How to Backup an Entire Playlist and Library in iTunes

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(4 Ratings)

With iTunes 7, you can easily back up your iTunes library, playlists, and iTunes Store purchases for safekeeping. The "Back Up to Disc" feature saves your media to a blank disc (CD or DVD). Once backed up, iTunes can use your backup disc(s) to automatically restore your iTunes library. Follow these steps to find out how.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

From the "File" menu, choose "Back Up to Disc."
Step 2

Select the option you want from the resulting dialog and click "Back Up."
Step 3

Insert a blank disc (CD or DVD) into your computer's optical drive. Immediately, iTunes starts to scan the disc and begins burning.

Tips & Warnings

To reduce the number of discs needed for a backup, iTunes can perform incremental backups (only items added or changed since the last backup).
To burn a CD (CD-R or CD-RW) or DVD (DVD-R or DVD-RW), your computer must have a compatible CD or DVD burner. Check in "iTunes Preferences" to see if a drive is compatible.
If the disc you insert does not have enough space to hold all of the media you're backing up, a dialog will appear asking whether you wish to backup to multiple discs. Click "Data Discs" to continue.
When you click "Data Discs," iTunes burns what fits onto one disc and then asks you to insert more to continue burning the remaining files.
Don't eject a disc while a backup is in progress.
Spoken programs purchased from the Audible.com website are not backed up.
Discs you create using the iTunes backup feature can be used only to restore. They can't be played in a CD or DVD player.