How to merge on iTunes library with a partial iTunes library

[jarin420]

Hello

I have a computer with an iTunes lib that I have not used for over a year as I have been using my partners laptop while overseas. I started adding my new music to her iTunes library but now I want to combine the music that I added to her library to my old library and keep the play count information.

Does anyone know if this possible?

Thanks

[cjmnews]

You could probably go the other direction where you import the tracks from your old library into your partners library (File->Add Folder to Library) and that would keep the play counts for your current music and lose the play counts for music tat was in your library.

The other possibility is to write code to export play counts from her library (create list of track names with play counts in a text file from selected tracks), import the tracks into your library, and import the play counts to your library (read list from file, find track in your library and update play counts). The code would not be too hard. I just don't have the time to do it right now.

[jarin420]

Thats for the help but I'd rather keep the play count on my older (larger) library rather than the new one.

If if cant keep the play count is there any easy way to export my section of the new library into my old library? Basically it would be all the new stuff in the last year which I can obviously arrange by date, but how can I export?

[cjmnews]

There is no way to export directly.

Copying the files and importing will work, but you lose play counts.

There may be software to help, but I don't know the name of any.

[Jesse Hollington]

There are applications such as TuneRanger that are designed to synchronize two iTunes libraries, including things like ratings and play counts. Most of these are commercial apps that run around $30-$50; whether that's worth it for you depends on how badly you want to keep those play counts.

Another option would be to do this via your iPod or iOS device. If you've synced all of the music from your partner's library to your device, you could transfer it back using many of the utilities described in our tutorial on Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer, many of which will copy your ratings and play count data back along with the tracks themselves.

[jarin420]

Yeah Im may look at some software. My library is to big for my iPhone so I wont be able to do it that way. Thanks