Syncing iTunes libraries

[Sovereign]

Is there an app designed for syncing iTunes libraries between computers? I've tried apps like AllWaySync, but all they succeed in doing is either copying nothing (I'm doing this over a network cable, my laptop is plugged into my desktop's spare ethernet port) or overwriting half the music on both computers and leaving me with a worse situation than I had before...

[yurimxpxman]

Are you using Apple's DRM-encumbered tracks or regular MP3s?

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

Do you have the same songs on the laptop as you do on the desktop? If so, just head to the iTunes folder in My Music, copy the XML file called iTunes Music Library to your laptop. Then open iTunes on the laptop and go to Import, Library. Then find the iTunes Music Library XML file on your laptop and you're done.

You do need to have all the songs you had on the desktop to make this work. And make sure it ends up in the same spot (i.e. if it was in My Music on the desktop, put it in My Music on the laptop).

[Sovereign]

These are DRM-free, ripped from audio CDs. However, the problem is, I don't have the exact same tunes on both machines. I want both machines to have the same music, but what ends up happening half the time with the method suggested by wtcnbrwndo4u is I lose half my music on both machines. I have tried deleting and uninstalling iTunes from my laptop, then installing iTunes again and placing my desktop's music on a DVD, transferring to my laptop and importing. No go, even though all the music is there, it gives me little "!" next to damn near half my songs and says they're missing.

Here's the problem: I just got home from college for Thanksgiving, ripped a bunch of Christmas music to my laptop, and want to sync that. Automatically. I know I can just drag the DRM-less MP3s onto my flash drive and move them, but for future, I want all syncing done automatically...arrgh this is frustrating!

[yurimxpxman]

Here are the two solutions I've used myself in the past:

1) Store all of the MP3s on an external HDD and plug it into the machine you want to use at the time

2) Network the machines and play the music from the other PC

[Blondie]

Originally Posted by wtcnbrwndo4u

Do you have the same songs on the laptop as you do on the desktop?

Did you happen to save those links I added in you're 80 gig iPod post? Seems the post was lost.... I posted links to a few iPod exclusive sites that give free software. If you have them it will save me another 1/2 hour of searching for the sites....

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

Originally Posted by Blondie

Did you happen to save those links I added in you're 80 gig iPod post? Seems the post was lost.... I posted links to a few iPod exclusive sites that give free software. If you have them it will save me another 1/2 hour of searching for the sites....

No sorry, I didn't grab those...

When I try to click that link in my email, it goes to a completely different post. It must have been wiped in the data loss... It's all good though.

[Sovereign]

Originally Posted by yurimxpxman

Here are the two solutions I've used myself in the past:

1) Store all of the MP3s on an external HDD and plug it into the machine you want to use at the time

2) Network the machines and play the music from the other PC

Can iTunes be configured to use two different libraries? As in one local (the messed up one) and one remote (the desktop one that is NOT messed up?)

[Blondie]

thanks for looking