Backing up your iTunes library and iTunes Store purchases

You can easily back up your iTunes library, playlists, and iTunes Store purchases to CD or DVD for safekeeping. To reduce the number of discs needed for a backup, iTunes can perform incremental backups (only items added or changed since the last backup), or back up your iTunes Store purchases only.

It’s important to make backups of your purchases from the iTunes Store. If you lose a purchased item for any reason and haven’t backed it up, you’ll have to buy it again.

To create backup CDs or DVDs:

  • Choose File > Library > “Back up to Disc.”

  • Select your options, and then click Next.

  • Insert a blank disc (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, or DVD-RW).

  • Click Back Up.

    iTunes burns the number of items that fit on one disc, and then asks you to insert subsequent discs to continue burning the remaining files.

To restore backed-up files:

  • Insert a backup disc.

    A dialog appears, asking if you want to restore. To replace files in your iTunes library with files from the disc, select “Overwrite existing files.”

  • Click Restore and follow the onscreen prompts.

Programs purchased from the Audible 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.


Related Topics

About burning CDs and DVDs

Buying blank CDs and DVDs

Backing up your iTunes library and iTunes Store purchases