What is the point of an iTunes server?

Hi

Music and Video are different to Apps and, I believe, Books.

It seems clear from the behaviour of these industries and the restrictions in place that Apple had to jump through hoops to be allowed to sell Music and Video.

I am sure the 5 device limit is part of that.

Apps were never regulated or controlled in the same way and nothing like the App Store existed before.

I believe this allowed Apple to offer more freedom.

Simplicity is at their core (like the fact that you never wait for an iPad repair, they just replace it and remove you from the equation)

In the last few days Apple said "

Rather than maintain separate updates for these in addition to the Mac App Store versions of each app, Apple has decided to eliminate their legacy software update system for apps entirely. Instead, when Mavericks discovers legacy apps installed on your Mac, it provisions them as a Mac App Store purchase using your Apple ID. It saves us a lot of time, effort, and bandwidth. After the provision is complete, it will appear in your Mac App Store history as though you have purchased the Mac App Store version of the app.

While we are aware that this enables piracy of our apps for unethical users, Apple has never taken a strong stance or action against piracy in the past. We like to believe that our users are honest, even if that belief is in vain".

http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/24/apple-offering-free-updates-to-all-users-of- aperture-iwork-and-ilife-not-worried-about-unethical-users/

Back to shared Apps

I have heard slightly confliccting things. One is that there is a 10 device limit, the other that there is no limit OR that there is no limit, except for a 10 device limit which only occurs on iOS with automatic downloads enabled on 10 devices

The following link seems to explain it well.

http://www.macworld.com/article/1157018/appstore_licensing.html

Hello,

This is a really useful thread; thanks to all contributors.

I just bought a Zyxel NSA 325 2x1TB, which I have to say I'm very happy with. Initial setup was really easy (barring a bit of wrestling with Norton 365 SmartFirewall). I've been dreading dealing with shifting my media library to the NAS, having been through the multiple occurances of iTunes generating duplicate files.

Your comments have given me a bit of hoep though. It sounds like the two availabel options are:

1) Shift media files to NAS. Enable iTunes Server on NAS. Treat iTunes server as a "share" from multiple clients, each using different AppleIDs.

2) Shift media files to NAS. Don't enable iTunes Server on NAS. On one of the client machines, change the iTunes home directory to the new location. Enable home sharing. Log on to other machines with different AppleIDs. Should then be able to access the shared media from the different devices.

I think my preference is "2". The whole point fo the NAS is that it is shared network storage, negating the need to locally store data on my devices, and killing off the need for a set of labyrinthine synching processes.

A peripheral benefit of the second option is that all of your other iTunes rubbish (such as iPhone backups, if you do it via iTunes rather than via iCloud) will also be located on your "more secure" NAS, rather than locally on one of the client machines. This means that you don't need to set up another backup process to copy data from your client machines to the NAS for backup.

I'm giong to try two things when I get home tonight: 1) enable home sharing, and confirm that there are no issues with other machines seeing the library that is currently located on my primary client machine; 2) put some music onto my NAS Music folder, enable the iTunes Server functionality, and check whether I can see it on the various clients.

Tragic that I'm excited about this.

Cheers,

Jon

I have read a great deal of this thread, and I must say that this notion that an iTunes Server is useless is not right. I am currently considering how to distribute music in a new condo we're moving to soon, and I am honing in on a collection of Sonos speakers strategically distributed about. With my iTunes library moved to a NAS and the Sonos system instructed on where to find the music, I've been told that I no longer need to be running iTunes on my Mac, nor do I even need my Mac up and running to play music throughout the house. All I need are the Sonos speakers powered and my iPhone with the Sonos app aboard.

So I think this is one reason why an "iTunes Server" is useful.

Secondly, I thought I read in prior posts on this thread that iPhones, iPads and Macs can't directly access an iTunes library properly moved to a NAS. This does not seem right to me. Obviously, if you want to access your iTunes library while not at home then you must have all or part of your library stored locally. But if you're home, everything I've read seems to indicate the NAS-based iTunes library can be directly accessed by your Apple device. And there are apps out there that allow you to manage multiple iTunes libraries and conveniently switch devices from 1 library to another as its default. So while at home, the iPad can use the full NAS library, and when away, it can use the locally stored library.

Or am I missing something?

Hope this contributes to the discussion.

Hi,

On the subject of "why would you want to..."

Here's my situation. I have a mixed environment consisting of iPhones, iPads, a few PCs and an Apple TV (my latest addition)

I appreciate that Apple wants to make iTunes the center of the universe, because it drives traffic to their store. A widespread use of iTunes also promotors the sales of Apple products. Thus Apple has to find a nice equilibrium point where customers prefer an Apple solution to the competitor's.

The flip side is of course that if the iTunes solution is too limiting, other solutions become more attractive.

In my case, the only viable storage solution on my network is on my NAS (it has the space, it has the backup, and it has the autosleep). Therefore my Apple-TV must be able to play the media there. Or the Apple TV does not fit in at all.

There will always be people that want to lock the customers in, but I believe that the company that is best at solving customers problems in an open environment will be the winner in the end.

Regards /Ake

@Markl_me,

You're right, Sonos will happily access a NAS iTunes server. But, an Apple TV won't, because it relies on Apple's Home Sharing feature / an Apple ID.

Also, the NAS iTunes library is seen by iTunes as a shared library, so no, it's not opened directly, and your devices will always open their locally stored library. You could point a Mac OS device to open an iTunes library on your network, but that, I believe, is not a good idea because , opening a database across a network would be a bit slow and clunky.

@MacAke

I think you're right, in that more people using iTunes is great for Apple. But, any experience I've had with NAS / iTunes server, and Apple TVs, just doesn't work. The Apple TV doesn't see the NAS, but it does see other computers running iTunes, with Home Sharing enabled, on your local network.

So, to summarize:

The NAS suppliers have done their best to comply with an iTunes environment.

But Apple TV is not adapted to work in a NAS environment.

Which is quite astonishing considering that it has no HDD of its own.

Now I'm hoping for the next software upgrade of the Apple TV. Or have to leave that solution entirely.

Regards /Ake

I don't think it is possible to have a NAS formatted as HFS (don't they tend to have their own OS incapable of utilising HFS)

Isn't it also true that features like rich metadata, long filenames, special characters and journaling are all things that iTunes would have trouble with if they were absent?

Doesn't this make NAS reduntant as an iTunes server (or at best workable)?

Unless the NAS can actually run a full version of iTunes to act as a bridge.

Apple have produced a system that works.

You don't even have to train the family.

It requires iTunes

It requires an Apple id

It requires an always on computer (this can be your main computer - a PC will do, but I've had occasional issues with iTunes vanishing when using Windows)

There is no 'lock-in' unless you choose to purchase DRM'd content via iTunes (completely optional) .

Most of my media is ripped from CD and DVD then simply stored as DRM free files across a couple of drives.

The remainder is made up of movies and tv shows purchased through iTunes.

I haven't tested other options for a long time, but I'm sure this volume can also be shared/viewed using XBMC, Plex, Slingbox and more to allow non iTunes devices like Android, Playstation, XBox and more to play that media.

Do youself a favour;

•Buy a large usb hard drive (my library is stored on the cheapest 4TB and 2TB available)

•Buy an old Mac (something capable enough to run OSX10.7.5 Lion for the ability to use iCloud and the App Store - I picked up my 2008 White MacBook with smashed screen for $100 about 4 years ago)

Then set up your library, home sharing and just let it run as I have done for the last several years since I abandoned trying to use NAS for iTunes.

The facts remain...

My PC, which is not a media computer, can access my media libraries on the NAS using iTunes.

My Apple TV, which claims to be a media center, cannot.

Of course there are numerous other settings that could do a similar job, but that is not the issue here.

The point is: Apple deliberately prevents me from using my Apple TV to its full potential in a logical and sensible way.

Considering that Apple is already accused of locking its customers in, it does not seem like a smart business decision.

Regards /Åke

Facts are the Apple TV is a simple device for consumers with simple needs.

If it doesn't do what you want that is only deliberate in the same way that the designer of a bicycle has deliberately not designed a car or a pram.

You can complain that the product is poorly designed or crippled, but facts are you need to go and buy a different device to 'unlock' the features you require.

As a simple consumer I specifically do NOT wan't Apple to complicate the device by offering a plethora of sometimes useful (for a small subset of advanced users) features. Stop complaining that a bicycle is not a car and buy a Mac Mini or other full fledged computer instead of an Apple TV and it WILL do what you wan't.

Incidentally, I don't believe Apple have ever described Apple TV as a Media Centre (with no onboard storage, how can it be?). Nor do they seem to ever discuss iTunes server.

You are correct in the it is all about expectations.

You consider the Apple TV as a simple product for the simple minded customer.

You say that Apple TV was never meant to be a Media Center.

I had higher expectations based on my previous experience and how the Apple TV has been described by Apple.

On the question "What is an Apple TV?" Apple continues to describe that "Apple TV is a tiny entertainment powerhouse...". In my mind this is a close to a Media Center you can get, without actually using those words.

And Apple goes on by describing what I can use it for, namely "You’ll find everything you want to watch on Apple TV. .... Not to mention your own photos, videos, and music."

I did not expect that there was an unspoken limitation that I should have understood (If I were not a "simple minded customer"), namely "... except if your photos, videos and music reside on a NAS under an iTunes Server".

Of course I don't expect to get an F1 racing car when I buy a bike. But I didn't expect to get a crippled product when I bought my Apple TV either. In my opinion, Apple is on a dangerous path here. I prefer(ed?) to think of Apple as a market leader in tending to the real needs of its customers, not as a peddler of crippled products for the simple minded.

But now I am encouraged to re-evaluate my expectations to get them on par with Apple's offer.

A saddening conclusion for an old time fan, don't you agree?

I think if apple say 'your own music, videos and photos' they're probably refering to iCloud (Photo Streams, iMovie Theatre, iTunes purchases, etc). If the Apple TV had support for DLNA then it would be the device you're seeking. But, as it's Apple's equivelent, Home Sharing, it's restrcited to Apple devices, and iTunes.

So, perhaps the question you want to google is 'apple tv dlna support'. There may be some work arounds, but I haven't investigated.

It wouldn't surprise me if Apple eventually remove the Home Sharing feature from iTunes, forcing users to rely on iCloud and iTunes Match. They recently removed the Share Library feature from iPhoto, requiring users to either distribute photos amongst devices via iCloud's Photo Stream / Shared Photo Streams, or find some other manual method.

I was reading in the iMovie discussions, regarding iMovie 13, one poster's opinion was that Apple is forcing their vision of the future upon them in the latest version. I kind of agree. Rather than their apps supporting everything that came before, they're streamlining their apps to reflect their vision, which appears to be: everything in the cloud.

So, the somewhat surpricing answer to the original question of this thread is...

The point of having an iTunes server on your NAS is that you can play your music on Sonos or PC hardware,

(or on a Mac, but it has no bearing whatsoever on Apple TV).

Cordially /Ake

The tiny remote on the Apple TV is uncomfortable for browsing and searching anyway. I browse my media leisurely with iPad or iPhone with an app that works my NAS (Synology DSAudio...) and I Airplay it to the Apple TV. This is neat and it makes the Apple TV a great media centre. This is no news obviously, just to sum it up.

Yes I agree the iTunes server is of no use for Apple TV. I use it when sitting at my PC.

Not only Apple but everyone are pushing users to put their stuff on some cloud or other. I don't fancy that concept. I am old fashioned and I want my data sitting on my own boxes.

Cheers

Earnie

What app do you use on your iPad to browse your music on the NAS? I have an mp3 collection on my PC which is over 350gb and the only app which I really like is ipad remote, because the iTunes library is not fazed by a large collection. Can remote use the NAS????

I have a Synology NAS and I use their apps. The one for audio is called DS Audio. You can create playlists etc. and you use the data on the NAS directly with it, which plays on the iPad/iPhone and you can of course Airplay it from the iPad/iPhone to the HiFi through the Apple TV. Look for "Synology" in the AppStore. The apps are free and as far as I can tell they work well and have a neat interface. I like the "remote desktop" view of the NAS, which has two modes, "mobile" and "full screen" where you can do everything with the NAS just the same as from a PC, including switching it on remotely.

I don't know the iPad remote app so I can't help you on that now but I think you can only remote the Apple TV with it and ATV can not browse the NAS directly so I think you can not use the iPad remote app to browse the NAS.

As the other folks have already explained you would have to have a PC or Mac running with iTunes on it to get to the NAS from the Apple TV.

brgds

Earnie