M1 Mac mini music server - how much SSD?

[DS-21]

I'm planning to get a new M1 Mac mini to replace a 2014 i5 Mac mini, that in turn is going to replace a Time Capsule as network storage. I'm settled on 16GB RAM, but not sure how much SSD I need on the M1 Mac mini

I use this computer for four primary tasks: hold our music library, audio system calibration, audio measurement, and some streaming of content that requires "local" (VPN) IP address. I have an MBP that's the daily driver. There are very few aftermarket applications stored on the Mac mini. For reference, the Applications folder is just 4.2GB, The M1 mini will sit on one of those Mac mini-shaped USB-C docs with a drive slot and a 2TB (maybe 4TB later on) SSD that I will use to hold the music library and Onedrive sync folder.

The current Mac mini has a 1TB HDD that basically isn't used, with macOS/apps/and files on a Lacie external 2TB Thunderbolt 2 SSD.

The system will be backed up using Time Machine.

Given that the bandwidth/speed demands for serving music are met by USB-C, is there an advantage in this specific use case to the 2TB M1 Mac mini vs. the 512 or even 256? Obvious the smaller SSD ones are much cheaper, and there's zero chance of this computer being anything but the media Mac.

 

[glenthompson]

For your use case I don’t think it makes any difference on the SSD size. Better to spend the money on the external storage.

 

[bsamcash]

For your use case I don’t think it makes any difference on the SSD size. Better to spend the money on the external storage.

This. If it’s going to be over a network, you won’t benefit from a larger SSD. Just get a cheap external.

 

[Chancha]

The only tangible advantage of storing audio files in the internal SSD is the instant seek time vs anything external, especially 3.5" HDD RAID arrays. Depending on your music server software, storing music on external spinning disks would mean delays for a song to start when waiting for the disks to spin from rest state. Sometimes if your capacity is large enough that the songs are scattered enough that even skipping tracks would have delays, unless your software has some pre-load mechanism.

Another concern is primarily with HiFi folks; sometimes they consider any extra component a potential source of electric noise, so that a large internal SSD is ideal if someone wants to minimize such.

 

[velocityg4]

I'd just let the 2014 continue it's role as your music server and add the role of backup server. Assuming your music software has some remote control function you can operate from your new Mac Mini. Which I assume it does. So, you can control it from an iPhone/iPad. Then use the M1 for your regular desktop uses.

Another option is to have the 2014 mini act as the file server for storing all your music too. As I see no reason why you'd need to store the music locally. When a network can easily handle audio streams. I've had my music networked since iTunes 1 or 2 on Mac OS 9.

If it's something like Sonos. It doesn't really matter where your music is stored. Just that it is on the network and accessible.

 

[DS-21]

The only tangible advantage of storing audio files in the internal SSD is the instant seek time vs anything external, especially 3.5" HDD RAID arrays....Another concern is primarily with HiFi folks; sometimes they consider any extra component a potential source of electric noise, so that a large internal SSD is ideal if someone wants to minimize such.

The external drive here storing music would be an SSD connected over USB-C and powered by the Mac mini. Hagbis is I think the dock brand.

I'd just let the 2014 continue it's role as your music server and add the role of backup server. Assuming your music software has some remote control function you can operate from your new Mac Mini. Which I assume it does. So, you can control it from an iPhone/iPad. Then use the M1 for your regular desktop uses.

The main reason I'm considering the M1 mini is because the OWC Thunderbay Mini external drive I bought for Time Machine for all of our Macs at home has loud fans. So I'm going to remotely locate the 2014 mini with the Thunderbay. However, the media computer needs to be in the media room, because it connects to my pre-pro over HDMI (7.1-channel audio+video) and USB (2-channel audio), and I also a computer with USB port in the room for the pre-pro calibration software.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I'm planning to get a new M1 Mac mini to replace a 2014 i5 Mac mini, that in turn is going to replace a Time Capsule as network storage. I'm settled on 16GB RAM, but not sure how much SSD I need on the M1 Mac mini

I use this computer for four primary tasks: hold our music library, audio system calibration, audio measurement, and some streaming of content that requires "local" (VPN) IP address. I have an MBP that's the daily driver. There are very few aftermarket applications stored on the Mac mini. For reference, the Applications folder is just 4.2GB, The M1 mini will sit on one of those Mac mini-shaped USB-C docs with a drive slot and a 2TB (maybe 4TB later on) SSD that I will use to hold the music library and Onedrive sync folder.

The current Mac mini has a 1TB HDD that basically isn't used, with macOS/apps/and files on a Lacie external 2TB Thunderbolt 2 SSD.

The system will be backed up using Time Machine.

Given that the bandwidth/speed demands for serving music are met by USB-C, is there an advantage in this specific use case to the 2TB M1 Mac mini vs. the 512 or even 256? Obvious the smaller SSD ones are much cheaper, and there's zero chance of this computer being anything but the media Mac.

Supposedly, as far as M1 Macs go, the larger the SSD, the faster the SSD. But for your uses that probably doesn't matter. If you're just using it as a server, and largely (or entirely) serving up things from an external drive it probably doesn't matter how large the internal drive is and (and I never recommend this in most standard use cases) you could probably be fine with the base 8GB of RAM. That being said, you could also save a good $100-200 by doing this with a Windows or Linux box instead.