As fourth dimension goes by , and our digital media collections produce , we postulate to check that we do n’t lose the music and video Indian file that we ’ve spent our severely - earned one dollar bill ( or , in the lawsuit of ripping our own CDs and DVDs , considerable time ) on . Music , videos , and audiobooks can add up until your iTunes library replete your backbreaking disk and then some . In improver to put in the original filing cabinet , you have to ensure you keep backups , because in many cases you ca n’t download such Indian file again .
What do you need to back up?
Apple recently changed its policy , and now allows you to re - download much of the content you purchased on the iTunes Store as part of its iTunes in the Cloud functionality . you may get invigorated written matter of music , video display , apps , and Holy Writ , but you ca n’t currently re - download movies or audiobooks . And , in the categories available for download , you may not find everything you purchased .
Only four of the almost 450 tracks from ‘ The Complete U2 ’ are available for re - download in my Purchased inclination .
For example , I boughtThe Complete U2digital box prepare in 2006 , and when I look at my Purchased list in iTunes ( iTunes Store - > Purchased item in the Quick Links sidebar ) , I find only four songs from that 445 - vocal solidification available ( and from another album ) . This is the case for several albums that I buy ; if they ’re no longer sell by the iTunes Store , you wo n’t be able to get young transcript . For this reason , you should back up everything and not depend on Apple ’s selection .
Only four of the nearly 450 tracks from ‘The Complete U2’ are available for re-download in my Purchased list.
count on where else you bribe your content , you may be able-bodied to re - download it . For illustration , eMusichas always appropriate member to re - download medicine , and some other music sites might do so as well . If you buy audiobooks fromAudible , you may also access your total depository library , and download new copies of your books at any meter . And if you’vepurchased music from Amazon MP3 and select to have it saved to Amazon ’s Cloud Player , you could re - download those songs at any time . But in the main , if you purchase music from a phonograph recording label or banding site , you wo n’t have this option .
iTunes used to include a characteristic ( ground under single file - > Library - > Back Up To Disc ) to help youback up your subroutine library to videodisc . Unfortunately , this feature article is MIA in the current version of iTunes . As I mentioned , there are many type of content that you ca n’t download again , or that are no longer on the iTunes Store , so it ’s still a honorable idea to make full backups of your library .
iTunes can still cut a play list to a datum CD or DVD .
iTunes can still burn a playlist to a data CD or DVD.
iTunes does still offer one backup option , however . Select a veritable or smart playlist , control- or right - clack on it , and choose Burn Playlist To Disc . In the resulting Burn options window , choose the Data CD Or DVD choice and iTunes will fire the files in that play list to a phonograph record as a backup . This can be helpful to make certain you have backup copy of all late downloads , say .
How to back up your iTunes library
If you use Time Machine to back up your data point , you’re able to simply allow for Time Machine to back up your media program library — assuming your library fits on your backup disk , and allow enough room for your other files . If not , you may want to take a different feeler . I have enough music and video data file that Time Machine backups of all that contentedness would take up too much space to be hardheaded , peculiarly as Time Machine will make new copies of any files if I ’ve shift tags . So I back up my media library to an external hard drive on its own , and exclude both my iTunes folder and that backup division from my Time Machine backup .
If you do use Time Machine to back up your iTunes library , here are a span of hint . Since Time Machine backs up every hour , it may back up multiple versions of Indian file while they ’re being download . Depending on your net bandwidth , download a picture show or TV show may take more than one hour , and the impermanent filing cabinet may be back up several times , take up space on your Time Machine drive . In accession , if you listen to podcasts , you may not need them to be backed up , as you in general do n’t keep the files . So , open System Preferences , press the Time Machine ikon , then flick on Options . flick on the plus ( + ) icon , then navigate to your iTunes Media folder ( by nonpayment , this is in / Music / iTunes ) . Add the Downloads folder to the riddance leaning . If you listen to podcasts , and do n’t want to back them up , tot up the Podcasts folder as well .
If you want to back up your data point to an external drive , without using Time Machine , there are many backup computer program that can help oneself you do this . Christopher Breendiscussed backups earlier this twelvemonth . And I late described mybelt and gallus approach to backups .
Unlike the down of certificate of deposit or even L-P that make up a music collection , and DVDs in your movie library , downloaded files can easily be lose . Back them up on a regular basis so you always have your favorite medicine and video — and not the heartbreak of miss your content .
[ elderly contributor Kirk McElhearn write about more than just Macs on his blogKirkville . Twitter:@mcelhearnKirk is the writer ofTake Control of iTunes 10 : The FAQ . ]
