

Has anyone actually just directly copied over their Windows iTunes folder, replaced their Mac one with it, and had it work? If it does, it would beat the heck out of rebuilding those playlists by hand!!

mac57 · May 20, 2006

Well, I downloaded and tried Senuti. Nice little program, but it won't behave as advertized. I can see the playlists on my iPod, but when I attempt to drag them to the open iTunes window, nothing happens. I have tried dragging them to the main open window, to the Library entry in the side bar, to the bottom of that window, everywhere I could think of. The result is always the same - nada, nuttin, no play list in iTunes. I wonder if this is because my iPod was formatted and downloaded originally using Windows. I know that the iPod updater on my Mac says it can't update my iPod because it is not a Mac formatted iPod... Any thoughts anyone?

mynameis · May 20, 2006

mac57 said:
Has anyone actually just directly copied over their Windows iTunes folder, replaced their Mac one with it, and had it work? If it does, it would beat the heck out of rebuilding those playlists by hand!!

Yup, when I got my iBook, I copied the folder straight to it from my Windows machine. When I sold my iBook, I deleted the old copy on my PC and just copied the folder from my iBook to it. Everything worked great.

mac57 · May 21, 2006

Thanks mynameis. I tried this out and it worked like a champ. Should have done it the first time! All my music, all my playlists, my ratings, last play time, etc. WONDERFUL! Thanks again.