it means putting all your libraries in one place and thus all your Itunes content.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Wanger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 12:25 AM Subject: Re: Consolidating Library In iTunes Can someone explain what consolidating libraries means though? On Dec 4, 2007, at 10:14 PM, Esther wrote: > Hi Jane, > > Consolidating library wouldn't really help you. I'm guessing that > your > invalid locations arise because you moved or deleted files outside of > iTunes. That mean that the file locations in your iTunes data base > don't > match where songs actually are (or aren't, in the case of deletions) > on > your hard drive, and they'll show up as invalid locations when you > try to play them. > > On Dec 04, 2007, at 05:01PM, Jane Jordan wrote: >> What does that option to consolidate the library mean? I have just >> deleted a bunch of invalid locations by hand, would it do that for >> me? >> >> Jane >> >> > > Consolidating library usually applies when the location of the music > in your iTunes Music Library is scattered over different > directories, and > you now want to put them all in one place. For example, if you used > a desktop computer, and ran out of space on your default hard drive, > you might have reset the default iTunes Music library location > to point to an external hard drive, which we'll call disk1. > Subsequently, > CDs that you rip, or music that you add to your iTunes Music Library > will be located in some folder on disk1, while your earlier music > still > sits on your main hard drive. Let's say you run out of space again on > disk1 and your change your default iTunes library location to be in > a new folder on disk2. Now new addtions to your iTunes Music Library > will be written into a folder on disk2. So you have your music > scattered > in folders on three different hard drives. > > If disk2 has a lot of space, you might simply decide to consolidate > your > library there. When your run consolidate library from the Advanced > menu of iTunes, what will happen is that a copy of every music file in > your iTunes library that is located outside of the current iTunes > Music > Library location will be copied into the current library location. > You > won't get duplicates of what's already there, but every file that was > on your original hard drive and on disk1 that iTunes knows about will > be copied to your current location in disk2 and organized. So you > better have a lot of space available! > > Another instance in which you might use consolidate library: suppose > you have music that you that you played using a third party music > player, especially if this is from a Windows machine and other > software. > You didn't initially want to let iTunes manage your music, because you > didn't want the folder structure changed when you edit the tags for > track name, album, artist, etc.; this would mess up your playlists > with > that third-party software. So you started off by going to the > advanced > menu preferences (Command+comma to bring up preferences; then > command+6 to go to the Advanced menu), and used the item chooser > menu to go to the General tab ("selected tab 1 of 3"), and you > unchecked the > box for "Copy Music files to iTunes Music folder when adding to > library", but left the box for "Keep iTunes Music folder organized" > checked. > > New music that you imported from CDs would go into your iTunes > Music folder, and be organized by Artist, then by Album, then by > Song according to the tag information on the CD when you ripped > it. In addition, because you checked "Keep iTunes Music folder > organized", if you edit these tags, for example, to correct the > spelling > of an Album title, the folder name for the Album will also change. > But changing the name of folders or files only happens to songs > in your iTunes library which are located in the default iTunes Music > folder, and then, only if you have checked "Keep iTunes Music folder > organized". > > So, if I decide to add music tracks to iTunes from another folder on > my hard drive, and I don't want iTunes to reorganize them, or to > place copies in the iTunes Music folder, I can go to my preferences > and uncheck the box for "Copy Music files to iTunes Music folder > when adding to library". Now, when I use Command+O to add these > files to my library, iTunes will point to their locations (wherever > they > are on my hard drive), so that I can play them, and will allow me to > edit the tags, but it will not change any of the file names or folder > names, because those files are located outside of the iTunes Music > folder. Even if, after these songs are added to my iTunes Music > Library, > I go back and check "Copy Music files to iTunes Music folder when > adding to library", that only applies to music that I add from that > point > on. I can still play the music I added earlier that is in a > completely > different location. > > However, if you later want to move your music library over to a new > hard drive, there's no simple way of knowing how to move over all > these bits that are scattered in different folders outside of your > iTunes > Music library into similarly structured bits on the new hard drive. > So > you might choose to consolidate your library. Alternatively, you've > become comfortable with iTunes, your tagging information is in good > shape, and you want to use it as your main player. So you decide > to consolidate your library, and any instances where your files were > initially outside of the iTunes Music folder are now replaced with > copies inside the music folder, organized by Artist, Album, and Song. > > It's actually faster for iTunes to work with files in one location. > Even > if you're using files outside of the Music Library folder, I used to > find > that I could burn data discs nearly twice as fast using iTunes as I > could using a burn folder on my G4 PowerPC laptop. Once you start > using operations with smart playlists, and develop a sizable library, > it's actually more convenient to let iTunes organize your library. > > If you do try to consolidate your library, make sure you have enough > space to do it. > > HTH > > Cheers, > > Esther >
