Apple Music UI / Library Questions

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Apple Music UI / Library Questions

I have got to say that I have never had so many problems with the Music/iTunes app until Apple changed it into Apple Music. The UI to me is the most ridiculously horrific user experience I've ever seen. It seems that Apple removed the ability to sync with the iPhone unless you turn some "iCloud Music Library" thing on, and just forcing people to use the cloud... Apple Music's days are numbered as my music player of choice, but until that day comes:

1 * How do I get (Is it even possible?) a TRUE and COMPLETE list of recently played items. The music app "now playing" queue DOES NOT show certain things from Apple Music. Ie. I had found a Spanish radio station by telling Siri to "play Spanish Flamenco music" and then after a while I wanted to listen to something from my library so I told Siri to play it. Later when I wanted to go back to the radio station I COULD NOT FIND IT FOR THE LIFE OF ME. It was not in the queue of items in the Music app on the iPhone, it was not in the "Recently Played" section of Browse in Apple Music (on Mac or iPhone) and it seems I miraculously was able to find it later on when it appeared on the latter. I made sure to write it down.

When I ask Siri to play a song I play often, it queues up other songs like it after.. and I found some that I love. They're on Apple Music. So I say that I love them.. THERE IS NO WHERE TO SHOW ALL THE MUSIC THAT I HAVE CLICKED THE HEART ON in Apple Music (cloud).. and THESE SONGS ARE NOT APPEARING IN MY RECENTLY PLAYED ON APPLE MUSIC. They are in the queue still.. but I am trying to see them on the Mac app, which DOES NOT HAVE THAT SAME QUEUE. It is mind blowing.

2 * When I went to go turn on iCloud Music Library so I can sync to my iPhone (GRRRRR WHY!!!!!) I find the option isn't there but there's already a Sync library option turned on. I never turned it on. Is this the same thing?

I made a copy of my entire music library before I went to do this because in the past every single huge change Apple has made has screwed up my library. I have tons of duplicates in my library because iTunes Match was broken when it first came out, and I have tons of stuff my iTunes (now Music) library that say they can't be found on disk... because Apple screwed them up. A lot of these are things I ripped off of CD.

is the iCloud Music Library safe? And the most important thing to me is how I can see the songs that I love that I don't have in my library. The whole thing seems completely stupid to be able to heart tracks if you can't see what you hearted later. In literally every other user interface for every other app of every any all kinds the purpose of favorites, hearted, bookmarks, etc.

The other annoyance is that even though I bought a track on the iTunes music store on Mac. That is no longer available on my iPhone. And then I ask Siri to play it, and Siri fails every time always. This is how it goes :

"Siri, play Ben Woods Malagueña."

Siri: Playing Malagueña by Ben Woods. Sorry Apple Music encountered a problem.

Every. Single. Time. Days later when I tried it again. Same thing. And it often does this with other songs as well.

I am incredibly peeved with the Apple Music app they've ruined it. Should have left iTunes ALONE.

[Edited by Moderator]

Posted on Oct 27, 2022 7:37 AM

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Answer 1

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Phil0124

Community+ 2024

Level 10

205,471 points

Oct 27, 2022 8:03 AM in response to hillie

I'll answer question #2: Yes Sync Library is the switch that enabled iCloud music Library.

Wit that said, you don't have to use it if you don't want to. It's entirely optional. If you want to sync the old way like you did with iTunes through a USB cable connected to your computer, you can do so. You will need to turn off the Sync Library feature on both your Mac and your iPhone. I know, it's counterintuitive.

With that done, you can connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable, and access all the old iTunes features for syncing in the Finder.

Link-> Use the Finder to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with your computer - Apple Support

For question #1, yes its not the most streamlined of things. You need to add them to your Library if you want to then find them under Songs in your Library. There is no easy way to find the loved songs unless they are added to the library unfortunately.

Added songs will have a heart column that indicates if you have "loved" them or not.

If the heart column is not visible, you can right click or two-finger click on one of the columns in the song view and then click on Love to enable the column.

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Answer 2

Oct 27, 2022 9:08 AM in response to hillie

Adding songs to your Library has nothing to do with the Sync Library option. You can add songs and albums to your Library form the Apple Music subscription service even if its not turned on. The only thing is, it won't sync the additions to other devices.

If it's on, the option makes the added music available on all devices over iCloud.

It should not delete anything from your Library itself though unless you manually delete it.

You can ask Siri when driving to add the song to your Library. Link-> Use Siri to play music and podcasts - Apple Support

"Hey Siri add this song to my library"

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

274,198 points

Oct 28, 2022 1:01 PM in response to hillie

If you've not already seen it take a look at If songs are missing from your music library after you turn on Sync Library - Apple Support. There are some limitations to what tracks are eligible in iCloud Music Library. Too small/short/big/long, too low/high a bitrate, purchases from other Apple IDs, duplicates, etc. Such items can exist in your iTunes or Music library on a computer but won't make it to the cloud. Likewise any playlist that contains such items is excluded from iCloud Music Library. All tracks in your library should be matched, uploaded, or purchased so that they work across your devices.

Ordinarily when you have iCloud Music Library as part of Apple Music or iTunes Match you enable Sync Library AKA iCloud Music Library in each of your computers and devices. That way any content you add to any of your libraries gets added to every device automatically via the cloud, provided it is eligible. When Sync Library is active on an iOS device manual syncing with the local library is disabled, but should also be unnecessary. The device should see all of the content of the library except that which is deemed ineligible. Depending on the cause it may sometimes be possible to convert problem tracks into new files, e.g. as 256K AAC, which can work in iCloud Music Library.

tt2

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Answer 4

hillie Author

Level 1

35 points

Oct 27, 2022 8:21 AM in response to Phil0124

I don't mind having iCloud Music Library turned on if it doesn't cause any problems. In my experience though these features have destroyed entire parts of my music library and Im not sure if I'll even be able to get all the music back. So that's why I'm super hesitant to turn them on.

But the thing is though, since I'm paying for Apple Music I would like the ability to put Apple Music tracks into my library. I still prefer buying stuff on the iTunes Store and do that with everything I like, but sometimes I find something and just want to add it right away where it's not really conducive to the drawn out process of finding it in the store and buying it (such as while driving). I think there's an Add to Library option in CarPlay, could be wrong. I don't mean looking at my phone coz that's just beyond dangerous.

And some of them were my favorites, such as Castlevania 20th Anniversary CD. I have all my CDs I should have them but I have to find them.

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Answer 5

hillie Author

Level 1

35 points

Oct 28, 2022 4:48 AM in response to Phil0124

Well I have tons of music in my library that's gone that would beg to differ. I said that in my original message, but it was edited by moderated so who knows if they took that out. I could read it but meh. So I'm more interested in knowing it doesn't actually screw things up more so than what it should not do. But I made a copy of everything before I turned it on.

As for it having nothing to do with the "sync library" button. I'm not sure if you're talking about "iCloud Music Library" but I distinctly remember trying to add songs to my library and being told "You have to turn on iCloud Music Library to add music from Apple Music to your library."

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Answer 6

hillie Author

Level 1

35 points

Oct 28, 2022 1:19 PM in response to turingtest2

Yeah see to me anything that is not an exact 100% copy is unacceptable and unusable..

I don't have ANY need to upload ANYTHING into the cloud. I just want my music synced the way it always has been.

But you can't take advantage of Apple Music if you'd do this because it won't let me add tracks to my regular iTunes playlists unless I turn on iCloud Music Library.

This to me is the biggest thing that punched me in the face about Apple Music. On Spotify you can add anything to your library at any time and to any playlist and download specific tracks or all of them and do what you want.

Apple Music has 20% of the features Spotify has. Apple needs to stop dictating how its users are to their devices.

If I have a problem I'm just going to turn off iCloud Music Library and continue what I've been doing-- buying the music on the iTunes Store and then adding it to my library.

And as soon as I get time I will be writing my own music player and moving my entire library to it so that I don't have to deal with this nonsense.

[Edited by Moderator]

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Apple Music UI / Library Questions

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