iTunes 12 for Mac: Use Home Sharing to import items from another iTunes library

Use Home Sharing to import items from another iTunes library

You can use Home Sharing to import items from up to five iTunes libraries on other computers. To use Home Sharing, you must have an Apple ID.

Any time you download an item from Apple Music or the iTunes Store to a computer in your Home Sharing network, you can have the item automatically downloaded to the other computers in the network as well.

Turn on Home Sharing

Follow these steps on each computer you want to include in your Home Sharing network.

  1. Choose File > Home Sharing > Turn On Home Sharing.

  2. Type your Apple ID and password, and click Turn On Home Sharing.

    If you don’t have an Apple ID, click “Don’t have an Apple ID?” and follow the onscreen instructions.

Import items from other libraries using Home Sharing

Important:   Computers you import from must be on, with iTunes open.
  1. Click Media type pop-up button near the top left of the iTunes window, then choose a shared library.

    If you don’t see any shared libraries, choose Edit Menu, select Shared Libraries, then click Done.

  2. Click the Show pop-up menu at the bottom of the iTunes window and choose “Items not in my library.”

  3. Select the items you want to import, and click Import.

Automatically import new iTunes Store purchases from another computer

  1. Click Media type pop-up button near the top left of the iTunes window, then choose a shared library.

    If you don’t see any shared libraries, choose Edit Menu, select Shared Libraries, then click Done.

  2. Click Settings at the bottom of the window.

  3. Select the types of content you want to automatically import.

  4. Click OK.

Turn off Home Sharing

On each computer, choose File > Home Sharing > Turn Off Home Sharing.

If a shared computer doesn’t appear when Home Sharing is on, turn Home Sharing off, and then turn it on again.

Last Modified: May 26, 2016
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