So how do you backup your Itunes Collection?

[drakethib]

Just wondering (songs, movies, etc)

Thanks

[RichAyers]

Last time I checked it wasn't configured to allow a burn to a DVD. I wish they would allow that...I'm a back up freak...but I also have a business to run, so I need to backup my files, emails, and yes, music

RichAyers

[robertgp124]

On my mac, I use an external hard drive and super duper (I don't like time machine). On my wife's pc, she uses an external drive and just copies the folder over to an external drive every once in a while.

I saw a 16 gig usb flash drive the other day for $23 before a $10 rebate. Storage is getting cheap!

On the external hard drive my wife bought, I had originally bought the backup software that came with the drive. That was a mistake - it was awful. Using windows backup or just copying the folders over manually seemed to work better.

[OKW Lover]

I've got a Time Capsule which automatically backs up my Mac at regular intervals.

[rtobe]

I have a PC and use an external hard drive. I too wish iTunes would allow DVD backup. I tried with CDs but when you have movies that won't fit on a CD it doesn't let you back up on CDs

[lisa8200]

I use a program called sharepod. basically its a program that can be used to add and remove songs on your IPOD without Itunes. I use it to copy all the songs etc. from my IPOD to an external HD. So it's not actually a backup program but it works for what I do. It was also handy for me to hook the external HD to Lisa's laptop and put all of my songs on hers. then she added them to Itunes. 30 gigs of music takes awhile. ( shhhh, she uses her phone MP3 player but, she's getting an IPOD for Christmas )

[Cyrano]

Another who backsup to an external drive :thumbsup2

[cyberbox2]

A local back up is always a great idea. However I ALWAYS keep an off-site back up as well because is the event of as theft or fire, your local back up is gone too. I use Mobile Me on my Mac to back up my purchased iTunes content. I get 20 gigs on "in the cloud" storage and I can access it from anywhere. Mobile Me is also great for keeping my iPhone and Mac in perfect sync.

My Motto: If it's not in two places, it doesn't exist! (that is your data im talking about):lmao:

[GBShorts]

External drive that stays in the crack of my couch next to where I sit with the laptop. ;)

[nedac]

I have a question... I have all my music in 2 places... on my external hard drive and on my Ipod Touch, my lap top is loaded and I have no room for music on it. If the external hard drive dies, is it possible to get the music from my Ipod back onto my new hard drive?

[cyberbox2]

Their are several programs that can do this. I do not know of any free programs but a quick Google search on 'iPod to PC transfers' will bring up some choices such as this one: http://www.copytrans.net/purchase.php

Good luck!

[wdwowner]

Just burn the songs to CD, in regular music format.

That way you will never have to purchase the same song twice, or 3 or 4 times. That is what iTunes really wants you to do, buy the same song over and over again for each ipod you have.

Better yet, buy your music from Amazon.com, no DRM control, it is yours. No need to buy 3-4 times over many years.


Even better thought, don't use iTunes, use a different podcatcher software, then copy to your MP3 player. Everytime I see a post that it is not in iTunes I laugh. I always get the podcast right away when they are released. It takes a long time for iTunes to update, if it does it correctly at all.

It is your music, podcast, equipment. Take control of it, don't let iTunes control you stuff, it will loose it at sometime, and you will have to buy it all again if don't back it up correctly.

[cslittle999]

Just burn the songs to CD, in regular music format.

That way you will never have to purchase the same song twice, or 3 or 4 times. That is what iTunes really wants you to do, buy the same song over and over again for each ipod you have.
I'm not sure why you would re-purchase music you have. It's easy to sync the same music to multiple iPods. In any case burning the songs in music format would take a lot more discs than a data CD/DVD.

[GBShorts]

I have a question... I have all my music in 2 places... on my external hard drive and on my Ipod Touch, my lap top is loaded and I have no room for music on it. If the external hard drive dies, is it possible to get the music from my Ipod back onto my new hard drive?
There is a way to go in and viw your ipod as a storage system. The files are hidden but once you "unhide" them, you can copy and paste backwards from your iPod to any computer. I found an online tute when I lost my hard drive a couple years back and it worked great. Only prob was I lost whatever music I hadn't synced up to the ipod yet.

[burberryplaid]

We have an External Hard Drive

[calypso*a*go-go]

Get an external hard drive and do it now! I actually just bought one and it was sitting on my desk in the package when my desktop crashed. I am just sick about it and hope we can do data recovery as we've got several years worth of songs/video/pictures.

[Demosthenes]

I use a raid drive, an external hard drive and a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. I take the hard drive off site, and only back it up occasionally. The NAS is in the basement in a fire room; not perfectly protected, but pretty well secure. This also backs up all of my photos and scans of important documents. I use the program that came with my Iomega drive for the back up (iTunes will only let you back up your purchased music and movies, and I want to protect it all). I also use this to transfer media files to my computer at work. It seems like a lot of expense for back-ups, and it is, but I also keep important work files (I own my business) here as well as a back up for the office.

[kafitty]

files/pictures uploaded to an online remote backup, and music is burned to CD's.

external hard drives CAN and WILL crash!!

[doctorhead]

I use an external hard drive with Time Machine for my mac. :surfweb:

[nedac]

Any recommendations of a free program to convert iTunes files to mp3?

[jen3003]

Whatever you decide do it now. I made that mistake a few weeks ago. Thought about backing it all up but didn't, wouldn't you know my computer crashed a few days later.
Had a friend look at it and everything was lost, music , pictures, everything! I am very mad at myself but learned a BIG lesson.
Today we went out and purchased a new computer and I will be backing up like crazy.
I knew better but just didn't do it. Yes, I am kicking myself and calling myself an idiot.

[CBisMe]

Three backups:
1. External Hard Drive via 'Drag and Drop'
2. Backup of entire HD using the backup software from .Mac subscription
3. Backup of iTunes on another Mac computer that is simply used as a backup of all my important files.

[CBisMe]

files/pictures uploaded to an online remote backup, and music is burned to CD's.

external hard drives CAN and WILL crash!!

You are sooo right. Hard drives last an average of 3 to 5 years. Any hard drive you buy at the store will have some kind of warranty on them. Assume the life of the drive is half the time of the warranty. It's an ongoing process after time you buy another hard drive and transfer data from the old one to the new one, keep doing this and you should be fine. At least until the figure out a longer lasting technology.

Just remember, the on-line backup places put all of your stuff on hard drives too - just theirs, not yours.. So, I would have another backup - just in case.

[noladave]

there's been an ongoing discussion as to how long a CD, or DVD, will last. It's not a lifetime, and depending on the manufacurer, can be as little as a year. Yes, that's right, a CD can go bad after a year. Not the media that I want my files on.

IN my case, I have a C: drive, and a D: drive. All OS files, plus some data files (like ITUNES) are kept on the C: drive. I simply copy them to the D: drive as the primary backup. Secondary backup is to an external drive. Tertiary backup is my IPHONE. I'm pretty sure that all 3 won't go together, unless it's a fire, and I lose all 3 at the same time.

Same thing with all of my photographs - I have over 750 GB of photographs (I'm an amatuer sports photographer), and I try to keep them on a minimum of 2 drives, with the current stuff being kept on 3 drives (1 internal, and 2 external). Doesn't always work out that way, but I try.

[Minnie Lor]

Intersting topic. I back up photos to shutterfly, burn to a cd, & print 70% of them.

Just burn the songs to CD, in regular music format.

That way you will never have to purchase the same song twice, or 3 or 4 times. That is what iTunes really wants you to do, buy the same song over and over again for each ipod you have.

Better yet, buy your music from Amazon.com, no DRM control, it is yours. No need to buy 3-4 times over many years.


Even better thought, don't use iTunes, use a different podcatcher software, then copy to your MP3 player. Everytime I see a post that it is not in iTunes I laugh. I always get the podcast right away when they are released. It takes a long time for iTunes to update, if it does it correctly at all.

It is your music, podcast, equipment. Take control of it, don't let iTunes control you stuff, it will loose it at sometime, and you will have to buy it all again if don't back it up correctly.


I don't keep a ton of music on my mp3 player. I'm into podacsts. I would love to have access the some of the archives without storing them.

Also, tell me about a different podcatcher. I'm not a huge fan iTunes so I could easily be converted.

[Demosthenes]

Any recommendations of a free program to convert iTunes files to mp3?

iTunes will do it for you. Right click the file or files, and the third option down will be "Create MP3 Version." You can also select the file, go to the advance tab in the menu, and select "Create MP3 Version." It duplicates the song, so you'll have both versions. You can sweep that with automator if you have a mac. I'm not sure if you can do it with Windows.

[tlhbdm]

My hubby and I have a public shared folder on our secured wireless network and we can get to each others songs from there. I just had to take my computer into get fixed and they told me I would lose everything so one of the tech guys at worked backed it up onto DH's computer then when we got my computer back we backed it up on the public shared folder