Syncopation provides automatic iTunes synchronization

Well, can anyone tell me which one of the mentioned software packages works the best or is the most supported? I don't mind paying $30-$40, so long as the thing does what I want it to and it lasts at least a year (updates, bug fixes etc.)

I was quite excited when I saw the fact that Syncopation offers synchronization of selected playlists (so, a subset of your main iTunes library). I tried it, along with all of the other apps mentioned by other commenters here (SuperSync, MyTunesSync, Tune Ranger).

When using my MBP, I have my iTunes library stored on an external drive. However, I would like to have a smaller library on the internal drive so that I can carry some tunes and vids with me without needing to take the external drive everywhere. It’d be cool if I could sync playcounts and things back and forth between the big (external) library, and the small (internal) library, too.

Anyway, none of these applications fits the bill for what I want. Nearly all of them only synchronize two iTunes libraries over a network (which wouldn’t work in my case with the MBP since both libraries are on local drives). One application, Super Sync, was able to open both libraries at once, and claimed to sync 25 tracks (the maximum allowed by the demo) from the external library to the internal library. However, when I opened the internal library in iTunes, those tracks were nowhere to be seen (although the AAC files themselves were now in ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music, they just didn’t show up in iTunes itself). Also, SuperSync is easily the ugliest of the applications I tried, with a very un-Mac-like interface (it’s a cross-platform app, and seems to have been written in Java). Tune Ranger has a cool icon but kept hanging for an extended period at launch and then any time I tried to open any of the menus…

So, I’m still looking for a solution for my little problem. Well, not so much a problem as a desire. I’ve been looking for a while, but still haven’t found something satisfactory for such a seemingly simple and obvious task!

I tried tuneranger with my macbook pro and my mini but it didn't completely sync, error message said I need to do something with my router. I don't have time to fool around with those details. I just took the mini's external HDD and attached it to the MBP and coppied the music. I will use a thumb drive for additions and skip messing about with such software. Those programs might be great to use once all the settings are in place but if that takes too long; I can't be bothered.

Most of this kind of apps that work with itunes seem to stop working well if the library gets big, say over 50.000 tracks or something like that, i would like to know how these compare,it would make a nice shoot out, so tuaw, make me happy and review these sync apps for itunes please ;-).

I use the following script - it figures out which version I used last and updates the other one to be identical to it:

#! /bin/sh

set -o errexit
LOCAL_TIME=`stat -f "%m" ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Library`
REMOTE_TIME=`ssh user@host stat -f "%m" Music/iTunes/iTunes Library`
echo $LOCAL_TIME $REMOTE_TIME
if [ $LOCAL_TIME -gt $REMOTE_TIME ]; then
echo "local file is newer"
rsync -av --delete --rsh=ssh ~/Music/iTunes user@host:Music/
elif [ $LOCAL_TIME -lt $REMOTE_TIME ]; then
echo "remote file is newer"
rsync -av --delete --rsh=ssh user@host:Music/iTunes ~/Music/
else
echo "files have the same timestamp"
fi

All I want is something to merge two separate libraries on one machine while keeping play counts and ratings intact. Apparently this is impossible, because nothing I've found can do it. I can merge two libraries, but nothing can preserve the metadata.

I want something that will keep the files of two libraries in sync, but to have the metadata be unique. Basically, I want my soon-to-be wife and I to use separate user accounts but to have access to the same large pool of music. Ratings and playlists and stuff would be unique to each user account.

To make the iTunes library on a second computer identical to that on the first:

rsync -v --rsh="ssh -x -c blowfish" --delete -a ~/Music/iTunes/. nala:./Music/iTunes/.

You can reverse the two to go in the other direction.

Sure, one library becomes a "slave" to the other, and you lose playcounts and such on the "slave" machine, but this is much better than using target mode and copying the whole damn folder. :)

I've played with some of these, but I've yet to find what I need: something that will help me keep my house (Seattle) library and my apartment (Los Angeles) library in sync. Do any of these work over WAN? I can get Back to my Mac to work (most of the time) but I have yet to find anything that will let me synchronize anything but .mac stuff...

I use Libra to switch iTunes libraries between the home version (on a NAS) and a smaller snapshot on the MBPro when on the road. It works fine for that usage scenario.

There's no custom synching or any of that, however. I'll have to see if any of the ones mentioned here do any better.