SheriffFatman
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Been spending most our lives living in the Cheshire countryside
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Post by SheriffFatman on Feb 15, 2018 12:45:14 GMT 1
For Christmas I received as a gift a 3 month voucher for Apple Music. I decided this needed to be the catalyst for me changing from downloads to streaming, I'm no luddite and I recognise it had to happen some time. Articles predicting the complete demise of iTunes made me think I'd better got on with it, and with the offer of a 3 month trial on top of my 3 month gift I had 6 months to get the hang of it before committing my own cash. I just wondered who else has made the change and what they think of it? I have had loads of problems which I'm working my way through, it all seems a bit of a nightmare to be honest, for the first time in my life I've started to feel like an old person who struggles to cope with new technology. The first shock was the demise of my iPods. I have, in the past, always downloaded music on iTunes using my laptop or my iPhone. I mostly listened to it through an iPod mini plugged into the USB in my car, an iPod Nano on a docking station in the kitchen, or via Bluetooth from my phone through a Sonos speaker in the living room. I synced all devices with my computer every couple of weeks. This has to come to an end - Apple Music files cannot be copied to iPods. This is because Apple want to be able to remove anything you've downloaded if you cancel your subscription, but as iPods are not online they couldn't do it. OK, so, I'll just have to live with that. I can Bluetooth my phone to my car, the sound quality isn't as good but if I really want I could plug it in just like my iPod was. I guess I just need to invest in a second Sonos speaker for the kitchen and scrap my docking station. Right, next problem. Apple says you can download up to 100,000 tracks for free to listen to offline, which is basically the same as saying I can download whatever I want because I only own about 5,000 tracks in total. What I didn't realise is that you actually start from zero - it removes all of the music you had in your iTunes and replaces it with streaming links, so you initially don't have any music on your phone. I just find this incredible, especially as much of the music I owned was from CDs which I uploaded using my laptop, now it's like I no longer own music which I've handed over cash for in a shop! I do of course, it's all on CDs in the loft, but I put them up there specifically because I had the music on my phone anyway. So, while I intended to listen to my music mostly offline, now I have hardly any I can hear. It does feel a lot like Apple have stolen it from me. I don't understand how to get it all back - do I actually have to go through my playlists and opt to download the tracks one at a time? I've started this but it's going to take me months. Then there's the issue of tracks it doesn't recognise. It seems to have one of three different approaches to this - It leaves it completely alone, which I like
- It replaces it with a slightly different recording or a remix, which is incredibly annoying. How on earth do I get the right versions back?
- It simply carries a message saying "This item cannot be played". As I mostly listen to my playlists on shuffle I have no idea how many of these there are, it just skips passed them. There's songs I might never hear again!
All in all, I'm not an entirely satisfied customer. Did they actually do any market research to establish how people listen to music and what the customers want, or did they just decide to force them to do it how they wanted? I have thought of loads of playlists I can create with tracks that I might not have been willing to fork out 99p for, so maybe I'll get the hang of it and when the 6 months is up I'll be happy. For now though it feel like my music consumption, pretty much the second most important thing in my life after my family, has been severely disrupted and is no longer really in my control.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Feb 15, 2018 13:06:32 GMT 1
Your first mistake was using Apple for anything after decades of overcharging for sub standard products that lock you into their product range, your second mistake was thinking Apple want you to have control of your music, they don't, they never have, (my Cowon mp3 player, you simply plug it in to your pc and drag and drop mp3s onto it, it takes seconds and they are stored on there for life as an mp3, no restrictions) and thirdly there is a world outside Apple that allows you to do all the things you want to do for example Spotify allows you to import your own mp3's, it picks them up directly from your music folder on your pc, I imported 10'000 songs in an hour and it did it all by itself, I didn't even need to be there, then once they are on your Spotify they automatically appear on your phone instantly (even your own personal songs that don't exist on Spotify)
I understand your tied into Apple owning, several thousands of pounds worth of music and products, they wont allow you to get out easy, there isn't really any solution I can give that doesn't involve ditching Apple I'm afraid other than have you tried googling the main gripes to see if there is a work around? for example on Spotify they did stop some features so I rolled back to an older version which is a lot more user friendly regarding your own collection of mp3s
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 15, 2018 13:07:35 GMT 1
I'm afraid these are all reasons why I don't use Apple Music, it totally messed with my owned music, changed the titles, copied in the wrong tracks and its so bad I still haven't uncovered all the damage that experiment did. Luckily all my music is backed up to Amazon Cloud and an external harddrive so I can eventually replace any issues I find. Backups are your friend!
I know its no help to you but Spotify works on modern iPods and all phones just about, it does not interfere with your own music, I have 48000 tracks of my own and I can add any of these that Spotify does not have to their playlists. Ok I can only have 3000 Spotify tracks offline at one time per device but again I can use my own tracks to make up the diference if I'm desperate.
I wish I could help you with Apple Music but it is really one big mess, can't understand why it is now the most popular streaming service in the US.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2018 13:14:23 GMT 1
Apple Music my fav work well for me with have iPhone iPad Mac plus can own music to could Spotify rubbish as can not add own music
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,515
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 15, 2018 13:16:27 GMT 1
Apple Music my fav work well for me with have iPhone iPad Mac plus can own music to could Spotify rubbish as can not add own music you can I do it every day, maybe its the Mac software but works fine on PC
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2018 13:17:45 GMT 1
With I tunes click own album then select all tracks right click on add I cloud then come though to mobile Device
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2018 13:19:01 GMT 1
Apple Music my fav work well for me with have iPhone iPad Mac plus can own music to could Spotify rubbish as can not add own music you can I do it every day, maybe its the Mac software but works fine on PC Yes lot easy Apple Music if got Mac Spotify more for those windows and android
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Post by Earl Purple on Feb 15, 2018 15:23:41 GMT 1
Up until the end of 2006 I mostly bought CDs and ripped them into mp3s
From 2007 until 2012 I was downloading, using multiple sources but rarely iTunes. I did use them sometimes but they were never my primary source. In the first 1-2 years I was burning onto CDs then ripping back to remove DRM and have mp3s, then by the end of 2008 they had removed DRM.
I use iTunes now only as a source of reference to look up the genre as they have genres tagged for all the music I get and that proves to be useful. If that goes away it will make my playlist cnstruction nearly impossible again. I had to put a change in when they started capping the number of searches you could make to 20 a minute.
In 2012 I was already using Spotify but they gave you purchase options and they had the best offer on it as you could get packages and for £50 I could buy 100 tracks. When that finished I stopped purchasing altogether. I do however have a means to ensure all the songs that reach my chart get backed up in case they are removed from Spotify. There are always a few that are.
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borneoman
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love is tough, when enough is not enough
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Post by borneoman on Feb 15, 2018 15:32:46 GMT 1
not true at all, spotify works the same for mac as pc spotify automatically sees everything that it's on my itunes, and i got a mac
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2018 18:01:21 GMT 1
not true at all, spotify works the same for mac as pc spotify automatically sees everything that it's on my itunes, and i got a mac When put under local file put song over does have album just in track listing Apple Music is better when import on Music keep album. Spotify does not load rubbish
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Post by Mic1812 on Feb 15, 2018 18:29:40 GMT 1
Back up hardrives are the best. You can keep your mp3s forever then and play whatever you want when you want.
I converted all my cds into mp3 and then backed them all up on DVD discs.
I aint gona let Apple tell me how i play my music. I paid for it so its mine.
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Hupin
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*On day release*
The French Tickler
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Post by Hupin on Feb 15, 2018 21:00:02 GMT 1
I use Spotify and have the premium account to avoid adverts and allow me to download to listen when offline. Though I do still buy and listen to cds
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Post by Laurence on Feb 15, 2018 21:08:58 GMT 1
I’ve never got into downloading but have made the change from CDs to Spotify with no regrets. I of course use Premium for the absence of ads.
Very occasionally if a track isn’t on Spotify I use YouTube.
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Post by -Big Dan- on Feb 18, 2018 16:56:13 GMT 1
I do mainly use streaming (Google Play in my case) for music nowadays, but I can't see the day when I stop buying CDs altogether, at least not for my favourite artists.
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SheriffFatman
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Been spending most our lives living in the Cheshire countryside
Posts: 10,930
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Post by SheriffFatman on Mar 19, 2018 18:27:38 GMT 1
Thanks for all the opinions, it’s interesting to read other people’s experiences.
I’m not as tied in with Apple as everyone suggests. My iPods will no longer be any use whatever streaming service I use - Apple won’t let track’s downloaded from Apple Music onto any hardware which is not online, so disappointingly they’re not compatible with any streaming service. That just leaves my iPhone, which supports Spotify if I choose to use it.
The latest developments include an e-mail from Apple stating iTunes will no longer be compatible with my laptop even though it’s only 3 years old; since getting Apple Music the music ap on my iPhone keeps crashing; the download all button on my playlists doesn’t work so I have discovered the only way to listen to tracks offline is to download them one at a time; and lots of my songs have been turned into different versions.
Driving down the motorway the other day, after hearing a live version of You Really Got Me by The Kinks which sounded like it was recorded in a bucket, followed by a rubbish extended mix of Manchild by Nenah Cherry, I made a decision. I’ve persevered with this sh*te for as long as I can but enough is enough. When my free trial and gift card are over, in June, I’m switching to Spotify. It’s a pretty crap state of affairs though when switching from one system to another is so convoluted that I eventually gave up even though the software for both is designed by the same company.
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Post by Mic1812 on Mar 20, 2018 11:01:57 GMT 1
If you want some mp3s of the tunes you lost just give me a pm SheriffFatman
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SheriffFatman
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Been spending most our lives living in the Cheshire countryside
Posts: 10,930
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Post by SheriffFatman on Mar 20, 2018 12:22:15 GMT 1
If you want some mp3s of the tunes you lost just give me a pm SheriffFatman Thanks Mick, you're very kind! The thing is, I haven't really lost any music, it's still all on my laptop, but that's no help because in future the only way of listening to music will be via my phone. If Apple Music doesn't recognise a track at all it seems to leave it alone, the problem is where it does recognise it but it only has a different version. Then it switches the one on my phone to the different version and there seems to be nothing I can do about it
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Post by greendemon on Mar 20, 2018 12:52:05 GMT 1
I am a dinosaur by most people's standards. I don't use streaming services and never even really got on board with downloading either. Most of music is ripped from CD with the occasional download and listened to on my MP3 player. For everything else there's YouTube. Works for me but if you listen to loads of stuff I can definitely see the appeal of a Spotify subscription. I buy music so rarely that it's not really worth it!
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 20, 2018 13:15:39 GMT 1
What's the issue with your laptop I don't get that is it because it's Windows 7 or an old Apple OS.
There are still ways to upgrade to Windows 10 for free if that's the issue.
In fact just looked can't find anything about this. Are you sure about this? My laptop is 5 years old and it can still use it.
I have searched and any potato laptop can run iTunes and Apple Music for the foreseeable future even if they are still on Windows XP. ITunes does have a scary minumum spec but that is more about the video side of the service rather than music.
What you want can still be done it will just take a bit of work. You need to fix your own music's tags to match tracks that are on Itunes to make sure you don't get bad matches.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 20, 2018 13:30:08 GMT 1
I am a dinosaur by most people's standards. I don't use streaming services and never even really got on board with downloading either. Most of music is ripped from CD with the occasional download and listened to on my MP3 player. For everything else there's YouTube. Works for me but if you listen to loads of stuff I can definitely see the appeal of a Spotify subscription. I buy music so rarely that it's not really worth it! theretro.co.uk/mystery-cassette-tape-monthly-subscription/Perfect birthday gift for you then
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