iTunes and iPhoto help

wolfyboy555

I have just got my first mac, a MBA and I am finding it difficult to get used to the OS. I have a NAS with 1TB hard drive and I want everything to go onto that including music and photos as there is no room on the macbook.

My questions are these:

1. I want to use my music collection on my external HD for iTunes. However, as I have started to import it, the storage on my mac for music has increased. Is iTunes processing my music, adding it to iTunes and storing it locally somewhere? What is the easiest way to import my music collection from my hard-drive into iTunes?

2. Similar for iPhoto. When I plug a SD card and upload my photos into iPhoto is there a way they can be automatically uploaded into my photos folder on my hard-drive instead of staying locally or do I have to manually keep adding them?

Thanks

DubDJ

Not 100% sure but I think with iTunes the music files have to be stored locally, and can't be played from the NAS.

Similar with iPhoto you'd need the physical files on the machine. You could however set up your mac to automatically backup your files to the NAS using Time Machine. Have you tried looking into Time Machine? You could select the individual folders you want backed up.

ZENER

There is a way to store your home folder in a different location but it might cause problems. You can configure iTunes to store it's folder elsewhere, obviously you won't have access to your music if you're not connected to your network. Go to the advanced tab in iTunes preferences and point it to the NAS, also uncheck the import files option.

You can move your entire home folder to a different location from the User preferences in System Preferences. Right-Click on your account and select Advanced Properties. In here you can change the location of the home directory.

It might be a good idea to create a new user account for when you are connected to your home network and change the home folder location on that account only. You can mount that NAS folder from the Finder menu "Connect to Server" option.

Hope this helps ?!

Ken

nialler

Howya wolfy

Welcome to the world of mac, I got myself a new MBA yesterday, did go for the 512 SSD though as it'll be my main machine as my 5 year old iMac upstairs is getting a bit long in the tooth, persevere with the OS you will grow to love it.

Anyways with iTunes as Zener said you can have it in a remote location, iTunes with its default setting is adding the music to your Music folder, just follow Zener's instructions and you'll be fine.

Now, you have also got to consider if you're not connected to the NAS you will not be able to play your music BUT there's a solution for that. €23 buys you iTunes Match, it will replace all your music (on your NAS) into your iCloud account with the highest fidelity versions of the songs.

Anytime then that you're on a decent enough wireless network you can stream your songs, that's what I'm doing on mine, I have an external HD with 70 odd thousand songs on it and didn't want to bother copying to the MBA so now I just stream and it's fantastic.

Think about it as it may be a more elegant solution. You can also get Google drive for €4 a month (100gb) to store files online that'll keep your 128gb SSD fairly clear.

Nialler

wolfyboy555

hi guys thanks for the advice it seems to have worked for iTunes. I moved my iTunes media folder into my external hard drive and then added my music to the library! I also tried iTunes Match which I am impressed with so far although it took and age to upload my library but its all good now! I might even sell my 160gb iPod now that I have everything in the cloud!

DubDJ

wolfyboy555 wrote: »

hi guys thanks for the advice it seems to have worked for iTunes. I moved my iTunes media folder into my external hard drive and then added my music to the library! I also tried iTunes Match which I am impressed with so far although it took and age to upload my library but its all good now! I might even sell my 160gb iPod now that I have everything in the cloud!

Another handy thing with iTunes Match is you'll receive iTunes Radio ad-free when it launches in Ireland.

Zapp Brannigan

For photos. Just drag the iPhoto Library located in your Pictures folder on to your external HDD.

The open iPhoto while holding down the option (alt) key. You'll be prompted to locate your library and then you can point it to the external and free up loads of space for yourself.