Other Still using iPhone as an MP3 player?

[OneBar]

Not primarily anymore. I only listen to the music on my phone when I don't have cell service anymore. I do still have my actual Phillips MP3 player from like 2006 that I use time to time. It's only 4 Gb so it doesn't store a whole lot but it's enough for driving to work and back.

 

[gelno]

We use iTunes Match to store our music and sync across all devices. Not huge music listeners, and it wrks great for our needs. Don't subscribe/listen to any streaming services.

I’m also using iTunes Match and pray Apple never ends that service.

 

[AirJordanFan93]

This kind of saves me having to make a thread so I'll ask here

What would be the better choice as a refurb device to be an iPod replacement the SE 2 or iPhone 11, I currently have the iPod Touch 7th gen but the battery life is horrible and want something with better battery life. This is only going to be used as a secondary device and not a main phone so overall performance isn't really a massive factor.

 

[JMStearnsX2]

I refurbished my 5th gen iPod video (the one with the good DAC) by replacing the battery and drive. The hard drive is now a 128GB CF card, works amazing! And is 4x the space it came with.

 

[Kingcoherent]

Yes. And I've also noticed that the iOS music app has been getting worse and worse with every release.

My current (old) phone has too little space for my MP3 collection, and doesn't play FLACs out of the box. I doubt they'd every add this ability (the stores I buy from give dual download options - I'm forced to stick with 320kbs). My iPad fits the whole collection and I use it to stream to my Naim hifi kit.

 

[jwolf6589]

Is anyone out there still using their iPhone as an MP3 player?

Years ago, in the late 00s I had a Samsung phone (think it was maybe one of the ones in a Bond movie?) as well as a hard-drive based MP3 player, a product called iRiver.

Then the iPhone came along with iTunes. I was reluctant at first, I wasn’t impressed with the iPhone sound or using iTunes instead of simple Windows Explorer to create a folder structure.

Eventually a few iPhone iterations down the line I swapped two devices for one.

Copied over my MP3s from my iRiver to iTunes around 2009.

I still have iTunes with all those acquired MP3s and indeed it’s my primary source for listening as opposed to streaming services like Spotify.

So, does anyone else use locally stored MP3s as their primary library and listening source or am I an MP3 version of a 70s vinyl hoarder?

Apple no longer makes MP3 players so one has to use a iPhone for this task. I think that standalone MP3 players exist by other manufacturers however I don’t think they can read apple iTunes downloaded files.

A Apple Watch might qualify however it can’t play to any speakers besides AirPods.

 

[eyoungren]

Oh yeah! Have a huge library of albums & playlists that I maintain and update, backed up on three hard drives. I use the Mac to sync those with my iPad & iPhone music library.

I don't use streaming services. I look at them like some kind of radio on demand under a paywall. Never a fan of it.

Primarily there are only two streaming apps I use. SOMA FM (all free content) and Pandora (free only). I've had Pandora since shortly after it launched (and I believe before they even offered premium) so I've long established my stations there.

But I use Pandora rarely and some of the other streaming apps (for free streams) even more rarely. The upshot for me is that I have over the years discovered certain artists that I like well enough to go and pay for a digital download of their albums. That gives me MP3s which I dump into my NAS library.

But yeah, I'm not into paying for streaming. I'm an old internet radio user (since 2001) so just used to streaming online (free) stations.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Music library will sync to anything compatible. I still have a functional iPod classic (30-pin connector) on which I sync all of my favorite Music playlists for the car (jukebox). It works just fine, even showing album art on the car's screen.

I sync playlists to modern day iPad too, so I have my music collection stored and used in both ways.

A retired iPhone X awaits the day that iPod finally conks (if that day ever comes) and then it will take over as a new iPod for the car.

Using older tech vs. dumping it in a drawer (or landfill) seems preferable. Old stuff still can work just fine- especially as single-task need like "iPod."

I don't see it as "old fashioned" or odd: it "just works" fine for the want/need. If someone owns their music collection, even ancient options can make it available for playback. I see nothing wrong with taking advantage of whatever works.

 

[eyoungren]

If you pay for Apple music you pretty much have the entire music library of the world a couple of clicks away including all the ones from the 50s through 70s you'd lost or forgotten about

This is what Google Music used to be. I got into that when it was in beta. Seamless updates of my PowerPC Mac iTunes library that was accessible on all of my devices. Unfortunately, like Google does, they closed it and switched everyone to Youtube Music. That's fine, I have the app. But Google made it more than a few clicks to get to the old library (mine). So, I resorted to putting my music on my NAS and finding an app that could access it and stream it to my devices.

 

[eyoungren]

I have an old iPhone 6 with no SIM card that permanently resides in my garage. It's connected to a cheap Sony stereo using some very old speakers that I refoamed, and a sub unit. Old tech for sure, but it's garage worthy.

I just bought a 6+ off eBay a few days ago. My intent is to use it as my primary music player. All my phones sit at my desk so it'll fit in fine. I also use a bone conduction headset so that'll be what it primarily connects to. The phone has a bad headphone jack (it was $65) but it's clean IMEI and unlocked - and I primarily use BT for streaming music.

Years ago I had a 6+ as my primary phone and it's the only one since my first smart phone I didn't keep. Now I get it back.

 

[hankbear]

I put all my music on my iPhone but why get 512GB if I can't use 30 GB for music? I'm not too fond of streaming services because I do travel to areas with little to no service. Welcome to rural parts of the state. I do use iTunes music for my home stereo or Amazon Music. I like to have my music handy even with cellular is 1 or 0 bars. And I do high-quality MP3 when I rip my own CD's - we have a couple of good used CD stores in the area.

 

[eyoungren]

Periodically I drop new music MP3s into my NAS music library. I like having MP3s and not relying on a service (such as Apple Music), although I do use services to discover new music from time to time.

My biggest issue with iTunes is that it will never auto update the library. You add stuff manually into the folder and then you have to open iTunes and add it to the database. I don't care for that.

I use Nightingale on my Intel Macs and Songbird on my PowerPC Macs. Point all of them to one folder and both Nightingale and Songbird will detect that the music folder has changed (because I just added MP3s) and they auto update the local library. I'm not running to each and every Mac to do this like I would have to with iTunes.

 

[mrmister]

I have a carefully curated 70 GB music collection that I've been working on since the late 90s. I sync it to my iPhone in its entirety, bc I have the room. Other ipads and laptops have a much smaller (like 3 GB) collection just to have on hand if needed, with selected bangers. I have custom playlists that I like to use, too, so I am a big user of iTunes/Music for this, and can confirm its definitely working less well year after year.

I also do streaming—highly recommend Triode, fantastic internet radio app, and I'm also a big fan of Radio Paradise, which is on Triode, or on its own app. Both are free.

Otherwise I have free Spotify, just to access other people's playlists, and I pay for basic Pandora bc I have been using that for almost 20 years.

I definitely do more streaming now than I used to—I get why younger people don't collect music. That said, it pays off—I have lots of tracks that don't really exist elsewhere, and there's a real pleasure in being able to make custom mixes where you sculpt the pauses between tracks by editing them, and making in-between tracks that are audio from movies, TV, or elsewhere. You can't do that with streaming.

I would actually love Apple to STOP syncing files with Music, and make music an app that just works with Apple Music...if they then opened it up so other apps can sync with iOS devices. Basically I'm saying if they aren't going to make it work well, they should open it up so other apps can take over managing my music.

 

[arefbe]

Yes, I'm using an old iPhone 11 Pro Max as an iPod alternative. Hooked up to a JBL speaker/charger it does a good job.

 

[eicca]

The iOS music app has gotten absolutely terrible. I own a ton of CDs that have been ripped in Apple Lossless format, painstakingly organized with album art and everything, and when I copy them to my iDevices, each song appears as its own album on the device. But sometimes it copies fine! There's no rhyme or reason to the bug but it's been present for YEARS.

And also, if iCloud music is enabled, for some butt-stupid inconceivable reason, the music app will stream instead of playing the files I PUT ON MY DEVICE. So if I have a rare alternate version of an album that's stored locally, it will completely ignore those files and stream the Apple Music version instead.

I bought a 2005 iPod Mini and installed an SD card in it, flashed it with RockBox, and it's been absolutely delightful. A reminder that Apple used to make solid stuff. But, my eventual upgrade beyond macOS Mojave may force me to look to a different portable music player. Probably a Fiio. Definitely not iPhone ever again.

 

[MisterSavage]

I definitely do more streaming now than I used to—I get why younger people don't collect music. That said, it pays off—I have lots of tracks that don't really exist elsewhere,

This right here. I cannot roll my eyes enough when I see a comment such as "Why don't you just switch to streaming?". I have so much foreign, rare, live, etc music that is not available to stream.

 

[Pakaku]

It's my main use for it. I use a 6S since it has a headphone jack, and I still keep all of my music organized in iTunes, mainly using smart playlists to handle what goes on the phone. If it wasn't for other apps I use on my iPhone, it would be practically interchangeable with my old iPod Classic (which I finally refurbished with a flash drive after a lot of suffering) and other iPods I still use once in a while (like my 6th gen Nano, aka the iWatch before the Apple Watch.)

 

[Pag46]

As an audiophile freak, I’m a niche user.
I have all my library (ripped from cd or bought online, all lossless and some hi-res) on an ssd attached to a Mac mini m1 that acts as media server only. The Mac mini is always on running Roon, a software which, among many other things, handles both offline files and streaming services in a single library.
At that point, my library, a mix of local files and streaming albums (from Qobuz) is accessible by multiple devices at the same time, both in the house and from the iPhone when I am away.
When I listen from the iPhone, if the setup allows it as in the office, I use a dongle connected to the lighting port, which is an R2R DAC and balanced headphone amplifier, with in-ear monitors or, more often, proper headphones, both with cable.

For off-line usage, both Roon and Qobuz apps allow to download files on the iPhone.

It sounds more complicated than what it really is, but more importantly it sounds fantastic!

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I added iTunes Match several years ago, that let me move all my ripped CDs (about 500 worth) into iCloud music library. For 25 bucks a year, WELL worth it.

Since then I've switched to Apple Music (got a deal through my wireless carrier) that also includes iCloud music library - but if you don't want new music, just what you have, iTunes Match will do it.

 

[Grumpus]

My biggest issue with iTunes is that it will never auto update the library. You add stuff manually into the folder and then you have to open iTunes and add it to the database. I don't care for that.

What version of iTunes? Copying to ~/'Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Automatically Add to iTunes' always works for me, using iTunes 12.9.5, and has worked correctly in the past using older versions of iTunes. Of course when the media file(s) don't contain the proper tags, I'll have to find Unknown Album in the library and then use Album Info or Song Info to fill in the appropriate items. I often do this for podcast audio that I've downloaded from YouTube using yt-dlp, syncing the results to one of my iPods.

 

[Andeddu]

I have an SE’16 with only 16GB which I use as an Apple Music, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime streamer. I like to listen to music via a Bluetooth speaker and when I am in bed I usually stream an episode of something on the above apps.

 

[mrmister]

The iOS music app has gotten absolutely terrible. I own a ton of CDs that have been ripped in Apple Lossless format, painstakingly organized with album art and everything, and when I copy them to my iDevices, each song appears as its own album on the device. But sometimes it copies fine! There's no rhyme or reason to the bug but it's been present for YEARS.

This bug is awful, and has bitten me so many times. It's so bad i often get the syncing right, once, then if there is a new album to add, I use WALTR PRO, which does the job perfectly, unlike iTunes/Music.

 

[mrmister]

I added iTunes Match several years ago, that let me move all my ripped CDs (about 500 worth) into iCloud music library. For 25 bucks a year, WELL worth it.

I knew too many people with horror stories who got their custom files replaced by iTunes Match, including if you have mixes with existing songs, but you altered the ending of the tracks so they end sooner, iTunes Match would ignore this and not use your custom track, etc.

I have been waiting for iTunes Match to work out their bugs. So far I have been waiting 12 years.

 

[Siliconguy]

I'm glad to see at least a few other people still using iPods. The first iPod Nanos with the click wheel were the best, touch screens are too hard to deal with while mowing the lawn, nor do they work with gloves on. I was very happy with the first generation Nano but Apple recalled it for the battery issue and instead of replacing the battery they sent one of the little square touch screen ones. The new one had more capacity, but was was much less usable.

When it finally dies I'm going to have to replace it with something, but what? My flip phone will play music, but only MP3s, and it does not have a good DAC. And it's still bigger than it needs to be for music player.

 

[eyoungren]

What version of iTunes? Copying to ~/'Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Automatically Add to iTunes' always works for me, using iTunes 12.9.5, and has worked correctly in the past using older versions of iTunes. Of course when the media file(s) don't contain the proper tags, I'll have to find Unknown Album in the library and then use Album Info or Song Info to fill in the appropriate items. I often do this for podcast audio that I've downloaded from YouTube using yt-dlp, syncing the results to one of my iPods.

I can't get the version number right now, but it'd be whatever version of iTunes that runs on Catalina and below.

My question though is this, does this work on a network folder?

The path you show seems to be to the default iTunes library which is stored locally on each Mac/PC. And that is what I am trying to avoid. I have several Macs and PCs that share the same singular music folder on the network. I can use iTunes to point to the network folder. I've just never been able to cause iTunes on each computer to recognize when the folder has changed and update accordingly. And I do not want the hassle of multiple copies of the same music library on each Mac/PC and having to update each one anytime I add a couple of MP3s.