Help me share.

July 13, 2007 5:31 AM

Can I share a streamed-from-home music library with my coworkers via iTunes, without making them install special apps?

I've searched the archives, trawled Google, and I still can't solve this.

At home I use a Mac, with a large and well-organized iTunes library. At work I use a PC (WindowsXP), with very little disk space. By using Hamachi, Simplify Media, etc., I can already stream my home library to my work computer using iTunes. But right now I'm the only one who can see that stream.

Can I share it with my coworkers on the local office network using iTunes only? With Hamachi and Simplify, everyone else has to install those programs in order to see my music. I want my home library to be visible to the network (i.e., show up in everyone's iTunes Shared column) without anyone having to do anything special.

Copying the files to the PC is not an option, as there's not nearly enough space. And my iPod is Mac-formatted and only holds about 1/3 of my collection. I want to share all the music I have at home.

Being a lifelong Mac user, Windows does not come naturally to me, and terms like SSH, VPN, and port forwarding make me nervous. (Obviously networking is not my area of expertise.) But I am willing to learn. Can it be done?

posted by quarked to computers & internet (7 comments total)

it is an application you will need to install but SimplifyMedia has worked well for me.
posted by phil at 6:33 AM on July 13, 2007

im sorry i should read more closely. disregard my previous post
posted by phil at 6:34 AM on July 13, 2007

Can I share it with my coworkers on the local office network using iTunes only? I want my home library to be visible to the network (i.e., show up in everyone's iTunes Shared column) without anyone having to do anything special.

No.
posted by rhizome at 9:24 AM on July 13, 2007

Can I share it with my coworkers on the local office network using iTunes only? I want my home library to be visible to the network (i.e., show up in everyone's iTunes Shared column) without anyone having to do anything special.

Yes.


Bridge your Hamachi network adapter with your local network adapter.

This may or may not make your IT people unhappy, as it opens up your work network to your (uncontrolled by them) home network, so you should probably check with them first.
posted by niles at 12:28 PM on July 13, 2007

after thinking about this some more:

Really, really, REALLY don't do this without checking with your company's IT people. They may very well be OK with it, but this has the (possibly small) potential to be a Bad Thing^TM.

just so you know.
posted by niles at 12:40 PM on July 13, 2007

This new thing looks like it does what you want. I have no experience with it, though, just noticed it on lifehacker.
posted by bephillips at 1:19 PM on July 13, 2007

Ooh, thanks, niles. I'll have to read more and talk to the techies here, but that article seems to be describing just what I want.

Simplify Media is indeed great, but unfortunately only people who download the app can see your music.

(If all else fails, I might just spring for an external HD at work. No network danger there.)
posted by quarked at 1:44 PM on July 13, 2007