Can iTunes Be Accessed on Multiple Computers?

Understanding iTunes

• The files for your music and other items are not stored within the iTunes software; instead, they reside on your computer's hard drive. This means that if you simply sign into your iTunes account on a different computer, you will see all of your purchases listed, but you will be unable to play them because the media files are not on that computer. With iTunes 10, in beta testing as of June 2011, you can download music files purchased from iTunes directly to a new computer. However, this will not work for movie, audiobook and other files or music not purchased from iTunes. This is why you need to set up your iTunes sharing for multiple computers.
  
  

How Home Sharing Works

• ITunes Home Sharing lets you see your primary computer's iTunes library from other computers. These computers must be on the same wireless or wired network as the primary computer. You cannot use Home Sharing to initially access your iTunes media from an outside network, such as a coffee shop near your home. When sharing on your home network, you have the option to stream your content across the network from one computer to the other. This method keeps all of the content on your primary computer, basically making your other computers like external viewers or speakers. However, there is also an "Import" feature. This allows you to download the media directly onto the second computer, after which you can access it on the second computer from any network because it contains all necessary files.
  
  

Enabling Home Sharing

• Turn on Home Sharing from the "Advanced" tab in iTunes on your primary computer and set it up by following the prompts on the screen. To access your content from another computer, turn on Home Sharing on the second computer and enter your primary computer's Apple ID. You can do this even if you are using someone else's iTunes account on the secondary computer. This allows you to see their playlists and your own. Once your primary computer's content appears in the list on the secondary computer, you can select any item to play through network streaming, or you can click "Import" to download the content to the second computer. Repeat the process for up to three more computers on your home network. If the primary computer's content does not show up, check your security settings for each computer and the network to ensure they allow file sharing.
  
  

Limitations

• Some types of content are limited due to the licensing iTunes has with the content creators. For this reason, you cannot share movies rented from iTunes or purchases that have licenses restricting them to a single computer.