Connect to iTunes

Apple’s iTunes media management software allows you to sync media with multiple devices under a single user ID. You must take time to authorize computers, manually sync your devices and enable Home Sharing to take advantage of all the ways you can connect to iTunes.

Steps

Choosing Computers to Connect to iTunes

  1. Decide which computer you want to use to manage your iTunes library. It should be a computer that has plenty of storage, has access to a strong Wi-Fi network and is available frequently for your use.
  2. Create up t o 5 user accounts on this computer. The content that you download onto iTunes can be authorized to play on up to 5 different computers that have iTunes. This includes the following 2 situations:
    • You can own 5 different computers, download iTunes and authorize your Apple ID to access your music library.
    • You can set up 5 different user accounts on the computer. Although you will only download iTunes a single time, each user profile will count as a single authorized use of iTunes with the account, as if you had downloaded iTunes 5 different times to use with the account.
  3. Manage the computers/authorized accounts regularly. You can authorize new computers and de-authorize other computers, depending upon your connection needs.
    • Download iTunes on a new computer. Go to the iTunes Store. In the Store menu or Advanced menu choose the option to “Authorize this Computer.” Enter your Apple ID to connect it to your iTunes library.
    • De-authorize a computer if you have reached the 5 accounts but want to replace one computer with another. Open iTunes on the computer that has been authorized. You will need Internet access to do so. Go to the iTunes Store. Click on the Store menu or Advanced menu. Choose “De-authorize this Computer” and enter your Apple ID. You will no longer have access to your library on this computer.
    • If you no longer have access to computers that have been authorized in the past, you can deauthorize all computers and re-authorize them one by one. Go into iTunes on your main computer. Access the iTunes store. Sign in using the Account button and enter your Apple ID. Find the option to deauthorize all computers and click it.[1]

Connecting Devices to iTunes

  1. Remove automatic syncing from your apps on your device. Go to the Settings app. Find “Restrictions” in the general settings.
    • Slide the “In-App Purchases” to off.
    • This will restrict the allowed content to just those apps you have manually downloaded to the device.
    • Repeat this step on all of your devices that you plan to sync into the iTunes library.[2]
  2. Find a USB charger cable for each of your devices. In some cases, you may have been provided a Firewire or Lightening cable to connect your device to a computer. You can connect an unlimited number of devices to a single Apple ID, but you will need to control what portions of your library you want to use on each device.
  3. Start the iTunes Connect your first Apple device to your computer. If it asks you whether you want to sync your device to your iTunes library, say “no” at first, unless you want all your media files to immediately download onto this device.
  4. Choose the manual sync option for most devices, since they have different storage limits and user capabilities. For example, an iPod Shuffle will have lower content limits than an iPad or iPhone.
  5. Click on the tabs, such as “music,” “movies” and “podcasts.” If you do not see these options, click on the device name in the left hand column of your iTunes screen to gain access to the library and your device.
  6. Go to each section and manually sync the information you want to share on this particular device. Wait for the device to sync. Once all the information you want is on the device, eject it using the symbol next to the device name.
  7. Repeat the manual syncing process with each Apple device you own. Although you can connect each device to a single iTunes account, you can control the information according to your preferences.
    • You can’t connect a device to more than one Apple ID.

Managing Music on Different Devices

  1. Add media files onto your main iTunes library before making changes in how you manage your music. Download new songs, videos or podcasts from the iTunes store or rip CDs into your iTunes account.
  2. Opt to create a different iTunes library for each device, if you don’t want to manually sync your device each time you connect it to iTunes.
    • If you have a Mac computer, you should hold down the Option key while you open iTunes.
    • If you have a Windows computer, you should hold down the Shift key while you open iTunes.
    • Choose “Create Library” in the dialog box, and then name it a different name. You can do this for each device you plan to connect to iTunes.
    • Open iTunes with the new library file. Go to the iTunes menu and choose Preferences and the Advanced tab.
    • Deselect the line that says, “Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" and you will avoid making extra copies of files that you already have on your computer.
    • Add the specific files you want in this library by adding individually through the File menu or clicking and dragging from one iTunes library into another.
  3. Repeat with each remaining device-specific iTunes library you want to create. This method is best if you have a very different mix of videos, music and podcasts that you want to connect to your different Apple devices.
  4. Choose to create different iTunes playlists, in place of adding new iTunes libraries, if you want to put different music on each device. Add playlists to your main iTunes account and name them according to your device.
    • Go through your iTunes music library and add songs and albums to the playlist of your choice.
  5. Plug in your device using your USB cable. Go to the Music tab and choose to sync a specific playlist to your device each time you connect it to iTunes. You can add music to that playlist when the device is unplugged and it will automatically be synced the next time you connect it.[3]

Using Apple Home Sharing

  1. Connect your computer to a Wi-Fi network that you use regularly at home.
  2. Connect your Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads, to the same wireless network. Connect your Apple TV, if you own one, because it has the best capabilities for sharing iTunes content.
  3. Turn on Home Sharing on each computer that is connected to your Apple ID. You will need to open iTunes and click on Home Sharing in the Sharing tab on the left hand side. Turn on Home Sharing on the computer.
    • You will see the other computers or user’s libraries listed in the Sharing section as soon as they also enable Home Sharing.[4]
  4. Turn the Home Sharing function on individually with each device. Go to the Settings icon. Find the Sharing tab and enable Home Sharing. You can now connect and play your iTunes libraries on different devices within your Wi-Fi network.[5]

Things You'll Need

  • Apple devices
  • Apple USB charger cables
  • Apple TV

Sources and Citations

  1. Jump up ↑ http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1420
  2. Jump up ↑ http://gigaom.com/2011/03/30/itunes-101-multiple-devices-one-itunes-account/
  3. Jump up ↑ http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1495
  4. Jump up ↑ http://gigaom.com/2011/03/30/itunes-101-multiple-devices-one-itunes-account/M
  5. Jump up ↑ http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3819
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