Best external HD for iTunes (music) library please?

[Yendog]

So I know generally everyone knows that the apple "Music" app in the desktop OS is a nightmare.

Looking for suggestions on which external HD to but for use as my iTunes (music) library.

I am a full time professional musician.... so I'm using my music library CONSTANTLY in different ways. I don't do the streaming thing it does not work... but my non SSD drive is SO slow to wake up and function with the nightmare that is Apple Music app.... I will NOT really be moving the HD so size and portability (often what they tout with the SSD drives) is not important to me... I just need at least 2.5 TB.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[Yendog]

lots of view but no one has a recommendation? All good I'm sure I can figure it out but always like polling the hive mind sort of thing.

 

[USB3foriMac]

All Spinning drives will be same slow to wake up. So if that's not what you want, you have two options:
- disable the options to put HDD to sleep. This way it will be spinning constantly. If you go for this options, you can get a 3TB or 4TB portable 2.5" HDD.
- get a SSD. That will wake up faster.

 

[Fishrrman]

SSDs come in either 2tb or 4tb sizes.
So if you get an SSD, it will have to be 4tb.

That's getting kind of "pricey".
But the speed won't let you down.

 

[phrehdd]

If you are staying with iTunes, then no reason not to have more than one SSD as they can all be added to the same library. If you use a mechanical drive, wake it up before starting your music work (opening up iTunes) etc.

 

[Yendog]

Yea... even when I set it as "never go to sleep" on the mechanical G drive it is SO slow to get going... hoping the SSD will be more instantaneous....

 

[HDFan]

even when I set it as "never go to sleep" on the mechanical G drive it is SO slow to get going..

What interface are you using?

Can be due to a lot of things. The drive could be slow, the enclosure firmware might be sluggish, might be cable issues. Don't have any issues with any of my external HDs. They are all immediately available when I boot.

 

[maverick100]

How large is your iTunes library. I need that to recommend. Example. my iTunes library is over 14tb 90% is video.

I only use WD Ultra 18tb drives. for the master and two backups; one on site and one off site.

 

[maverick100]

oops I missed the size of your library. With that small size I would use SSD's probably a 4tb.

 

[phrehdd]

oops I missed the size of your library. With that small size I would use SSD's probably a 4tb.

4 tb SSD are rather expensive items. It is possible to have files exist in more than one source and do an "add to library" command. A couple of 2 tb drives or even three. One would have their standard iTunes library on the Mac, then add the ssd volumes to the library while making sure the configuration is to not* move the files to your library.