iTunes is capable of working with multiple libraries. Hold down the shift key (Windows) or options key (Mac) while double clicking on the iTunes icon on the desktop to launch the application. You can not switch libraries while running, but you can select an alternate library when you launch. You can now run your itunes library off an external however you will not have crates just what is in itunes.

hmm ..im really looking for the best way to move my crates around with me rather than the entire library...any ideas?

I would move the iTunes Music library to the external.
Make sure iTunes is reading the tracks from the external.
(You might need to go into iTunes preferences and change the iTunes Music folder location to look towards your external).

Next open SSL.

Your playlists should load in there.

Now create crates and name them the same as your playlists.

Move all of the files in the playlists into your crates.

Now you can uncheck 'read iTunes library' and you'll be left with all of your files in the crates.

When you plug your external into another persons computer all of your crates will show up with files in them.

Your good to go!

hmmm...zach what if i dont use my playlists in itunes ...so basically i just organize and label my songs in itunes and then create crates in ssl

and i dont want to MOVE my crates to an external ..rather COPY them to an external so i have them in two locations

is this still the best procedure to do that?

So you import everything into iTunes, label it, open SSL with 'read iTunes library' option checked so your iTunes library shows up in SSL, and then move the files into crates?

If so then your files are going to be stored inside the iTunes Music folder on your internal drive.

You'll want to move that whole folder to your external drive.

Once over there.. open SSL and import one song into SSL and shut down SSL again.

This will create a _ScratchLIVE_ folder on your external.

From there you will want to copy the contents of the ScratchLIVE folder located in your Music folder on your internal drive to the _ScratchLIVE_ folder on your external drive.

There will already be some info in the _ScratchLIVE_ folder but go ahead and replace it with the info from the internal ScratchLIVE folder.

Once everything is moved over to the external you will now have an exact copy so if you open up SSL with your external plugged in you will have duplicates.

To make sure everything is as it should be on your external rename the ScratchLIVE folder on your internal drive to something like 'ScratchLIVE1'.

Note.. once everything is working as it should on your external you will want to revert back to naming this folder 'ScratchLIVE' in order for SSL to read the info in that folder.

Once you've renamed the ScratchLIVE folder on your internal drive, open SSL.

You will now see all the crates coming from your external drive but all of the files will be pink.

From here, go to the setup screen, click on the library tab, and click 'relocate lost files' tab to have SSL find the location of the files you have moved to your external.

Note: You have to be using version 1.8.2 in order for SSL to search all of the drives you have connected. If you don't currently have 1.8.2 update to it prior to trying to 'relocate lost files'.

Let me know if that takes care of things;)