iPod Exporting + importing playlists

[laerm]

I still can't believe there's no sane way to do this...

I have music by an artist on my computer. My friend has the same music by the same artist on her computer. I made a compilation of their work that I really like, so I made a playlist. I export the playlist (as XML, obviously, text does me no good). XML won't import correctly, though, as the location node specifies a full path with my username in it.

Of course, I don't have a solution to this problem, but I'm astonished that nobody else does either. I would love to be corrected. Anyone who can tell me how to get this done is my new hero and I'll name my first born after you.

Thanks...
Micah

 

[GermanSuplex]

I think it works based more on the tags than anything else. I had a library on my external drive located on a J drive. I could not consolidate this library, because my goal was to merge the files of this drive with an existing library, so I just copied the files to a new drive (E and added them to iTunes.

I exported a playlist of files I needed to burn that were on the J: drive. I imported that library into iTunes and with the exception of two or three tracks, it worked flawlessly, pulling in my tracks from my existing library instead of trying to import files from outside of the library into the library.

Basically, if you export a playlist from your library and try to import it into your friends library (or vice-versa), you have to have an almost identical sorting and tagging of your files.

 

[laerm]

Yeah, I bet the method only works for one user moving or consolidating (i.e. with the same username). I was sitting here thinking if there's a way to write a script to do this, then I realised I should be doing real homework instead. Maybe next week I'll write something...

Micah

 

[jbernie]

How many tracks are we talking? I would have thought that at least you could import it and then just have your friend go through and find the tracks.

Though I wonder why you dont just give them the play list and they can create their own? You might spend more time figuring out how to do it than the two of you would take to manually create the list.

 

[laerm]

How many tracks are we talking? I would have thought that at least you could import it and then just have your friend go through and find the tracks.

Though I wonder why you dont just give them the play list and they can create their own? You might spend more time figuring out how to do it than the two of you would take to manually create the list.

Yeah, it's only a dozen tracks or so, so you're right. It's just annoying to have to do it by hand when the non-iTunes world has an easy way to share playlists.

Micah

 

[jbernie]

I have a solution for you, its a little odd, but elegant in the same way.

Both of you share your itunes music folder, then map a drive to the share, do it with the same drive letter. In iTunes point the music folder to the new drive letter. Without moving any of your files/folders and regardless of setups you have the same location.

You can now send each other playlists that will work straight away so long as your subfolders and file names are identical.

I am using Windows 7 but I don't see why it should not work on pretty much any other OS.