Home Forums Peripherals & Multimedia iTunes, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV Copying individual iTunes track/s to another Mac

Why doesn't this work?

Go to source Mac, go to
Music > Itunes > Itunes Music, drag folder onto desktop

Go to target Mac, to go
Music > Itunes > Itunes Music, drag folder into there.

The track does not show in target (this) Mac's iTunes.

Since I'm missing something, what is the preferred technique for getting a single track off another Mac? (Followed by another track or two. These were purchased today from Amazon on the source Mac.)

thanks

You only did half of the job when you dragged the folder onto your destination Mac, i.e. you added the song to iTunes Music, but not to your iTunes Library.

Now, with iTunes open, hit command-O, navigate to the song in your folder and complete the transaction, and the song will appear in iTunes.

GoodGOD that worked! I can't thank you enough, artie. I don't know who you are or where you are, but if you were in the vicinity I would offer you a hug. Or a firm handshake, whichever is your preference.

Interesting to note that that is not described anywhere on the internet (where I looked before logging in and posting). All threads/links refer to copying entire libraries, not individual tracks.

Thank you!

And to emphasize artie's point, the tracks you want to add can be anywhere on your Mac (e.g., Desktop, Downloads folder, etc.); you do not have to drag them into the iTunes Library folder.

To repeat the advice: "…navigate to the song in your folder [wherever it may be, whatever folder it is] and complete the transaction…".

Happy to have helped.

You probably used the wrong search term. "Importing songs into iTunes" turns up, among others, Why can't I import files into iTunes from my computer?

Good point, Ira, and I'll expand on it by pointing out that under iTunes > Preferences > Advanced there is (or was in my iTunes 8) an option to "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" that's helpful if you want all your music in that folder.