Has Anyone replaced their music library files with Apple Music files

[swandy]

I am curious if people have taken the opportunity to replace the files in their own music libraries with the ones from Apple Music? Either to save hard drive space or to get a newer version of some particular album. (After making a backup of your original files of course.)

I thought about doing this - especially with the large number of my live albums that were mis-matched by iCloud Music Library. My only "concern" would be those times when the streaming from Apple Music is in one of it's "slow periods", which fortunately I have not experienced a lot of.

 

[Tech198]

Yep.. 99% of my stuff is Apple music, but i'm making these my too..

That way i've got high quality copies local use just in case Apple mucks up in the cloud.

I downloaded 8000 tracks straight over a few days and nights, and not one single hiccup, no iTunes failed to download error or anything, so i'm impressed, they've fixed up a few issues.

Always pays to have it local too.. for that very reason... You wish to listen to x song but u can't due to server issues, slow streaming etc... At least u can listen to the local copy/offline if u choose to go that route.

 

[riverfreak]

Yep.. 99% of my stuff is Apple music, but i'm making these my too..

That way i've got high quality copies local use just in case Apple mucks up in the cloud.

I downloaded 8000 tracks straight over a few days and nights, and not one single hiccup, no iTunes failed to download error or anything, so i'm impressed, they've fixed up a few issues.

Always pays to have it local too.. for that very reason... You wish to listen to x song but u can't due to server issues, slow streaming etc... At least u can listen to the local copy/offline if u choose to go that route.

From my experience, you aren't really "replacing" your songs when you download them from Apple Music. What you get is ANOTHER copy of the file in a different location, but as a protected AAC. These are stored in your ~/Music/iTunes Media/Apple Music (or wherever your Music directory is located in "Apple Music".

Thus to "replace" you really have to delete all of your own files in Music/iTunes Media/Music, then download all the Apple Music files you want. Again, these don't really seem to be a replacement, however, since you would not be able to play these tracks on non-authorized devices.

 

[whsbuss]

Yep.. 99% of my stuff is Apple music, but i'm making these my too..

That way i've got high quality copies local use just in case Apple mucks up in the cloud.

I downloaded 8000 tracks straight over a few days and nights, and not one single hiccup, no iTunes failed to download error or anything, so i'm impressed, they've fixed up a few issues.

Always pays to have it local too.. for that very reason... You wish to listen to x song but u can't due to server issues, slow streaming etc... At least u can listen to the local copy/offline if u choose to go that route.

Over 95% is AM for me. Those that AM does not have I have added via iTunes. Only download what I want offline. Works perfectly.

 

[riverfreak]

Over 95% is AM for me. Those that AM does not have I have added via iTunes. Only download what I want offline. Works perfectly.

Sorry, I think we are having essentially the same conversation on different threads.

1. Ok, so pick some random song of yours that Apple Music has.

2. Download it to, say, your computer, for offline listening (or, as the OP has asked, to replace the original).

3. I just did this and it does NOT replace the original file, but instead downloads a new copy and in a protected format no less.

4. The reference to that file will point to the new location.

The point is that even once you have gone through the matching and uploading process, you CANNOT delete your local library and expect to simply replace it if/when you need to. If you trash your library, you are locked in to protected audio files.

I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum, I simply haven't had time to experiment. So sorry if I'm rehashing.

 

[whsbuss]

Sorry, I think we are having essentially the same conversation on different threads.

1. Ok, so pick some random song of yours that Apple Music has.

2. Download it to, say, your computer, for offline listening (or, as the OP has asked, to replace the original).

3. I just did this and it does NOT replace the original file, but instead downloads a new copy and in a protected format no less.

4. The reference to that file will point to the new location.

The point is that even once you have gone through the matching and uploading process, you CANNOT delete your local library and expect to simply replace it if/when you need to. If you trash your library, you are locked in to protected audio files.

I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum, I simply haven't had time to experiment. So sorry if I'm rehashing.

Yes that's exactly how it works for me. If it replaced the original, then when you cancel AM, it would have removed it and your original.

 

[riverfreak]

Okay that's sensible.

It does mean that if you want to PLAY from local copies (because of say, spotty or capped Internet) that you need at least two times the size of your library in storage space (assuming that you keep your original library around). It's too bad iTunes can't simply reference your original file but I understand the design decision.