This is my first post but I have been lurking around here for quite some time.

I want to set up a shared 1TB drive so that my gf's and I can keep music, pictures, movies, etc. in one place. I am hoping that we will be able to share 1 itunes library as well. Is this possible?

I was hoping to connect the drive right to my airport express. How does the drive have to be formatted so the MAC and the PC can "see" it? If someone could give me a step by step it would be much appreciated!!

1. It is possible to share iTunes library.
2. The USB port on you Airport Express is for a USB printer.
3. The instruction manual that comes with your Airport Express is actually really clear and easy to follow, it explains in detail what you have to do to set up your wireless network.
You will still need a router to go with your Airport Express though.

Format your External HD to FAT32 (MS-Dos) on disk utilities. This way Mac and PC can read and write to it. With iTunes, Put all your music on the external HD, dont import yet. Go on to iTunes>iTunes>Preferences>Advanced. Then click the option to not copy added music files to your iTunes Library Folder.
Write back and tell me how it goes , i hope it helps

The big thing to remember here is that you can direct iTunes to the location of the library. This can be done in the shared folder on your Mac for multiple users on that computer. And now we have the PC in the mix and you could share the library on the network for each computer to use or copy the library onto the Express from the computer that has the most free space available and make it a shared item.

Just do one thing from the beginning, have all the songs on one computer in the beginning and perform a backup to disc (use DVDs) once all the importing has been done from CDs, DVDs, etc... Then when there is another significant addition to the collection do another backup on that same machine and these discs will contain the updates since the last one.

What does this do? If your hard drive was beamed aboard an alien ship that left with your music library, after installing another drive and setting up your account, Apple ID, etc... you open iTunes and insert disc #1 and iTunes will know that this is a back set and begin returning the music, playlists, etc... back to the last backup point.

So setup the entire library and backup (easiest on the Mac and probably has a DVD burner if newer) and then figure out how you want to share. If you still have access to AppleCare, call them before the support ends on the last Mac product you bought and have them walk you through sharing the library from the Express and the best way to update the share library if that is how your going to go.

Simplify Media - Home

use that to share pics and music