[2024] How to Move iTunes Library to External Drive

You have got a large collection of music in your iTunes Library after using for a long time. Thus, it is a wise choice to move the iTunes Library to external drive so that you can free up the disk space on your computer or even switch iTunes Library to a new computer.

If you are looking for the instructions, you have come to the right place. In this guide, you will be given the best workable solution that enables you to move iTunes Library to external drive.

Preparations to move iTunes Library to external drive

Before figuring how to copy iTunes Library to external hard drive, there are some preparations you should do. Follow the steps below one after another to make it.

1# Consolidate iTunes Library
By consolidating iTunes Library, all your songs in system hard drive will be scanned, and it will automatically move songs to the iTunes music folder. Complete the following steps to consolidate your music in iTunes.

Step 1. Open iTunes on your computer. From the iTunes menu bar, choose File > Library > Organize Library.

Step 2. Check Consolidate files > Click OK to confirm.

2# Re-download purchased items
You have to re-download all purchased items, including movies, music, and TV shows so that you won’t lose data after switching iTunes Library to external hard drive.

Step 1. Launch iTunes on your computer > Head to Account > Choose Purchased. If you own Family Sharing, you will see Family Purchases.

Step 2. From the left corner, choose Music > select all or selective music and hit the download button to make it.

Move iTunes Library to external hard drive on Windows 10

After consolidating and download your files, it’s time to move your iTunes Library to external hard drive. The steps to copy iTunes Library to external drive is as simple as ABC. Follow the steps to know how to move iTunes Library to external hard drive.

Step 1. Exit iTunes > Locate and navigate to the iTunes folder on your PC.

Step 2. Right-click on the iTunes folder > From the options, choose Copy.

Step 3. Head to the external hard drive where you’d like to save your iTunes Library, and Paste it.

Follow-up after copying iTunes Library to external drive

Having successfully copied your iTunes Library to external drive is not the end.  Once you have transferred your iTunes to an external hard drive, you will need to redirect the path to the external hard drive rather than your local drive and then delete the files on your PC. Follow the steps below to make it.

Step 1. Launch iTunes on your computer, click Music > Choose Preferences.

Step 2. Go to the Advanced tab (for old version of iTunes) > Make sure that the Keep Music Media folder Organized option is enabled.

Step 3. Click Change and change the location to the external drive > Click OK to confirm.

Bonus: Transfer music files from iPhone to external drive

If you move iTunes Library to external drive for the sake of backing up, transferring music from iPhone to external hard drive can also be a nice choice. It will be an easy job if you have an assist from a powerful iOS data transfer tool like FoneTool. 

Free download FoneTool to your computer by clicking the icon below, and follow the steps below to transfer music from iPhone to external hard drive.

❤️❤️ Video Tutorial for Transferring iPhone Music to External Drive with FoneTool

How to transfer music files from iPhone to external drive
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer with USB > Launch FoneTool, and click Phone Transfer > Mouse over to iPhone to PC, and click Start Transfer.

Step 2. Click the plus icon to browse songs on your iPhone > Choose the songs you’d like to transfer to external hard drive > Click OK to confirm.

Step 3. From Transfer Settings, choose your external hard drive as the destination > Click Start Transfer to start the process.

Summary

Hope you will know how to move iTunes library to external drive after reading this guide. Please remember to check the preparations and follow-up before and after the process.

Optionally, you can try the transfer tool - FoneTool to transfer wanted files from your iOS devices to external hard drive or computer with no data loss. Is this guide helpful? Share it with others.