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Alternatives to iTunes (Mac)
#1
Apple's iTunes is getting more and more obtrusive such that I urgently need to find a replacement. I used iTunes only for keeping order on my collection of 3k+ albums. Recently however, iTunes permanently checks with the iTunes account and server and when you prevent it from connecting you get lots of warnings interrupting the flow of music. They want to loose customers? So be it.

Please, can you suggest alternatives for taking over the system of iTunes library, files and folders and being as versatile in ordering and labelling files as is iTunes? I play music by Roon, but don't trust its capacity of keeping the library in order after reading reports on disasters.

Thanks.
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#2
Just mentioned in another topic that I am using the below set-up:

MacBook Pro > Audirvana 2.6.2 > Devialet Air 3.0 Public Beta > Apple Time Capsule for wifi / Switch / NAS / Ethernet to Devialet

With my new Macbook I moved over all albums to the NAS, just checked and it's almost 700GB, don't know how many albums. Audirvana did a scan and no problems with the metadata this far.
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#3
(19-Dec-2016, 22:30)Mohmm Wrote: Apple's iTunes is getting more and more obtrusive such that I urgently need to find a replacement. I used iTunes only for keeping order on my collection of 3k+ albums. Recently however, iTunes permanently checks with the iTunes account and server and when you prevent it from connecting you get lots of warnings interrupting the flow of music. They want to loose customers? So be it.

Please, can you suggest alternatives for taking over the system of iTunes library, files and folders and being as versatile in ordering and labelling files as is iTunes? I play music by Roon, but don't trust its capacity of keeping the library in order after reading reports on disasters.

Thanks.

I quite like JRiver, it keeps my files organised the way that I tell it too and easily finds artwork, although I must admit that I haven't tried any others (apart from iTunes, which is no good for high res. files).  A lot of them give you a free trial period, so my advice would be to try as many as you can and see which you like best. Smile
Project Eperience X Pack with Ortofon Rondo Red MC, Oppo BDP 105D, 2 x Sonos Connect, QNAP HS251+ NAS with 2 X 6TB Western Digital Red, Mac 5K 32GB running Lifetime Roon, iPad Pro 12.9" for remote control.  Etalon Ethernet Isolator, Devialet 440 Pro CI, Sonus faber Olympica ll with Isoacoustics Gaia ll feet, Auralic Taurus Mkll headphone amp.Denon AH-D5000, Sennheiser HD600 and HD800 with Cardas cable,  Van Den Hul The First Ultimate and Crystal interconnects, Furutech power cables, GSP Audio Spatia speaker cable.
South Coast England
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#4
(20-Dec-2016, 01:59)Axel Wrote:
(19-Dec-2016, 22:30)Mohmm Wrote: Apple's iTunes is getting more and more obtrusive such that I urgently need to find a replacement. I used iTunes only for keeping order on my collection of 3k+ albums. Recently however, iTunes permanently checks with the iTunes account and server and when you prevent it from connecting you get lots of warnings interrupting the flow of music. They want to loose customers? So be it.

Please, can you suggest alternatives for taking over the system of iTunes library, files and folders and being as versatile in ordering and labelling files as is iTunes? I play music by Roon, but don't trust its capacity of keeping the library in order after reading reports on disasters.

Thanks.

I quite like JRiver, it keeps my files organised the way that I tell it too and easily finds artwork, although I must admit that I haven't tried any others (apart from iTunes, which is no good for high res. files).  A lot of them give you a free trial period, so my advice would be to try as many as you can and see which you like best. Smile

Right, I also thought of JRiver, but a trial is a risky business. Who knows what JRiver trial wants to change in my library.
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#5
(20-Dec-2016, 18:26)YMohmm Wrote:
(20-Dec-2016, 01:59)Axel Wrote:
(19-Dec-2016, 22:30)Mohmm Wrote: Apple's iTunes is getting more and more obtrusive such that I urgently need to find a replacement. I used iTunes only for keeping order on my collection of 3k+ albums. Recently however, iTunes permanently checks with the iTunes account and server and when you prevent it from connecting you get lots of warnings interrupting the flow of music. They want to loose customers? So be it.

Please, can you suggest alternatives for taking over the system of iTunes library, files and folders and being as versatile in ordering and labelling files as is iTunes? I play music by Roon, but don't trust its capacity of keeping the library in order after reading reports on disasters.

Thanks.

I quite like JRiver, it keeps my files organised the way that I tell it too and easily finds artwork, although I must admit that I haven't tried any others (apart from iTunes, which is no good for high res. files).  A lot of them give you a free trial period, so my advice would be to try as many as you can and see which you like best. Smile

Right, I also thought of JRiver, but a trial is a risky business. Who knows what JRiver trial wants to change in my library.
Are you referring to tagging or maybe location of the files? JRiver is fully configurable, but just to be safe, you could make a backup of everything before you let anything loose on your files (if you haven't done so already).
Project Eperience X Pack with Ortofon Rondo Red MC, Oppo BDP 105D, 2 x Sonos Connect, QNAP HS251+ NAS with 2 X 6TB Western Digital Red, Mac 5K 32GB running Lifetime Roon, iPad Pro 12.9" for remote control.  Etalon Ethernet Isolator, Devialet 440 Pro CI, Sonus faber Olympica ll with Isoacoustics Gaia ll feet, Auralic Taurus Mkll headphone amp.Denon AH-D5000, Sennheiser HD600 and HD800 with Cardas cable,  Van Den Hul The First Ultimate and Crystal interconnects, Furutech power cables, GSP Audio Spatia speaker cable.
South Coast England
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#6
(19-Dec-2016, 22:30)Mohmm Wrote: Apple's iTunes is getting more and more obtrusive such that I urgently need to find a replacement. I used iTunes only for keeping order on my collection of 3k+ albums. Recently however, iTunes permanently checks with the iTunes account and server and when you prevent it from connecting you get lots of warnings interrupting the flow of music. They want to loose customers? So be it.

Please, can you suggest alternatives for taking over the system of iTunes library, files and folders and being as versatile in ordering and labelling files as is iTunes? I play music by Roon, but don't trust its capacity of keeping the library in order after reading reports on disasters.

Thanks.

I like Audirvana, I did try JRiver even purchased it, and then went back to Audirvana.
I no longer use any of them as I use an Aurender H100N as my music server.

Brian
Vinnie Rossi L2iSE integrated amp, VPI Classic TurnTable c/w Transfiguration Phoenix Cart, 
Auralic Aries G2, Audience Front Row USB cable, B&W 803D3 (black) Audience Front Row Bi wire speaker cables, 
6 x OREA Bronze Footers.
                                                                 Ottawa, Canada.                                                                                      

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#7
(21-Dec-2016, 00:51)BrianT Wrote:
(19-Dec-2016, 22:30)Mohmm Wrote: Apple's iTunes is getting more and more obtrusive such that I urgently need to find a replacement. I used iTunes only for keeping order on my collection of 3k+ albums. Recently however, iTunes permanently checks with the iTunes account and server and when you prevent it from connecting you get lots of warnings interrupting the flow of music. They want to loose customers? So be it.

Please, can you suggest alternatives for taking over the system of iTunes library, files and folders and being as versatile in ordering and labelling files as is iTunes? I play music by Roon, but don't trust its capacity of keeping the library in order after reading reports on disasters.

Thanks.

I like Audirvana, I did try JRiver even purchased it, and then went back to Audirvana.
I no longer use any of them as I use an Aurender H100N as my music server.

Brian

That's interesting, Brian. Can you say what made you go back to Audirvana?

Alex.
Project Eperience X Pack with Ortofon Rondo Red MC, Oppo BDP 105D, 2 x Sonos Connect, QNAP HS251+ NAS with 2 X 6TB Western Digital Red, Mac 5K 32GB running Lifetime Roon, iPad Pro 12.9" for remote control.  Etalon Ethernet Isolator, Devialet 440 Pro CI, Sonus faber Olympica ll with Isoacoustics Gaia ll feet, Auralic Taurus Mkll headphone amp.Denon AH-D5000, Sennheiser HD600 and HD800 with Cardas cable,  Van Den Hul The First Ultimate and Crystal interconnects, Furutech power cables, GSP Audio Spatia speaker cable.
South Coast England
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#8
Mohmmm, I cancelled my iTunes streaming account and the checking stopped. So I assume you're using iTunes for streaming too? Or is the computer logged into the iTunes store for some reason?
                                                    Lifetime Roon, Mac mini, int. SSD, ext. HDD, tv as monitor, key board and track pad on bean bag as remote,Devialet 200, Od'A #097, Blue jeans speaker cable,                                     
                                                                                                                                                                            Dynaudio C1 MkII.
                                                                                                                                                                              Jim Smith's GBS.
                                                                                                                                                                        Northern NSW Australia.
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#9
(21-Dec-2016, 03:42)Pim van Vliet Wrote: Mohmmm, I cancelled my iTunes streaming account and the checking stopped. So I assume you're using iTunes for streaming too? Or is the computer logged into the iTunes store for some reason?

I never subscribed to any iTunes streaming service (consciously). Many years ago I had a mental black out and bought a few albums from the store that I have since replaced by red book quality files and I hate them to still push the old MP3 files into my library. I need access to my account for iOS apps, though.

I use iTune smusic only for tagging and keeping order because I find the file and folder structure transparent.
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#10
(21-Dec-2016, 01:17)Axel Wrote: That's interesting, Brian. Can you say what made you go back to Audirvana?

Alex.

Alex

The main reason was, I thought Audirvana sounded better
As it only looks after music files and not video Etc it is a much smaller program.

I use Yate for tagging.

Brian
Vinnie Rossi L2iSE integrated amp, VPI Classic TurnTable c/w Transfiguration Phoenix Cart, 
Auralic Aries G2, Audience Front Row USB cable, B&W 803D3 (black) Audience Front Row Bi wire speaker cables, 
6 x OREA Bronze Footers.
                                                                 Ottawa, Canada.                                                                                      

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