iTunes... Ripping CDs to NAS?

[kilofox]

I want to move my iTunes Library to my ReadyNAS+. My understanding is that my iTunes database will reside on my iMac, media files will be on the ReadyNAS+ which can be shared via the iTunes Stream Services on the ReadyNAS+ to my MBP?

I can then rip CD files to my ReadyNAS+, and sync my iPod from my iMac.
I dont have to enable streaming on my iMac iTunes client as the ReadyNAS is doing it for me.

Just want to make sure I am seeing this correctly before I do it.

Thanks in advance.

[Sunday Afternoon]

I am deep in the middle of this myself.

What you describe will work for a single user iTunes setup. I have 2 computers that will access the library to sync iPods etc., so I put all files on the NAS, including (importantly) 'iTunes Library.itl'.

Follow step 6 here: http://lifehacker.com/software/itunes/hack-attack-share-your-itunes-music-library-over-your-home-network-230605.php

You can create yourself a new 'iTunes Library.itl' on your NAS and update your iTunes music folder location before ripping disks.

Once a few tracks have been ripped, I suggest you set up iTunes on any other computers you might want to directly access the NAS files (saves re-scanning taking a *long* time when you change the library location on the new computers.)

You do have to be (only a little) careful not to have one computer overwrite library changes made with the other. Other than that, it works great so far.


Sun pm

[ericdano]

I want to move my iTunes Library to my ReadyNAS+. My understanding is that my iTunes database will reside on my iMac, media files will be on the ReadyNAS+ which can be shared via the iTunes Stream Services on the ReadyNAS+ to my MBP?

I can then rip CD files to my ReadyNAS+, and sync my iPod from my iMac.
I dont have to enable streaming on my iMac iTunes client as the ReadyNAS is doing it for me.

Just want to make sure I am seeing this correctly before I do it.

Thanks in advance.

That is one way to do it I suppose.

[ericdano]

I am deep in the middle of this myself.

What you describe will work for a single user iTunes setup. I have 2 computers that will access the library to sync iPods etc., so I put all files on the NAS, including (importantly) 'iTunes Library.itl'.

Follow step 6 here: http://lifehacker.com/software/itunes/hack-attack-share-your-itunes-music-library-over-your-home-network-230605.php

You can create yourself a new 'iTunes Library.itl' on your NAS and update your iTunes music folder location before ripping disks.

Once a few tracks have been ripped, I suggest you set up iTunes on any other computers you might want to directly access the NAS files (saves re-scanning taking a *long* time when you change the library location on the new computers.)

You do have to be (only a little) careful not to have one computer overwrite library changes made with the other. Other than that, it works great so far.


Sun pm

That has to be the most dangerous thing I've read. Seriously, check out SuperSync. It's cheap, and you can configure it to scan the share to check for new files.

The biggest program I have in using a NAS with iTunes is keeping client computers in sync. Basically, I dedicate one computer to be the master, as in it modifies, adds, deletes files from the library. The other computers are all read only. I have supersync set up on the other computers to scan the NAS directory every couple of days to see if there are any additions/changes.

If you configure it this way, then clients can have their own playlists, counts, etc. The biggest danger is to allow everyone read and WRITE access to the NV. That is just asking for disaster.

[Sunday Afternoon]

That has to be the most dangerous thing I've read.

Surely, slightly hyperbolic?

Seriously, check out SuperSync. It's cheap, and you can configure it to scan the share to check for new files.

The biggest program I have in using a NAS with iTunes is keeping client computers in sync. Basically, I dedicate one computer to be the master, as in it modifies, adds, deletes files from the library. The other computers are all read only. I have supersync set up on the other computers to scan the NAS directory every couple of days to see if there are any additions/changes.

If you configure it this way, then clients can have their own playlists, counts, etc. The biggest danger is to allow everyone read and WRITE access to the NV. That is just asking for disaster.

It depends how it is used, doesn't it? For my purposes, it is currently working well. I didn't advocate it for a many-user, multi-machine environment, but for my 2 machines and my purposes right now, it works well.

Sun pm

[ericdano]

That has to be the most dangerous thing I've read.

Surely, slightly hyperbolic?

Just slightly. But what you suggest is very dangerous.

Seriously, check out SuperSync. It's cheap, and you can configure it to scan the share to check for new files.

The biggest program I have in using a NAS with iTunes is keeping client computers in sync. Basically, I dedicate one computer to be the master, as in it modifies, adds, deletes files from the library. The other computers are all read only. I have supersync set up on the other computers to scan the NAS directory every couple of days to see if there are any additions/changes.

If you configure it this way, then clients can have their own playlists, counts, etc. The biggest danger is to allow everyone read and WRITE access to the NV. That is just asking for disaster.

It depends how it is used, doesn't it? For my purposes, it is currently working well. I didn't advocate it for a many-user, multi-machine environment, but for my 2 machines and my purposes right now, it works well.

Sun pm

If you are happy, then that is good. However, for $30 you could have something that doesn't potentially mess up your library.

[grimloch]

I am deep in the middle of this myself.

What you describe will work for a single user iTunes setup. I have 2 computers that will access the library to sync iPods etc., so I put all files on the NAS, including (importantly) 'iTunes Library.itl'.

Follow step 6 here: http://lifehacker.com/software/itunes/hack-attack-share-your-itunes-music-library-over-your-home-network-230605.php

You can create yourself a new 'iTunes Library.itl' on your NAS and update your iTunes music folder location before ripping disks.

Once a few tracks have been ripped, I suggest you set up iTunes on any other computers you might want to directly access the NAS files (saves re-scanning taking a *long* time when you change the library location on the new computers.)

You do have to be (only a little) careful not to have one computer overwrite library changes made with the other. Other than that, it works great so far.


Sun pm

That has to be the most dangerous thing I've read. Seriously, check out SuperSync. It's cheap, and you can configure it to scan the share to check for new files.

The biggest program I have in using a NAS with iTunes is keeping client computers in sync. Basically, I dedicate one computer to be the master, as in it modifies, adds, deletes files from the library. The other computers are all read only. I have supersync set up on the other computers to scan the NAS directory every couple of days to see if there are any additions/changes.

If you configure it this way, then clients can have their own playlists, counts, etc. The biggest danger is to allow everyone read and WRITE access to the NV. That is just asking for disaster.

are you using supersync in conjunction with the firefly itunes server?

also, do you use supersync with all connected computers or just the non-master computers?

thanks!

[ericdano]

are you using supersync in conjunction with the firefly itunes server?

No. I don't know about the firefly iTunes server. Link?

also, do you use supersync with all connected computers or just the non-master computers?
thanks!

On the non-master computers. I wanted to preserve each users Playlists and ratings, but I didn't want them to be able to modify the files. That would just be a disaster waiting to happen.

[brianboonstra]

For me, the easiest solution is like this:

(1) Keep all the MP3 and AAC files on the server in a read-only share
(2) Set iTunes on all the client computers (in the Advanced prefs) NOT to copy music to the iTunes Music Folder when adding to the library
(3) On each client computer, periodically choose the menu item Add Folder To Library, and select the read-only share's root.


as a practical matter, you also need:

(4) One computer for which the share is read/write, allowing you to add files and change ID3 tags, etc. It need not run iTunes.



Pros:
(A) Each computer (including guests if you like) has access to the music without being able to overwrite it
(B) Each computer has its own iTunes database files so nothing gets corrupted
(C) Programs besides iTunes can also deal with this scheme
(D) Individual workstations can have their "own" content on the local HD, e.g. podcasts

Cons:
(A) Playlists are not synchronized. (They can often be exported and imported, though. I don't bother.)
(B) Periodically adding the music takes a while. (Though iTunes is smart enough to avoid dupes).


You don't have to make the share read-only, but I prefer the control doing so gives.

[ericdano]

For me, the easiest solution is like this:

(1) Keep all the MP3 and AAC files on the server in a read-only share
(2) Set iTunes on all the client computers (in the Advanced prefs) NOT to copy music to the iTunes Music Folder when adding to the library
(3) On each client computer, periodically choose the menu item Add Folder To Library, and select the read-only share's root.


as a practical matter, you also need:

(4) One computer for which the share is read/write, allowing you to add files and change ID3 tags, etc. It need not run iTunes.



Pros:
(A) Each computer (including guests if you like) has access to the music without being able to overwrite it
(B) Each computer has its own iTunes database files so nothing gets corrupted
(C) Programs besides iTunes can also deal with this scheme
(D) Individual workstations can have their "own" content on the local HD, e.g. podcasts

Cons:
(A) Playlists are not synchronized. (They can often be exported and imported, though. I don't bother.)
(B) Periodically adding the music takes a while. (Though iTunes is smart enough to avoid dupes).


You don't have to make the share read-only, but I prefer the control doing so gives.

I agree with all this except for that you should really consider using SuperSync. It is way faster at adding new stuff, especially when you get into the 10's of thousands of songs.

[bthom]

I have been looking for a way to have all my music on my readyNas (I want it to hold THE definitive copy of ALL my digital media), but for protection purposes, I'd like all but a master machine (a Mac G5, mounted w/ read/write capabilities) to have only read access. These slave machines are multi-flavored (OS X, Windows, Laptop, Desktop). The master would be used to manage, add-to the library's music data / meta data, the slaves to listen to it.

I can easily point a machine's library location (its data, not to be confused with its meta-data) to the readyNas (via adv options in iTunes preferences) but doing so results in a really long scan (I have a lot of songs) in order to give the local machine an up-to-date (meta data) library. A one-time long scan would've been fine, but I haven't been able to figure out how to keep it in synch with the Nas after new albums have been added via the master. So, I started searching this forum and came across ericdano's rec (in this thread), which makes a lot of sense from a protection point of view.

Unfortunately, after buying superSync, I found this:

http://www.supersync.com/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=16

on their discussion site. So is dano's advice --- if I want to use it merely update the metadata for various slaves --- infeasible?

There appears to be a meta-data sync tool for iTunes at

http://n.ethz.ch/~altery/

but it sadly appears to only run on Windows (and there's discussion about various incompatibilities with iTunes 7).

Has anyone else accomplished what this functionality, and if so, how?

[ericdano]

Unfortunately, after buying superSync, I found this:

http://www.supersync.com/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=16

on their discussion site. So is dano's advice --- if I want to use it merely update the metadata for various slaves --- infeasible?

For Metadata, no. SuperSync does not do that. SuperSync will actually physically scan the drive, and update your library to reflect things that have changed or been added. It won't transfer over your star ratings, etc. I wish it would compare the XML files, that would be worlds faster. And it would make a lot of sense.

Also, that thread is rather old.

There appears to be a meta-data sync tool for iTunes at

http://n.ethz.ch/~altery/

but it sadly appears to only run on Windows (and there's discussion about various incompatibilities with iTunes 7).

Has anyone else accomplished what this functionality, and if so, how?

SuperSync can do something like that, with it's file share stuff. You can have it look at another computers library, and you can get files off it. I'm not sure if you can have it NOT actually copy the file over and just have it linked in your library. I'll have to try that.

If you don't need the Metadata (ie: star ratings, play count, etc), then SuperSync is still, I think, the best way to go.

[bthom]

Hey,

Thanks for the response! Some comments/questions...

What are you defining as meta-data, just the ratings and such? I had been interpreting it as:

pointers to the songs in dbase (for Mac, I think this is the binary iTunes Library)
ratings (I think this is also in iTunes Library; aside: one might argue ratings are meta-meta data ).

I had also been considering the xml file as meta-data, but had assumed that was only used by programs OTHER than iTunes, for Apple's website http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html/?artnum=93732 says: "This file contains some (but not all) of the same information stored in the iTunes 4 Music Library file. The purpose of the iTunes Music Library.xml file is to make your music and playlists available to other applications on your computer. In Mac OS X other iLife applications (like iPhoto, iDVD, and iMovie) use this file to make it easier for you to add music from your iTunes library to your projects."

So I'm uncertain why

comparing the xml files

would be the end-all for synching what songs are in the database. What's your understanding?

I personally don't care about the ratings stuff. I just want all my computers to know about everything in the Nas's iTunes Music folder without having to:

do complete rescans
maintain multiple copies of songs

You mention:

SuperSync can do something like that, with it's file share stuff. You can have it look at another computers library, and you can get files off it. I'm not sure if you can have it NOT actually copy the file over and just have it linked in your library. I'll have to try that.

If you don't need the Metadata (ie: star ratings, play count, etc), then SuperSync is still, I think, the best way to go.

Please let me know if your try is successful, and if so, HOW you get it to do that, as I could still see the product being useful to me in the Nas context if I could get over that hurdle.

Meanwhile, I get something close to what I want w/o using superSync at all: simply stream the music off the readyNas, so client machines attach to the Nas's shared music library (which advertises up-to-date versions of what it has) in the desired read-only fashion.

In case others desire similar functionality, here's how I set things up:

Give the media share admin privledges (http://www.infrant.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11405)
Mount media share to master via CIFS w/admin privs (I chose CIFS so that all machines could access this data with the same protocol)
Copy iTunes Music over to the media share on the Nas and put it in the Music folder. (This step assumes your library is already consolidated; to get it this way if its spread over various machines, superSync might be useful).
Start iTunes on master via opt+start itunes
Select library as Music folder that lies in Nas's media share
Create iTunes Library and xml files on Nas as follows:

Turn off copying when adding to library
Add the Music/iTunes Music library to the master's iTunes
Turn on copying when adding to library (so future imports are copied to the Nas)

Enable the iTunes streaming service on the Nas
To access the library via client machines, select the Nas's shared library.

[ericdano]

What are you defining as meta-data, just the ratings and such? I had been interpreting it as:

pointers to the songs in dbase (for Mac, I think this is the binary iTunes Library)
ratings (I think this is also in iTunes Library; aside: one might argue ratings are meta-meta data ).

Well, if you look at the XML file, it has everything in there. Path, title, track, time. Everything.

I had also been considering the xml file as meta-data, but had assumed that was only used by programs OTHER than iTunes, for Apple's website http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html/?artnum=93732 says: "This file contains some (but not all) of the same information stored in the iTunes 4 Music Library file. The purpose of the iTunes Music Library.xml file is to make your music and playlists available to other applications on your computer. In Mac OS X other iLife applications (like iPhoto, iDVD, and iMovie) use this file to make it easier for you to add music from your iTunes library to your projects."

Not sure what exactly Apple means by that. That is for iTunes 4 as well. They have changed things a lot since then. The XML really looks like it has everything in there. And, if you watch the iTunes XML file, you'll see that it updates whenever you do anything in iTunes.

So I'm uncertain why

comparing the xml files

would be the end-all for synching what songs are in the database. What's your understanding?

From examining the XML file, since it has all the information in there.

I personally don't care about the ratings stuff. I just want all my computers to know about everything in the Nas's iTunes Music folder without having to:

do complete rescans
maintain multiple copies of songs

Complete rescans is something SuperSync will do.
Not sure what you mean why multiple copies of songs.........Why would you want 3 copies of an Album on your NAS?

You mention:

SuperSync can do something like that, with it's file share stuff. You can have it look at another computers library, and you can get files off it. I'm not sure if you can have it NOT actually copy the file over and just have it linked in your library. I'll have to try that.

If you don't need the Metadata (ie: star ratings, play count, etc), then SuperSync is still, I think, the best way to go.

Please let me know if your try is successful, and if so, HOW you get it to do that, as I could still see the product being useful to me in the Nas context if I could get over that hurdle.

SuperSync can do this filesharing thing. If you have two copies running, you can have them look at each others libraries and you can copy files you don't have from the remote one. What I am not sure of, because I haven't tested it, is whether you can just tell it to symbolically link the file into a library (IE: both computers are looking at the same songs, but on a NAS) or if it actually tries to copy the file again.

Meanwhile, I get something close to what I want w/o using superSync at all: simply stream the music off the readyNas, so client machines attach to the Nas's shared music library (which advertises up-to-date versions of what it has) in the desired read-only fashion.

Streaming works fine, but what if you want to be able to put music on your iPod? That is where things get dicey......

In case others desire similar functionality, here's how I set things up:

Give the media share admin privledges (http://www.infrant.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11405)
Mount media share to master via CIFS w/admin privs (I chose CIFS so that all machines could access this data with the same protocol)
Copy iTunes Music over to the media share on the Nas and put it in the Music folder. (This step assumes your library is already consolidated; to get it this way if its spread over various machines, superSync might be useful).
Start iTunes on master via opt+start itunes
Select library as Music folder that lies in Nas's media share
Create iTunes Library and xml files on Nas as follows:

Turn off copying when adding to library
Add the Music/iTunes Music library to the master's iTunes
Turn on copying when adding to library (so future imports are copied to the Nas)

Enable the iTunes streaming service on the Nas
To access the library via client machines, select the Nas's shared library.

That works fine. When you want to have multiple computers be able to access the library to be able to put music on iPods, you'll have to come up with another solution, like using SuperSync.

[jezbo]

Guys, I have a NAS storing all my iTunes music. I don't have a sync problem since I only have one client I want to run iTunes from. But I DO have a major problem, in that it takes simply AGES to add new songs from the NAS to the iTunes library, whatever method I use (Add Folder, Add File, Drag/drop). And I mean up to a minute PER SONG!

I downgraded from iTunes 7 to 6, which helps a little, since 7 did the "gapless playback determination loop" which took ever longer, but still, it's very very slow.

Anyone know why this is and what can be done about it ?