Two Itunes accounts 1 PC?

[willis3]

My son has asked for his own itunes account, the problem is we only have 1 PC.
Can someone tell me the best/easiest way to set this up?
I suppose I should be happy my son wants to buy his own apps/music but not sure how to set this up..

[cjmnews]

I wouldn't do that. You will end up giving Apple money twice for songs both accounts like, and apps, both accounts like. Sync by playlist and save the money and the headaches of having 2 iTunes backups to maintain, etc.

But if you want to do that, you can create a new Windows account on the PC for your son. Log into that account, open iTunes and create a new account.

[willis3]

Thanks.. I know what you mean about buying thing twice.. but I figure sooner then later he will
have to start his own library, to suit his tastes etc..
seems like a pain to create another Windows login etc..
was hoping there was a better way..

[rockmyplimsoul]

Instead of creating a separate Windows log in, another option is to create a separate iTunes library on the same Windows log in.

To do this, hold the Shift key as you launch iTunes. You'll see a prompt to "Create Library" or "Select Library". Create a new library and follow the prompts to designate where you want it. Once created, it will be blank and he can then designate this library for his Apple ID. You can populate this new library with music from the other library if you like.

To switch back and forth between libraries, you have to close iTunes and re-launch it while holding the Shift key, then select "Choose Library" and navigate to where the "iTunes Library.itl" file is that you want to open.

There are downsides to doing this though. For one, you might forget which library was last opened, or open the wrong one by mistake. Also, populating the new library with music from the original library can be done, but is a minor challenge. Another problem is doubling-up storage space for things that are common to both libraries.

You might be better off sharing a library, and if he wants his own Apple ID then log out/log in to the Apple Store each time he (or you) wants to make a purchase. That way his purchases are in the Apple cloud for someday when he gets his own computer, at which time he can re-download his purchases.

[willis3]

How would this work?

"You might be better off sharing a library, and if he wants his own Apple ID then log out/log in to the Apple Store each time he (or you) wants to make a purchase. That way his purchases are in the Apple cloud for someday when he gets his own computer, at which time he can re-download his purchases."

If he bought with his own apple id would they still be in my library?

[rockmyplimsoul]

Originally Posted by willis3

If he bought with his own apple id would they still be in my library?

Yes, your purchases would be co-mingled in the same library. That means that music he buys with his ID would be available to you, and vice versa. Apps are also sync-able to multiple devices from the same computer, but App updates on any device would require his password.

[willis3]

What would happen to his purchases when he had his own PC?

[rockmyplimsoul]

You mean someday when he gets his own PC? There are many ways to transfer purchases from your PC to another, but the simplest way is to re-download the purchases from iTunes. Except in certain countries where you can't re-download movies, all purchases can be re-downloaded from the iTunes store at no charge. The only thing he'd lose are things like playcounts, ratings he's applied, or tag changes he's made to the purchases.

I should emphasize that while sharing the same library with two Apple IDs is possible, the recommended method by Apple is to either set up separate Windows accounts, or separate iTunes libraries within the same Windows account. But you're not violating any laws by doing this, the EULA allows you to share purchases on the same computer.

[willis3]

So how do I proceed in setting this up, with his own itunes account ?>

[rockmyplimsoul]

He needs to establish his own Apple ID and link a payment method to it. See:

Frequently asked questions about Apple ID

If you decide to share the same library and log in and out of the iTunes store, then simply open your existing iTunes library and log out of the store and back in with his ID.

[willis3]

Ok so I created an apple ID for him. How do I co mingle our libraries?

[rockmyplimsoul]

Well, since he didn't previously have his own purchases there's nothing for you to do at this point. Once he starts making his own iTunes purchases then at that point his purchases will be co-mingled with yours.

To clarify further, for him to make purchases from the library that you're sharing, he will need to log you out of your iTunes store account and log himself into his store account. To resume purchases under your ID, you'd do the opposite.

[willis3]

I get you I think.. he will be making his purchases from his touch.. so shouldn't have to log out on PC