Open letter to Apple - Apple Music

[Marli]

HI,

I am just writing to outline my disgust in the slow destruction to the music expirience on Apple devices. Apple music was the last nail in the coffin.

I thought I would try the free Apple music period, but since doing so I can't copy any of my previous music to my device, I have to jump through all these hoops of turning settings on and off, just to do what an MP3 player could do in the 90s. Copy a track to the device. Some I already owned, some I bought on iTunes.

Then when you do work out that you have to turn off these settings, the device refuses to turn them back on.

Then the music app its self, what a load of rubbish. Can I have the original music app please. At least that worked.

I have bought my daughter an iPad for Xmas, but I am considering taking it back. What a disappointment it would be for her to have to go through this, just to listed to a few tracks on Xmas day.

Geez Apple. Its easier to pirate the music rather than try and use your system.

Im really trying to like it, but I have nearly given up.. All I want to do it listen to my music..

 

[Julien]

You thread should be titled "Open Letter to MacRumors - Apple Music" since this is NOT Apple.

 

[BradWould]

I have a mixture of my own ripped music, iTunes music, and Apple Music streaming.The only setting I leave turned of is iCloud music library. Works fine for me. I don't use it 24 hours a day but whenever I need it it's there and it works.

Edit: I originally thought I had Apple Music saved for offline listening with iCloud music library turned OFF. I was mistaken.

 

[S.B.G]

I wasn't very impressed with the Apple Music experience during the trial period. Plus remembering what happened to my iTunes library after iTunes Match messed it all up, I've opted to subscribe to Spotify and haven't looked back.

 

[whsbuss]

Why do we still have these threads? To each his/her own. If you like non-AM that's fine. Apple not only doesn't read these, but would care less.

 

[navaira]

I have a mixture of my own ripped music, iTunes music, and Apple Music streaming. I have playlists saved for offline listening mixed with my own music playlists. The only setting I leave turned of is iCloud music library. Works fine for me. I don't use it 24 hours a day but whenever I need it it's there and it works.

Wait. How did you save AM stuff offline with iCloud switched off?

 

[chabig]

Wait. How did you save AM stuff offline with iCloud switched off?

Apple Music streams Apple's iTunes library of music to you. You don't own those songs. iCloud music library stores/matches your owned music on Apple's servers for streaming. They employ different user rights. In one case you license the music. In the other, you 'own' the music.

 

[JackieInCo]

I wasn't very impressed with the Apple Music experience during the trial period. Plus remembering what happened to my iTunes library after iTunes Match messed it all up, I've opted to subscribe to Spotify and haven't looked back.

I have had iTunes Match almost since the beginning and I think I'm not resubscribing in February. I had to spend about three hours going through all 13,000 songs in my library to remove all the duplicates that had somehow downloaded over and over again over the past year. Some songs had 10+ copies downloaded. Some albums got mixed in with others and it was the biggest mess I have ever seen. Artwork was gone or had other albums artwork also.

After hearing what others have been through with Apple Music, I wasn't even interested in trying it out.

 

[S.B.G]

I have had iTunes Match almost since the beginning and I think I'm not resubscribing in February. I had to spend about three hours going through all 13,000 songs in my library to remove all the duplicates that had somehow downloaded over and over again over the past year. Some songs had 10+ copies downloaded. Some albums got mixed in with others and it was the biggest mess I have ever seen. Artwork was gone or had other albums artwork also.

After hearing what others have been through with Apple Music, I wasn't even interested in trying it out.

Yep, I went through the same thing and when Apple Music asked me to do something (I forget what it was now) with my local iTunes library, I declined it. I wasn't risking going through the mess again. From what I saw, some people did get their libraries messed up by Apple Music too.

 

[navaira]

Apple Music streams Apple's iTunes library of music to you. You don't own those songs. iCloud music library stores/matches your owned music on Apple's servers for streaming. They employ different user rights. In one case you license the music. In the other, you 'own' the music.

I know, but the OP said:

I have a mixture of my own ripped music, iTunes music, and Apple Music streaming. I have playlists saved for offline listening mixed with my own music playlists.

So I would like to know how to save playlists offline with iCloud off. Or perhaps it's just not phrased very well and OP means that he has his own purchased music to listen to offline (but then why does it say "playlists for offline listening mixed with my own"...?)

 

[BradWould]

I know, but the OP said:



So I would like to know how to save playlists offline with iCloud off. Or perhaps it's just not phrased very well and OP means that he has his own purchased music to listen to offline (but then why does it say "playlists for offline listening mixed with my own"...?)

I'm not the OP but it was my post you quoted. Annnnnnnd you are 100% correct. I am on my second trial (wife's family trial) and I do not have any Apple Music songs saved for offline listening. It was my first trial with iCloud music on that I did. I will edit my original post. Thank you.

 

[Tech198]

Wait. How did you save AM stuff offline with iCloud switched off?

I'd like to know the answer to this one as well.

I don't really listen much iOS but on Mac, Apple music has been good.... no buffering at all.. This was compared last few months. I'm still running iTunes 12.2.1, but still streams just as good.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Uggh. See its threads like this that are stopping me from signing up to Apple Music. I want to watch the Taylor swift concert but I'm afraid that it will mess up my music library. I don't like streaming music I like having my music stored locally on my iPhone. Is it possible to just have Apple Music activated on my iPads but not activate it on my iPhone or Mac so that I can preserve my library?

 

[navaira]

You will like the Apple Music front page then!

You can sign for Apple Music free trial and NOT SWITCH THE ICLOUD ON. Then you can stream to your heart's content and your library will be untouched. You won't be able to download anything for offline listening. I repeat, do not switch iCloud on.

 

[Shanghaichica]

You will like the Apple Music front page then!

You can sign for Apple Music free trial and NOT SWITCH THE ICLOUD ON. Then you can stream to your heart's content and your library will be untouched. You won't be able to download anything for offline listening. I repeat, do not switch iCloud on.

Thank you. I will try this.

 

[navaira]

I also recommend you make a backup of your iTunes folder first. Just in case. You can never be too safe with Apple Music.

 

[Internaut]

My solution was to simply leave. Apple launched a half baked product into a market place of good alternatives. I'm currently with Spotify, but Google might tempt me over when I buy the 6P* in the new year.

* Comes with three months Google Music, which also now has a family plan**.
** Which I'm told is *straightforward* to get working.

 

[riverfreak]

Apple Music streams Apple's iTunes library of music to you. You don't own those songs. iCloud music library stores/matches your owned music on Apple's servers for streaming. They employ different user rights. In one case you license the music. In the other, you 'own' the music.

The essence of the problem -- as I see it -- is that Apple conflates these two things.

I have a song that I own. I ripped it from a CD that I purchased.

iCloud Music Library found it in Apple Music. Now, the song in my Library has an iCloud Status of "Apple Music" and a location of "iCloud". There is no identifying data that shows its actually my track, and not one in the Apple Music library that I have saved to My Music.

I attached two example songs, one the song in question, the other a song I saved to My Music. Please tell me how content that I have from my collection, that I own and have stored on my local storage, is distinguishable in the Apple Music world?

Edit: don't get me wrong. There is a lot to love about AM especially to get all the bits and pieces working. Being able to have my music collection seamlessly alongside the entirety of the AM collection, organized with MY metadata and available across my devices would be great. There are just a few scary details about the implementation.

I'm sure for kids growing up with streaming who never amassed their own collection, they don't/won't care about these nuances. But those of us sad saps who spent all our money on music are still holding on.

 

[riverfreak]

Sorry if I am spamming this thread. I just downloaded the Brian Eno track listed above. Tracks actually download to an entirely new location on HD - they original files are untouched. That itself is fairly cool as I may be able to trash my whole library and simply download the main things I really want to listen to.

The status is still Apple Music, AAC audio file.

I downloaded the other track Apple Music only track. It also has an "Apple Music" iCloud status, and is unprotected AAC. In other words, completely indistinguishable. Not sure what happens to these songs if I a logged out

Wow! I just looked on the file system. All the tracks - regardless of the source -- download as protected mpeg-4! Might not want to trash your original collection after all. What a mess.

 

[JackieInCo]

Wow! I just looked on the file system. All the tracks - regardless of the source -- download as protected mpeg-4! Might not want to trash your original collection after all. What a mess.

And this is the #1 reason that I have not tried AM to date. I worked many hours to get my 13,000+ tracks reorganized after the mess that is iTunes Match. Not willing to trust Apple again.

 

[whsbuss]

As had been mentioned in many-a-thread, using AM should start with a brand-new library. ALWAYS save your original stuff and NEVER include it when you start.

 

[riverfreak]

As had been mentioned in many-a-thread, using AM should start with a brand-new library. ALWAYS save your original stuff and NEVER include it when you start.

Oh, I have everything backed up alright.

What does starting with a new library and none of your actual content in it accomplish? Is the strategy to enable iCloud Music Library then add your own content piecemeal?

 

[whsbuss]

Oh, I have everything backed up alright.

What does starting with a new library and none of your actual content in it accomplish? Is the strategy to enable iCloud Music Library then add your own content piecemeal?

Yes its what I did.