Finally, I can share my tunes and movies with my family and they can share their tunes with me. I mean I can actually take the movies and music that are on my family’s computers and put them into MY iTunes to play when I want.  My son has great taste in music and movies so I’m happy to get the benefit of the long hours of his discoveries of music.  This has been made possible because iTunes 9 has “home sharing.”

In the past, if each person chose to “share” their iTunes Library, you could listen to their music, but the music and movies lived in the other person’s iTunes library. You could only listen if they had their computer turned on and running iTunes.  Now, members of the same household that want to share (actually exchange) music and movies can.  Guess it’s all part of the loosening of DRM so that you can actually listen to music and watch movies where you want to view or hear it.

Here’s how to set up Home Sharing:

1. Choose the Main iTunes Account: Decide whose computer (actually iTunes account) will be the main account.  All others will use the same itunes user name and password. (we decided that we would use my account name since I’m the head tech mom here). For example let’s say my account username for the iTunes store is simpletechguru@mac.com and that my password is “yoohoo.” (by the way, it’s not).
2. Click on the little house: To start setup,  click on the home sharing icon on the left column of iTunes on the main computer.(See the below tips if it doesn’t appear.)  It will ask you to put in your itunes user name and password.
   So, for this example, I put in the simpletechguru@mac.com and yoohoo.
3. Be sure the other computer(s) are running iTunes 9: Next, go to the other computer(s) in the house (be sure they have updated to iTunes 9).
4. Put in the same iTunes user name and password on those computer(s): On each computer, click on the home sharing icon and put in the same itunes name and password as you used on your computer…
   So, for this example, I put in the simpletechguru@mac.com and yoohoo.
5. Authorize the other computer(s) to play your iTunes purchases:Now…you will need to be sure that the other computers are authorized to play the music, movies, etc.  you have purchased on iTunes (those songs and movies bought before the DRM free option).To authorize the other computers: go to “store” in the top menus and then choose “authorize computer” you will now need to put in your itunes user name and password to authorize the computer to play the songs you bought.  (also, if others in you home sharing have songs that they bought and you want to play, you will similarly need to authorize your computer with the other’s itunes accounts.)

Once all computers have been set up to home share and have been authorized, you can now drag movies, music, even iphone applications and ringtones into your library!  They will be copied to your library! This is awesome, especially since I pay for my son’s iTunes purchases anyway!

Hint:  if you change your mind as to which iTunes account to use across the home sharing OR if you make a mistake:

Go to “advanced” in the top menu. Then “turn off home sharing.”   Now go back to “advanced” and “turn on home sharing.” it will ask you again for the itunes account name and password.

TIP: Remember that all computers must be on the same account AND the same home network to share.

By the way, older versions of iTunes allowed you to turn on “sharing” so you could play other’s music etc.  But you couldn’t download their media and put it on your iphone or ipod.  Now it’s possible.

Excuse me,  I need to turn down “Mr. Brightside.”  I’ve been wanting that song since I heard it in the movie “The Holiday.”  Sure glad my son found it!