Lee Farber

Q: Home sharing on iDevices not loading large library

I store my entire music library (3TB of ALAC files) on a Mac Mini connected to my Time Capsule. I can home share the library flawlessly on my laptop, but it absolutely refuses to load the library on my iPhone or iPad. I'm using all the latest software (iOS7, iTunes 11.1) with an iPhone 5 and iPad 3.

 

When I try to share my library, the circle starts to load, but never gets past halfway. I've tried EVERYTHING, i.e. signing out of home sharing and quitting iTunes, restarting the Mac Mini, restarting the iPhone, unplugging the Time Capsule and plugging it back in, and several other tips I've found around here and elsewhere online, but nothing seems to work!

 

I have other apps (such as Audiotap) that will do the trick, but they leave a gap between tracks, so I would prefer to get home sharing working properly. Thanks in advance for any help.

iPhone 5, iOS 7

Posted on Sep 19, 2013 10:44 PM

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Q: Home sharing on iDevices not loading large library

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  • by Jaap74,

    Jaap74 Jaap74 May 11, 2014 1:23 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 2 (170 points)
    May 11, 2014 1:23 PM in response to Lee Farber

    Good to know I am not the only one with this issue. I have ' normal'  iTunes Library of 700 GB (music, movies, tv shows, apps) and the .xml file is only 13.4MB. I have this issue on my iPhone5, iPad 3 and my wifes iPad Mini and iPhone 5s. Apple TV works fine.

     

    I tried a lot...Clean install of OSX on my Mac Mini. Clean install of iOS on my iPad. Reset my Time Capsule and Fritz!Box router. Nothing.....I also have a MacBook Pro with a small iTunes Library (5GB and iTunes Match). That one loads very fast, so it indeed is a 'large library issue'.

  • by bJunky,

    bJunky bJunky May 16, 2014 3:22 AM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 16, 2014 3:22 AM in response to Lee Farber

    same problem here. library of +- 600 gb. update 7.1.1 (ipad air) didn't solve the problem.

  • by A. Timleck,

    A. Timleck A. Timleck May 25, 2014 9:48 PM in response to bJunky
    Level 2 (280 points)
    May 25, 2014 9:48 PM in response to bJunky

    Same problem here. Mac mini server set up to share on home network, running Mavericks. IPad running ios 7.1.1. iTunes  XML file is only 30.8 MB . Will not load. Ugh. Horrible. Thanks for the other suggestions folks.

  • by Mudperson,

    Mudperson Mudperson Jun 7, 2014 5:14 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 7, 2014 5:14 PM in response to Lee Farber

    I have a 1.5tb library on an external hd attached to my mini, and could not get home sharing working on my ipad retina. The red circle would creep around to some random point and then give up. Somtimes, a list would appear (without album art), but would be unplayable. Having read this thread I fished out an old first gen iPad to see what it would do and it loaded the library and was playing my music perfectly after a minute or so. Like other posters here I couldn't understand what the problem was with iOS 7 - the remote app showed the same library contents right there on the same screen flawlessly, and I had no problems using it to play my music through an apple TV.

    Now I'm sitting here looking at an old 1st Gen iPad that works perfectly and an iPad retina with the latest iOS update that is utterly incapable of doing what it says on the tin. And may I also point out that Apple's home sharing troubleshooting page makes not one mention of the fact that the latest iOS update is useless for streaming iTunes libraries of any significant size. I am not alone in  suspecting that this might be a not particularly subtle attempt to encourage owners of large music libraries to give up on trying to manage them ourselves and throw ourselves at the mercy of their rubbish iMatch service. Not on your life.

  • by GPrescott,

    GPrescott GPrescott Jun 8, 2014 10:21 AM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 8, 2014 10:21 AM in response to Lee Farber

    Sadly, it doesn't work for me either. Not sure of the size of my xml file but when loading on either of my two iPhones it only gets halfway. I tried installing Audiotap on the older iPhone, the one that I plug into my receiver, and installed Mediatap on my laptop (a Dell, not a Mac), and that doesn't work either. I guess I am just not going to be able to ever share my music with my devices. It's worked once or twice but never consistently. Truly frustrating!

  • by Christoffee,

    Christoffee Christoffee Jun 8, 2014 1:32 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 8, 2014 1:32 PM in response to Lee Farber

    Here's hoping for ios8. My library is about 60GB of music. My videos are elsewhere (I planned to bring them to itunes, but that's on hold now). This library only loads if I quit all other apps first. If any other app is open it almost certainly won't load (it will occasionally).

     

    Dr dre is on the case!

  • by Alejobar,

    Alejobar Alejobar Jul 17, 2014 1:59 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 17, 2014 1:59 PM in response to Lee Farber

    So any luck so far guys? I have the same problem with my Iphone 5 running 7.1.1 and Ipad Mini, my iTunes library XML is only 23mb

  • by cprom,

    cprom cprom Jul 29, 2014 1:12 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 29, 2014 1:12 PM in response to Lee Farber

    The most embarrassing aspect of this is that the team responsible for this home sharing disaster would probably only need to walk across the hall in Cupertino and ask the guy who's made the Remote app how he accomplished to load large libraries in no-time. It really beggars belief.

  • by Flyinguff26,

    Flyinguff26 Flyinguff26 Jul 29, 2014 9:37 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 29, 2014 9:37 PM in response to Lee Farber

    I landed on this thread tonight because my library would not load into my AppleTV 3. I could select the library - and wait - and eventually I could select "movies" - and wait - and eventually I would see the titles but no artwork (just the default ticket) and none of the movies I selected would load or play.  I made sure the software on my Mac Mini and Apple TV were up-to-date (they were). I restarted both devices. Nothing.  Grrrr.

     

    I was unable to watch a movie tonight and had to resort to - old school DVD's!

     

    Disgusted and ******, I logged AppleTV out of Home Sharing.  A few minutes later I logged back and guess what?  IT SUDDENLY ACTED LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO!  The response was quick and the artwork re-appeared. The movie even played!  Oh joy!  Now I can watch a movie another night.

     

    Give this a try folks.  Good luck.

  • by coolspot,

    coolspot coolspot Jul 30, 2014 6:48 AM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 30, 2014 6:48 AM in response to Lee Farber

    Same here, I think Home Sharing with large libraries is hopelessly broken in the latest version if iOS

  • by Ryan Loesch,

    Ryan Loesch Ryan Loesch Aug 13, 2014 8:08 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 13, 2014 8:08 PM in response to Lee Farber

    All these iTunes and iOS point releases over the last few months and the sharing bug is still being ignored.  HOW BIG IS THAT ITUNES BUG BACKLOG APPLE?   Please, fix it.   I have a massive library and the only content I can access is iTunes purchases (via Purchased Videos).   Such a great feature (when it used to work).  Blech.

  • by Binoforever,

    Binoforever Binoforever Aug 15, 2014 7:09 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 15, 2014 7:09 PM in response to Lee Farber

    I'm having the same issue. My library is extensive. I guess I'll wait and see if this issue will sort itself up with iOS 8 and Yosemite.

  • by Michael3898,

    Michael3898 Michael3898 Aug 20, 2014 10:59 AM in response to KongoOtto
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Aug 20, 2014 10:59 AM in response to KongoOtto

    Shared iTunes to iPad is just completely broken in the latest IOS.  If it ever does load, it shows flickering content as it struggles to update play counts.  It shows only partial episodes from TV series and leaves out the rest.  Today I just watched it show me a full library, then slowly delete everything onscreen and close itself to show me "No Content".  Incredibly bad software.

  • by Jonstoloyu,

    Jonstoloyu Jonstoloyu Aug 24, 2014 1:01 PM in response to Lee Farber
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 24, 2014 1:01 PM in response to Lee Farber

    Same problem, after 10-15 minus loading, works fine, but if close and open again later, same loading times, I will try Plex, it is a SHAME that Apple is not taking care of this, hope that in the fall when Yosemite and IOS 8 arrived will fix this terrible problem!

  • by coolspot,

    coolspot coolspot Aug 24, 2014 1:07 PM in response to Jonstoloyu
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 24, 2014 1:07 PM in response to Jonstoloyu

    Yes, very disappointing that Apple has not fixed this issue.

     

    To get around the issue, I use iTunes Remote and play the music off my computer instead of relaying through the device.

     

    You can also look at Subsonic, it's a fully featured music player, streaming app/server. Subsonic is feature locked, but being open source there is a feature unlocked build - you can google for it.

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