iPod Sync iTunes using NAS

[boats4chris]

I generally buy most of my music on CD and RIP it with iTunes. I would like to create a shared library on a NAS (USB HD attached to my WiFi Router) with my other computers in the house (about 4). I got the idea while reading an older article from Mac Life that included using some software called MediaRover to sync the local iTunes to the NAS. It sounded like a great way to manage the library without having to do a bunch of behind the scenes copying and importing into iTunes for each computer...it basically let you manage which songs to import into the NAS and pull from the NAS into iTunes with an interface.

http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/how_sync_all_itunes_libraries_your_house

The problem is that it looks like MediaRover is not a functioning product anymore and the website is now one of those redirect pages.

Does anyone know of another utility that will do this? Preferably both Windows and Mac (must support Windows at a minimum) and let you import between iTunes libraries. I don't know if MediaRover just went out of business or if newer versions of iTunes broke its ability to function.

Software would be better than trying to manually copy and import because I want my kids to be able to import the songs without me helping them...

Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[Attonine]

You're going to have a problem achieving what you want. I may have misunderstood exactly what you want to achieve, anyway......

The problems is this:

What you want to do is share a single iTunes library file between the 4 computers. This means that whichever computer you use to add music or movies will not be important as the library file will be updated and be seen an all 4 computers. This is problematic as only 1 computer can be reading this file at any one time. If two or more computers have iTunes open and are reading the same library file at any one time they are going to create a conflict between themselves which could result in corruption of the library file.

The only way I know how to do what you want is by making sure that only 1 instance of iTunes is running at any time. This means only allowing one computer to access the iTunes library at any one time.

It is no problem to share the media files between the 4 computers, it's just the library file. All 4 computers can share the same media, with each having its own library file. However, when you add some music to computer 1, computers 2,3, and 4 will not automatically see this new music, you will have to root through the media files and manually add the new music to each instance of iTunes on each computer.


Sorry it's a bit wordy, I hope you can understand.
I think Home sharing was developed to solve this kind of problem. I never use it, but hopefully someone who does will offer some assistance.

 

[boats4chris]

Not exactly what I meant...

Thanks for the reply.

I understand what you are saying about only reading the iTunes db file with one computer at a time. I know it won't work with multiple computers at the same time.

That is why I thought the method in this article would work really well. What it does is essentially keep a master copy of the iTunes library and db on the NAS and through an external program (MediaRover) let you select the songs you want to sync up to the master from your local iTunes library or pull down from the master into your local iTunes library.

I have tried the home sharing route a couple of times with different computers but there are too many limitations and I am tired of having to "help" each of my kids get it figured out each time they want to pull in or share a few songs. That is why I was so interested in MediaRover. I have done a couple of searches for a similar program, but I have not been able to find one yet.

What I am trying to get to is a master library on the NAS that everyone in the house can interact with and get out of the home sharing mess.

 

[Altemose]

Won't it also be rough trying to pull vast amounts of data from a USB hard drive connected to a router? I don't know what router you have but I can tell you some lower end routers would not be able to handle the task. I have streamed 1080p video from my router (AirPort Extreme 6th Generation) without issues but your mileage may vary!