You probably have a lot of stuff in your iTunes library. Music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks can easily add up to thousands of files. iTunes is both a media player and a database, and it's the latter feature that helps you organize all these files. No matter where the items reside, you can see information about them in a clear, easy-to-use interface. You can then choose what to listen to, watch, or copy to an iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV."
The way you manage these files can make a big difference in how easy it is to find them, back them up, and keep track of them. So read on to find out what file-management method best suits you, and how to save time by letting iTunes keep tabs on all your files.
Where your files live
The first time you launch iTunes, it creates an iTunes Music folder and places it in your user folder/Music/iTunes). iTunes' default setting is to download purchased files and copy all imported media files to that folder. It will also keep files organized by artist and album. These settings guarantee that you can find all your media files easily (for this to work optimally, however, you need to tag all your files correctly.
Store new files elsewhere
As you add large video files and the like to your iTunes library, your hard drive may get tight on space, and you may want to store some or all your files on an external drive. To put all your future media on an external disk, create an iTunes Music folder on that disk. Then, in the General tab of iTunes' Advanced preferences, find the iTunes Music Folder Location section and click on the Change button. Navigate to the new folder and click on Open, and then on OK. This will tell iTunes to store all your new files in this folder. (Note that this won't move your existing files, but you'll still be able to access them from within iTunes; I'll cover moving your iTunes Music folder shortly.)
To access the new content, of course, you'll need to make sure you connect the external drive before you launch iTunes--otherwise you won't be able to listen to the music or watch the movies you have stored on it.
Don't copy files
iTunes Preferences: The various Music folder settings tell iTunes how to manage your media files.
Another option is to change iTunes' settings so it doesn't copy files when you add them to your iTunes library (the program's default), but rather leaves them where they are. Doing so lets you keep some files in your local iTunes Music folder, and others on an external drive, or in another location on your startup volume. To make the change, look just below the iTunes Music Folder Location section in iTunes' Advanced preferences and deselect Copy Files To iTunes Music Folder When Adding To Library (see "iTunes Preferences"). Now when you drag files into iTunes, the software will simply add pointers to those files instead of copying them. However, music you rip via iTunes or media you purchase from the iTunes Store will still end up in the standard location (the iTunes Music folder on your Mac).
The downside to this approach is that you'll end up with files scattered in several locations. Sure, you can always control- or right-click on a file from within iTunes and choose Show In Finder to find out where it resides, but leaving the files where they are can still be confusing when you want to back up your music or find files manually.
Consolidate your library
If your media files are in several locations, there may come a time when you want to bring them all back into a single folder--either to back them up, or simply to keep them in one place so you don't have to
