Syncing your Apple TV with iTunes

You can set up iTunes to automatically sync your Apple TV with your iTunes library. That way, you can play your iTunes library on your TV without having to turn on the computer and open iTunes.

To sync your Apple TV:

  1. Make sure the computer you want to stream from is on, and iTunes is open.

  2. Go to Edit > Preferences, choose Apple TV, and make sure “Look for Apple TVs” is selected.

  3. On your Apple TV, choose Settings > Computers > “Connect to iTunes,” and then note the passcode displayed.

  4. In iTunes, select the Apple TV (below Devices) and enter the passcode.

  5. Click the Summary tab and select one of the following:

    Automatic Sync: iTunes automatically adds items to your Apple TV whenever you add them to your iTunes library,

    Custom Sync: You choose the items to sync. After you select this option, click the other tabs to specify your syncing preferences. With this option, you can prevent unsynced items from appearing on your Apple TV (when iTunes is open). To display all items, deselect the checkbox.

    Note:If you don’t see these options, make sure you have the latest Apple TV software installed.

  6. To transfer a rented movie from your computer to your Apple TV, click the Videos tab, select the movie you want to transfer, and then click Move.

    Important:You must be connected to the Internet to transfer a rented movie.

  7. To sync photos, click the Photos tab.

During a sync, items are added to your Apple TV as space allows, in this order: movies, TV shows, music, podcasts. If you also want to sync photos, they are added last, unless you select “Sync photos before other media” in the Photos pane.

Syncing starts automatically whenever you click Apply, Sync, or choose File > Sync.

To turn off syncing, on your Apple TV choose Settings > Computers > “Select iTunes Library” > Disconnect > Continue.

You can also use Apple TV to play unsynced items from your library, whether syncing is turned on or off. For instructions, see the Related Topics below. For more information, see the Apple TV user’s guide at the Apple TV Support website.

Note:If you play videos on Apple TV while a sync is in progress, the sync pauses until playback stops.


Related Topics

Playing your iTunes library on your TV

Viewing photos on your TV using an Apple TV

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Apple TV Support website

Syncing your Apple TV with iTunes