Home sharing allows you to share your iTunes content over the local network with other iOS devices, Macs, Apple TV or any Windows PC with iTunes installed. Once home sharing is set up, you can stream music/video from your source library to all these devices without having to physically copy any of these files. You can also stream music from your Windows PC as long as you have iTunes installed. Before setting up iTunes Home Sharing, verify that you have the following components —
Prerequisites
- A Mac, Apple TV, any iOS device, or a Windows PC with iTunes installed.
- Devices must be connected to the same local network.
- You are signed in to all devices with the same Apple ID.
- The host Mac or Windows should be on and iTunes should open.
Set up iTunes Home Sharing on Mac or Windows
The first step is to enable home sharing in iTunes from your Mac or Windows PC. Open iTunes and click “File” > “Home Sharing” > “Turn on Home Sharing” from the menu bar.
Then sign in Apple ID credentials and click onTurn on Home Sharing“.
“Home Sharing is now onA dialog similar to the one shown below, indicating that you have completed the installation on Mac or Windows.
Enable iTunes Home Sharing on iPhone/iPad
On your iOS device “Settings” > “MusicTap ” and “RegisterIt’s under Home Sharing.
Enter Apple ID credentials and tap “Register“. At this stage, you have successfully configured your iOS device.
Access iTunes Music on iOS
Now open the Music app on your iOS device and tap on “ to access iTunes Music.Home Sharing“. Your iTunes library should now be displayed.
Please note that it may take a few seconds to fully load. If you don’t see your library, check both devices. connected to the same network and signed in using the same Apple ID and try again.
From here access all your songs, playlists, play/pause music You can also perform certain actions, such as stored on your Mac or Windows PC. Rate and like/dislike the song by deleting the file from the library.
Access iTunes Videos on iPhone/iPad
On your iPhone/iPad “Settings” > “Videos” and “Register” Using your Apple ID.
Hungry Videos app and you should now see your videos listed under the shared library.
please do not forget Requires videos to be imported first to iTunes on your source Mac or Windows. The easiest way to do this is to drag the videos into the iTunes window.
Access iTunes Content on Windows or macOS
Once you have iTunes Home Sharing set up on your Windows or Mac, it’s pretty easy to access it on another Windows or Mac.
On your other Mac or Windows PC, open iTunes and “Music” dropdown menu just below the player controls. You should see your library listed and you can access all the songs from there. If you don’t see your library here, verify that both devices are connected to the same network and try again.
An important thing to remember is that your shared library will be visible to all users connected to the same network. If you want require password before connecting to the library “iTunes” > “PreferencesUnder the Sharing tab, check the box that says “.Request Password” and enter a password and click “OK”.
While you’re here, you can also select: share your entire library or just individual playlists selectively.
Access iTunes Content on Apple TV
note: While we haven’t had a chance to try this on an Apple TV, the process should be very simple and similar to what we did above.
If you have a 4th generation Apple TV, go to: Settings > Accounts > Home Sharing.
If you have an Apple TV earlier than 4th generation, go to: Settings > computers. “Turn on Home Sharing“option. enter the same Apple ID credentials the one you use to set up iTunes on your Mac or Windows.
To access this shared library, go to: Main menu > computers > Choose a Library and select the shared library.
Limitations of iTunes Home Sharing
Home sharing requires all devices to be connected to the same local network. This implies: Cannot be used to remotely access your iTunes library. If you want to access iTunes songs remotely, you may want to upload all your music to iCloud, or better yet, check out for $25. iTunes Pairing service.
Also, you can use it with up to five computers only — here computers include any Mac, Windows, iPhone or iPad. This may seem like a lot of devices, but if you have more than one Apple device in the family, you can easily hit the 5 device limit. Also, it requires you to Sign in with the same Apple ID on all devices.
You also need to make sure your source Mac or Windows is turned on and iTunes is always running.
SEE ALSO: 7 Great Tips and Tricks for Improving iTunes
Easily set up and use iTunes Home Sharing
The ease of use and sheer usefulness of iTunes Home sharing easily overcomes its limitations. Thanks to home sharing, I can transfer my (huge) music library from my Mac to the iPhone, which otherwise wouldn’t be possible due to my iPhone’s insufficient storage. Perhaps the best part is that it also works on Windows as long as you have iTunes installed. If you’ve never set up iTunes Home Sharing before, you should definitely give it a try now and let me know how it goes.
