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Ditching Apple Music because I’m old

J

JamesMay82

macrumors 68000
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Oct 12, 2009
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I’m ditching Apple Music because I don’t listen to enough new music to justify the cost.

I’m going back to my original iTunes library which is cd rips and iTunes Store purchases. Is it possible to stream this music to my home pods and sonos? Will the home pod pick up the library with Siri or can i only AirPlay from my laptop?
 
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You can AirPlay from your laptop. iTunes Store purchases, you should be able to stream those to your HomePods (because they're in the cloud).

For the CD rips, you'd have to sign up to iTunes Match or Apple Music again, so your files can be put into your iCloud Music Library (by matching your music against the Apple Music catalogue or uploading your files if there are no matches available).
 
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kitKAC said:
You can AirPlay from your laptop. iTunes Store purchases, you should be able to stream those to your HomePods (because they're in the cloud).

For the CD rips, you'd have to sign up to iTunes Match or Apple Music again, so your files can be put into your iCloud Music Library (by matching your music against the Apple Music catalogue or uploading your files if there are no matches available).
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Thanks - I’ll check out match again. It use to be really bad when it first came out. Although with Apple Music i did import
Some soundtracks I had and Garth brooks CDs and it did seem to play it okay so I’m guessing its much better and has most of the bugs worked out
 
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entropyfl said:
I’m ditching Apple Music because I don’t listen to enough new music to justify the cost.

I’m going back to my original iTunes library which is cd rips and iTunes Store purchases. Is it possible to stream this music to my home pods and sonos? Will the home pod pick up the library with Siri or can i only AirPlay from my laptop?
Click to expand...
I'm a "huge mp3 library" person also. I can stream to my soundbar from my iPhone via Bluetooth. Maybe do that with your Mac if it's close enough?
 
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Ha!!! what a Great question Entopy. I am old too...My OG iTunes library sits atop my 07 iMac in iTunes. I am an Apple Music subscriber NOT because of any new music but primarily my children & grands. KitKat helped a lot with that answer. It all is getting SO VERY confusing. I did notice by the way that the only files in my OG library that were ALAC lossless were those 500 or so I ripped into the iMac w the highest settings. The rest of them (purchases / match & those "added to my music library" are all AAC. I have no idea what this means in light of the fact Apple had introduced higher resolution music files than the very good quality files they had been delivering for many years now....
 
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MisterSavage said:
I'm a "huge mp3 library" person also. I can stream to my soundbar from my iPhone via Bluetooth. Maybe do that with your Mac if it's close enough?
Click to expand...
Your message is well timed. I’m just setting it up with my sonos playbar which doesn’t have AirPlay and it looks like I can’t stream any of the music from my phone. I have to have a music streaming service! Or use their incredibly outdated Mac app! I can’t believe it! I feeing like I’ve become my parents and I’m getting frustrated that things don’t work like they use to! 😂
 
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LCC0256 said:
Ha!!! what a Great question Entopy. I am old too...My OG iTunes library sits atop my 07 iMac in iTunes. I am an Apple Music subscriber NOT because of any new music but primarily my children & grands. KitKat helped a lot with that answer. It all is getting SO VERY confusing. I did notice by the way that the only files in my OG library that were ALAC lossless were those 500 or so I ripped into the iMac w the highest settings. The rest of them (purchases / match & those "added to my music library" are all AAC. I have no idea what this means in light of the fact Apple had introduced higher resolution music files than the very good quality files they had been delivering for many years now....
Click to expand...
Yes with regards to sounds quality I use to be able to tell the difference but I must admit I can’t tell anymore when it’s playing through either headphones or max speakers! Shall we just assume it’s because the tech has gotten better and it’s not our ears failing ha
 
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entropyfl said:
Your message is well timed. I’m just setting it up with my sonos playbar which doesn’t have AirPlay and it looks like I can’t stream any of the music from my phone. I have to have a music streaming service! Or use their incredibly outdated Mac app! I can’t believe it! I feeing like I’ve become my parents and I’m getting frustrated that things don’t work like they use to! 😂
Click to expand...
But what about Bluetooth? Is that supported?
 
MisterSavage said:
But what about Bluetooth? Is that supported?
Click to expand...
No it doesn’t seem to work via Bluetooth. I think they’ve updated their apps to just work with the airplay and their new generation of airplay speakers. Mine is the 1st gen play bar which is coming up 10 years old now. It use to just play the music off my phone and now it only gives the option of playing from my iTunes file off a computer. I don’t want to do the computer method only because its upstairs and not always switched on.

i can airplay them to my Apple TV which plays to Sonos TV 5.1 system and then i can share it to the Sonos play 5 in kitchen but the negative with that is the person in the living room would then have to listen to my music if i was listening in the kitchen..
 
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Spotify free plus my local iTunes library is all I need. My interest in new music kinda stopped after 2014.
 
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entropyfl said:
I’m ditching Apple Music because I don’t listen to enough new music to justify the cost.

I’m going back to my original iTunes library which is cd rips and iTunes Store purchases. Is it possible to stream this music to my home pods and sonos? Will the home pod pick up the library with Siri or can i only AirPlay from my laptop?
Click to expand...
I’ve finally given in and got Apple Music. Stopped ripping CDs and deleted my iTunes library entirely. I can now play whatever I want on any Apple device and control it from any of them too. HomePods, iPhones, Apple TV, iPads and in the car too.

My understanding is that you won’t be able to stream other than from devices that have access to your iTunes library if you switch back. I tried iTunes Match too - it feels like it’s a legacy service and I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple pull the plug on it. Also you’re paying an annual fee for it.
 
I have a NAS with my music collection (old ripped CDs) on. That can be added as a music library in the sonos app. I don’t know if you can put iTunes Store purchases there without a Mac/PC involved
 
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Mr. Dee said:
Spotify free plus my local iTunes library is all I need. My interest in new music kinda stopped after 2014.
Click to expand...
Yeah I’m pretty much the same year, free Spotify is prob not a bad idea as it will give me the option to listen to some new music. I do seem to like a couple of new albums a year but mostly it’s discovering old music that I maybe here in movie soundtracks.. I’ve recently become obsessed with classic rock and before that was northern soul and lots of Luther vandross
 
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philstubbington said:
I’ve finally given in and got Apple Music. Stopped ripping CDs and deleted my iTunes library entirely. I can now play whatever I want on any Apple device and control it from any of them too. HomePods, iPhones, Apple TV, iPads and in the car too.

My understanding is that you won’t be able to stream other than from devices that have access to your iTunes library if you switch back. I tried iTunes Match too - it feels like it’s a legacy service and I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple pull the plug on it. Also you’re paying an annual fee for it.
Click to expand...

Wow you’re brave! Did you not feel like it’s a waste to delete? I’ve probably spent thousands on CDs in my lifetime plus with Apple Music I was just listening to the same stuff I owned but paying for the privilege.

I agree about iTunes Match potentially being switched off. I can’t even find the option to buy it on my iPhone so I’m guessing it’s Mac only
 
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This made me think about how little I use my Apple Music sub and I just canceled it and opted for YouTube premium instead, which I use significantly more. Besides instead of ad blocking and the creator not getting any cent, at least YouTube pays them with my YouTube Premium view.
 
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Is the an Apple Family that you can join? I have the top tier Apple One subscription and have parents and children on the plan. I’m hoping my children will return the favour and pay for mine one day!
 
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Apple Music is to this day a horrible mess if you have any interest in (also) maintaining your own library.

Forget Apple Music consistently retaining your tags, or your versions of albums. They’ll happily swap out remasters or rereleases or studio <-> live whenever they want.

I really think Apple has just given up and is waiting for the old codgers who maintain their own library to die off.

As for streaming to old Sonos devices, buy a cheap NAS device. Load up your music there. Stick it on your network.
 
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Christoffee said:
Is the an Apple Family that you can join? I have the top tier Apple One subscription and have parents and children on the plan. I’m hoping my children will return the favour and pay for mine one day!
Click to expand...
we did have one which we all shared but because none of us really listen to much new stuff its just tough to justify. We could just buy the individual tracks of the few songs we like and still be better off over the subscription.

Marbles1 said:
Hmm. I rarely listen to new releases, but I keep the Apple Music due to being able to discover _old music_. There are millions of songs I've never heard form artists in the 80s, 70s, 60s, 50s etc.
Click to expand...

Yes that is only thing I was using it for to be honest. I think I can prob just use you tube for that and then buy what I like.. I'm currently obsessed with Dr Hook who I'd never really listened to before.
 
entropyfl said:
I’m ditching Apple Music because I don’t listen to enough new music to justify the cost.

I’m going back to my original iTunes library which is cd rips and iTunes Store purchases. Is it possible to stream this music to my home pods and sonos? Will the home pod pick up the library with Siri or can i only AirPlay from my laptop?
Click to expand...
Hallelujah!
I turned off my free 6 month subscription after 6 days of annoying tone-deaf crap music tried to push on me.
during that brief time, I even asked that to play "supper's ready" and that gave me a receipt for Hungarian goulash!
 
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