Filed under: Audio, Software, iTunes
Syncopation provides automatic iTunes synchronization
A recurring question we get on Ask TUAW concerns managing multiple iTunes libraries, particularly keeping them in sync, whether for one user with two computers (e.g. laptop and desktop) or between multiple users with multiple machines (e.g. family members). It was with some interest, then, that I recently ran across Syncopation from Sonzea which promises to automate the process.It will allow you either to clone a full library on two machines, or selectively sync your files (video as well as audio) via iTunes playlists or within the application itself. This could be very handy, for instance, if you want to keep an automatically updated subset of your music on your Mac portable with limited hard drive space.
Syncopation is $24.95 (for use on two Macs) and a demo is available. If you've had good experiences with Syncopation or other iTunes syncing tools, please let us know below.
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
mabhatter said 1:28AM on 4-10-2008
I want something that can gather my laptops to the main iTunes library machine. After all, my wife has different stuff she likes than what I like, but we want 1 main library, not 3 separate ones to track. This would be the second killer app for Time Capsule, to be an automatic repository. iTunes can open other iTunes lists and play them, but only if iTunes is open and you can't pull the songs down even between authorized machines. I like how Apple TV can store the sync'd songs and even let you buy content then store it back at the "home" computer, why can't laptops do that.... that would sound like what Macbook Air should be doing with it's tiny HDD. Bonus points would allow the main machine to also back them up to something like Time Capsule and let Macbook Airs, Apple TV or laptops copy them from that location when the main machine is turned off.
The whole iTunes library business is so shoddy right now, there has to be something better.
Simon Arch said 12:44AM on 4-10-2008
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.
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Eugene said 2:20AM on 4-10-2008
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
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Data said 4:45AM on 4-10-2008
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 ;-).
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gear said 7:27AM on 4-10-2008
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.
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Richard Flynn said 4:06PM on 4-10-2008
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!
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ryanm said 4:50PM on 4-21-2008
I need something like this too. I can imagine a lot of people can't fit their main library on their Macbook/pro but would like some music on the move.
It would also be good to add new music to internal library then have it sync over automatically to an external library with play count and rating intact.
RickMcD said 5:06PM on 4-24-2008
Try http://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/ituneslibrarymanager.php . Although it won't sync the two iTunes libraries, it will let you switch between two libraries.
I have my main library on an external drive, then I use the library manager to switch to a smaller library on my local drive. When I want new files from the external on the local, I drag the files/folders from the external drive into iTunes with the local. Of course, I have the copy files checkbox checked in the advance pref.'s of iTunes.
Middleborn said 9:08PM on 4-10-2008
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.)
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