First there are some requirements for setting up an iTunes:
At least two computers – Mac or Windows. We can enable home sharing on up to five computers with the same Apple ID.
Latest version of iTunes.
We can download the latest version of iTunes from Apple’s official website.
- Wi-Fi or Ethernet home network with active Internet Connection.
- An iDevice should run iOS 10 or later.
- Set Up Home Sharing On Computers
- Install the latest version of iTunes and launch it on computer.
Activate Home Sharing from iTunes File menu. Choose File > Home Sharing > Turn On Home Sharing.
For iTunes version 10.3 or earlier choose Advanced > Turn On Home Sharing .
You can also turn on Home Sharing by selecting Home Sharing in the SHARED section of Left Sidebar.
Enter Apple ID and password on the right side of the page labeled as Enter the Apple ID used to create your Home Share. Need to use the same Apple ID on all the computers want to enable Home Sharing.
Click on Turn On Home Sharing.
iTunes will verify Apple ID and if the ID is valid the following screen will appear.
Click on Done.
Once have click on Done, will no longer be able to see Home Sharing in the SHARED section of left sidebar until it detects another computer with Home Sharing enabled.
Repeat step 1 to 5 on every computer like to enable iTunes Home Sharing. If have successfully enabled Home Sharing on every computer by using the same Apple ID.
Access iTunes Music on iOS
Now, to access iTunes Music, open the Music app on iOS device and tap on “ Home Sharing“. iTunes library should now be displayed.
connected to the same network and signed in using the same Apple ID and try again.
From here, can access all of songs, playlists, play/pause music that are stored in your Mac or Windows PC. You can also perform certain actions like deleting the file from the library, rate the song and like/dislike it.
Access iTunes Videos on iPhone/iPad
On iPhone/iPad, go to “ Settings > “Videos ” and “ Sign in ” using Apple ID.
Open the Videos app and now should see videos listed under the shared library.
Please note that it requires videos to be imported into iTunes on source Mac or Windows first. The easiest way of doing this is by dragging videos to the iTunes window.
Access iTunes Content on Windows or macOS
After setting up the iTunes Home Sharing on Windows or Mac, accessing it on another Windows or Mac is quite easy.
Open iTunes on other Mac or Windows PC and click on the “Music” drop-down menu just below the player controls. Should see library listed and can access all the songs from here.
If would like to require a password before connecting to the library, click on “ iTunes ” > “Preferences “. Under the sharing tab, check the box where it says “ Require Password ” and enter a password and click on “OK”.
Now can also choose to share whole library or just individual playlists selectively.
Access iTunes Content on Apple TV
If have a 4th gen Apple TV, go to
Settings > Accounts > Home Sharing.
If have an Apple TV prior to 4th gen, go to Settings > Computers . Select the “Turn on Home Sharing ” option. Enter the same Apple ID credentials that use to set up on iTunes on Mac or Windows.
To access this shared library, go to the Main menu > Computers > Choose a Library and select the shared library.
Limitations of iTunes Home Sharing
Home sharing requires all the devices to be connected to the same local network. This implies that it cannot be used to remotely access iTunes library.
If want to access iTunes songs remotely
First may want to upload all music to iCloud, or better yet, check out the $25 iTunes Match service.
We can stream our music library from our Mac to the iPhone, which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible owing to our iPhone’s insufficient storage. Perhaps, the best thing is that it works on Windows too, as long as we have iTunes installed. If never set up iTunes Home Sharing before, should definitely give it a try.
