How to Stream a Video in iTunes 11 on a Mac

Often when you want to watch a movie or an episode of TV on your Mac, then you might download that file through iTunes.

This can take a lot of time, however, depending on the size of the file and your Internet speed.

Our tutorial below will show you how to stream a video in iTunes 11 on a Mac so that you don’t need to download it at all.

How to Stream iTunes Movies or TV Shows on a Mac

  1. Open iTunes.
  2. Click iTunes at the top of the screen, then Preferences.
  3. Choose the Store tab.
  4. Check the Show iTunes in the Cloud purchases box, then click OK.
  5. Select Library at the top-right.
  6. Choose the type of video at the top-left.
  7. Find the video and double-click it to start watching.

Our guide continues below with additional information on how to stream a video in iTunes 11 on a Mac, including pictures of these steps.

Purchasing content in iTunes is a simple way to be able to access it across all of your devices.

Whether it is an Apple TV, iPhone or iPad, as long as it is set up with your Apple ID, you can access your content.

But sometimes you just want to watch a TV show or movie without downloading it.

Fortunately this can be done in iTunes on your Mac computer.

How to Watch an iTunes Movie or TV Show Without Downloading It (Guide with Pictures)

I love the Apple TV for its ability to stream iTunes content directly to your TV, but it’s not the only device that is capable of accessing your iTunes content in the cloud like this.

So read below to learn how to stream iTunes content to your computer.

Step 1: Click the iTunes icon in the dock.

open the itunes app

Step 2: Click iTunes at the top of the screen, then click Preferences.

click itunes, then click preferences

Step 3: Click the Store option at the top of the window.

select the store tab

Step 4: Check the box to the left of Show iTunes in the Cloud purchases, then click the OK button.

how to stream itunes videos in itunes on a mac

Step 5: Select the Library option at the top-right corner of the iTunes window.

click the library option

Step 6: Click the media type drop-down menu at the top-left corner of the window, then select the TV Shows or Movies option.

select the type of video you want to watch

Step 7: Select the show or movie from the left side of the window.

select the show or movie

Step 8: Find a show or movie with a cloud icon to the right of it, then double-click that video to start streaming it.

DO NOT click the cloud button, though. That will begin downloading the video to your computer instead of streaming it.

double-click the video to start streaming it

Now that you know how to stream a video in iTunes 11 on a Mac, you can use this as an option for watching content that you have purchased through the iTunes application.

Streaming is a good idea if you are running out of space on your hard drive. HD movies and TV shows can be multiple GB in size, which can fill your hard drive quickly. But if you want to download your files, you can always keep them on an external hard drive. Visit Amazon to see their selection of external hard drives.

Read this article to learn how to authorize your computer to access the media you have purchased with your Apple ID.

Join Our Free Newsletter

Featured guides and deals

You may opt out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy