Oct 25, 2019 On your old Mac: If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these four steps. Open Migration Assistant. Click Continue. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac. Click Continue. On your new Mac. Oct 12, 2016 If your iTunes library is taking up too much space, you can move it off of your local drive and onto an external hard drive without breaking your music collection. You can also transfer your entire iTunes library from one computer to another if you are migrating to a new Mac.
Move Itunes Library To External Drive
Migration Assistant copies all of your files to your new Mac so that you don't have to copy your files manually.
- If your files are currently on a Windows PC, follow the PC migration steps instead.
- If your new Mac is using OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 or earlier, follow the Mountain Lion migration steps instead.
Check software, settings, and power
- Install all available Apple software updates on both Mac computers. Install any updates for your third-party apps as well.
- Make sure that your old Mac is using OS X Lion or later.
- Make sure that your old Mac has a computer name: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing and check the Computer Name field.
- Connect both computers to AC power.
Connect the computers to each other
- If both computers are using macOS Sierra or later, just make sure that they're near each other and have Wi-Fi turned on. If either is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, connect them to the same network using Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Or connect them using target disk mode and the appropriate cable or adapter. Then start up your old computer in target disk mode.
- Or connect your new Mac to a Time Machine backup of your old Mac.
Use Migration Assistant
On your new Mac:
- Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
- Click Continue.
- When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
- Click Continue.
On your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these four steps.
- Open Migration Assistant.
- Click Continue.
- When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac.
- Click Continue.
On your new Mac:
- When asked to select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup disk, click the appropriate icon.
- Click Continue. You might see a security code.
On your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these two steps.
- If you see a security code, make sure that it's the same code as on your new Mac.
- Click Continue.
On your new Mac:
- You should see a list of backups organized by date and time. Choose the backup that you want to use.
- Click Continue.
Continuing on your new Mac:
- Select the information to transfer.
- Click Continue to start the transfer. If you have a lot of content, the transfer might take several hours to finish.
In the example above, John Appleseed is a macOS user account. If you transfer an account that has the same name as an account on your new Mac, you're asked to rename the old account or replace the one on your new Mac. If you rename, the old account appears as a separate user on your new Mac, with a separate home folder and login. If you replace, the old account overwrites the account on your new Mac, including everything in its home folder.
After Migration Assistant is done, log in to the migrated account on your new Mac to see its files. If you're not keeping your old Mac, learn what to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your old Mac.
After decades of digital music, it's not unlikely if you've amassed quite the collection of music on your computer's hard drive. If your iTunes library is taking up too much space, you can move it off of your local drive and onto an external hard drive without breaking your music collection.
You can also transfer your entire iTunes library from one computer to another if you are migrating to a new Mac.
Before you start: Back up your Mac
Before making major changes to your computer, it's always a good idea to back up your data: The best way to back up your Mac is with a Time Machine routine in place, but you can choose an alternate backup option that's right for you.
What you will need
You will, of course, need the computer your iTunes library is currently on. You will also need the following:
- An external hard drive (and power source, if applicable)
- A USB cable to connect the hard drive to your original Mac
- A power source for your original Mac
- If you're moving to a new computer, your new Mac (and its power cable)
Step 1: Consolidate your library
Over time, it's easy for your music, movies, apps, and other iTunes content to end up stored in various places throughout your computer's hard drive. To ensure that you copy everything from iTunes over to an external hard drive, you should first consolidate your library. Even if you think your library has all your information consolidated already, it can't hurt to do a manual check before moving any data.
- Launch iTunes on your Mac.
Click File in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen.
- Hover your cursor over Library in the dropdown menu.
Select Organize Library from the secondary menu.
- Tick the box for Consolidate Files in the window that appears.
Click OK.
This process makes a copy of all files in the iTunes media folder, and leaves the original files in their current location.
Step 2: Move your iTunes Library to an external hard drive
- Quit iTunes.
- Connect your external hard drive to your computer using a USB cable.
- Click on Finder to open a Finder window.
Select your Mac's hard drive.
- Click on the Music folder.
Select iTunes and drag it to the external hard drive.
- Click Authenticate when prompted to give permission to move the iTunes folder.
- Enter your administrator password.
Click OK.
This process could take upwards of an hour or two, depending on how much data stored in your iTunes library.
Step 3: Redirect iTunes to the new location
Once you've transferred a copy of your iTunes library onto an external hard drive, you will need to set a new path for the iTunes app by redirecting it to search the external hard drive for content, rather than your local drive.
- Launch iTunes and hold down the Option Keyat the same time.
Click on Choose Library when the window appears.
- Select your external hard drive under Devices in the Finder sidebar.
- Click on iTunes.
Click Open.
Note: Until you delete the iTunes file on your local hard drive, you can switch which libraries iTunes uses by launching the app and holding down the Option key at the same time.
Step 4: Make sure it worked
If you performed the first three steps correctly, when you open iTunes, it should look the same as it did before. You can double-check to make sure the migration worked by checking the info of any content.
- Launch iTunes.
Select a song, podcast, movie, app, or other content.
- Right-click or Control-click on the song.
- Select Get info from the drop down menu.
Click on the File tab in the info window.
Look under Location to ensure that the content is now being stored under /Volumes/external hard drive name/... instead of Users/local hard drive name/...
Step 5: Delete the old iTunes library
Once you have transferred a copy of your iTunes library onto an external hard drive and redirected iTunes to the new location, you can delete the iTunes folder on your local hard drive, freeing up space on your Mac.
Note: If you are making a copy to transfer to a new computer, you don't need to perform step 5 unless you want to remove your iTunes library from the old computer.
- Quit iTunes.
- Click on Finder to open a Finder window.
Select your Mac's hard drive.
- Click on the Music folder.
Select iTunes and drag it to the trash.
Make sure your external hard drive is connected to your Mac when you launch iTunes from now on. Otherwise, iTunes won't be able to find the files. If that happens, quit iTunes, connect your external hard drive to your computer, and reopen iTunes.
Step 6 [optional]: Move your iTunes library to a new Mac
Once you have your iTunes library on an external hard drive, you can relocate it to a new Mac.
- Quit iTunes on your new Mac.
- Connect your external hard drive to your new Mac using a USB cable.
- Open the external hard drive once it appears on your new Mac's screen.
- Click on Finder on your new Mac to open a Finder window.
Select your new Mac's hard drive.
- Click on the Music folder.
Drag the iTunes folder from your external hard drive into the Music folder on your new Mac.
- Launch iTunes and hold down the Option Keyat the same time.
- Click on Choose Library when the window appears.
Select your local hard drive under Devices in the Finder sidebar.
- Click on the Music folder.
- Click on iTunes.
Click Open.
Any questions?
Do you have any questions or issues with moving your iTunes library onto an external hard drive or onto a new Mac? Let us know in the comments and we'll help you out.
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