Transferring iTunes Library to new computer

Skip straight to iTunes Transfer instructions

Whenever you

  • Get a new computer
    ( PC or Mac )
  • Reinstall your system
  • Need to restore a fresh full iTunes backup
  • Need to synchronize home and work machines

You need to Transfer iTunes Library from one Computer to another

Knowing how to Transfer iTunes Library to another computer is both indispensable and cautious


Most of all, we want this to be fully automatic and All inclusive, transferring playlists, apps, ratings and all possible iTunes settings in a no-brainer style

The solution we selected today perfectly meets these expectations: simple, safe, handles everything, remains easy while still providing all desirable advanced features

Our advice: stick to the main panel, as the advanced options are really "advanced"

Note: if your iTunes Library is already gone and you have no backup but still have your Library on your iPod, iPhone or iPad, please follow our Rebuild iTunes Library from iPod, iPhone, iPad instructions

OK, start by getting the program from here

Download, open and run the file

From there, it's pretty simple, just hit either one of the buttons depending if you want to

Make sure to connect an external drive ( or USB flash drive ) to your computer with sufficient free space

  • To check available free memory on a hard disk, click Start->My Computer, then right-click on your external hard disk and select "Properties"
  • To know the size of your iTunes Library, open iTunes and look at the bottom center of the program

From then on, things are pretty obvious

Feel free to have a look at the below sections for more in-depth instructions

Transfer iTunes Library Between Computers

Click Transfer

Select the destination computer operating system: Mac or PC

Then, select whether you want to move iTunes Library to

  • Another computer: Creates a restorable backup file containing all your iTunes Library files
  • A folder: Simply fully copies all your iTunes files to a directory of your choice
  • An external hard drive: Same as previous, except it saves iTunes to a removable storage device

Upon complete iTunes backup, you can browse your external disk drive or USB key to make sure the backup files were properly created

Finally, eject your external disc ( from the tray notification area in your screen lower right corner )

See restore instructions


Copy iTunes Library - Backup iTunes Library

Click Backup

Select whether to

  • Create a full iTunes clone ( go for this option if this is the first time you are using the program )
  • Update an existing iTunes Library mirror ( in this case, select the backup file to update )

Finally, click Start Backup

See restore instructions

Restore iTunes Library from Backup

Connect your hard drive to the computer onto which you want to Import your iTunes Library

Make sure to have the program installed on that computer too

Start the program and hit Restore

Browse your external hard disc for your iTunes Library backup file and click Start Restore

You're all set ! Your iTunes Library has been successfully transferred to a new computer or from one PC to another !

 

Notes & possible issues

  • This solution works for both Mac and Windows, it allows to transfer iTunes Library from PC to Mac and from PC to PC
  • It creates a full iTunes copy, including music songs, playlists, applications, ratings, games and all personal settings, such as play count, date added, date last played and so on
iPhone Expert

Mike Johnson

Founder and Editor of sync-iphone.com has a sincere desire to provide readers with honest and useful solutions for their iPhone
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6 Responses to Transfer iTunes Library to New Computer – Copy iTunes from one Computer to another – Move iTunes Music to another PC using external hard drive

  1. Brad Whalen says:

    Cannot get your program to load on my new mac! Loaded great on the old pc, transferred library to ext hard drive. Now can’t take the last step.

    Please advise!
    Thank you,
    Brad

    • iPhone Expert says:

      Dear Brad,

      Just to mention it is not our program
      We found it useful and wanted to share it

      You are right, it only works on PC, but allows to transfer iTunes library from PC to Mac and from PC to PC

  2. Tim Romesburg says:

    I still can’t figure out how to transfer all my old music and apps from my old comupter to my new computer! Have any advice??

    • iPhone Expert says:

      Dear Tim,

      Did you try the instructions on the current page?
      What did it give?

  3. marco says:

    when I’m trying to use the transfer option, after the simulation (correctly done without errors), I’ve this error IE_backup_unknown_error . The pc where I have to transfer my library from is a Windows 7 32bit system.

    What could be the reason of this?? And How I can fix it and fully transfer my library to new pc??

    • iPhone Expert says:

      Dear Marco,

      You should try to contact the software maker to solve this problem

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