The way Apple Music/iCloud Music Library/iTunes Library should work

[Julien]

Here is the way I think Apple Music/iCloud Music Library should integrate with your owned local music iTunes Library.

• Local music in iTunes/iDevice should never be edited by iCloud Music Library unless it is a Match download
• When downloading a Playlist any local music (sans Match) should be directly synced
• When on another WiFi or cell local songs (of course) can’t download
• If local music unavailable then iCloud Music Library version could be downloaded
• Local music should have an identifier mark (similar to the download icon in the top right)
• Local music in iTunes/iDevice should never be edited by iCloud Music Library unless it is a Match download

Of course this is simplistic and there are likely obvios issues not accounted for. Feel free to add (as if you need me to say this).

 

[turbineseaplane]

I sort of feel that the pre-Apple Music "Music/iPod" app should be resurrected and available for non Apple Music users (so the whole app can again be focused on your own library if you prefer) and Apple Music should be it's own App entirely.

There's also no reason in this scenario they couldn't scan your offline (iPod App) library to understand your likes/dislikes/prefs to make the Apple Music app/experience of the service better if you so chose.

 

[manu chao]

• Local music in iTunes/iDevice should never be edited by iCloud Music Library unless it is a Match download

What do you mean by 'edited'? Get different artwork for example?

• When downloading a Playlist any local music (sans Match) should be directly synced

What do you mean with 'downloading'? Terms like 'down' or 'up imply a hierarchy with the internet or servers in general being considered something above individual devices and thus downloading means getting data from the Internet to a device and uploading the opposite. When people call copying data from one device to another (USB stick to computer, memory card to computer, camera to computer, computer to USB stick) employing the term downloading can be ambiguous as the hierarchy isn't clear. For this I prefer the terms importing, exporting or copying (where importing/exporting implies that the device from which the transfer is initiated is the one importing or exporting the data).

And what do you mean with 'directly synced'? Copying music files already on a computer being copied onto an iOS devices instead of copies of those files downloaded via the Internet to the device?

• When on another WiFi or cell local songs (of course) can’t download

Again, I don't know what you mean. You mean that without an Internet connection you cannot add music to an iTunes library and then add it to an iOS device because Apple Music insists on downloading them from their servers (and possibly even first uploading the local file if it isn't found in their catalogue?

• If local music unavailable then iCloud Music Library version could be downloaded

Isn't that exactly how it already works?

• Local music should have an identifier mark (similar to the download icon in the top right)

For me that already seems to be the case, eg, a song added to my iTunes library many years ago shows up on my iPhone with the download mark.

 

[Julien]

What do you mean by 'edited'? Get different artwork for example?

Yes, and album/track names/numbers, Star rating, and .....

What do you mean with 'downloading'? Terms like 'down' or 'up imply a hierarchy with the internet or servers in general being considered something above individual devices and thus downloading means getting data from the Internet to a device and uploading the opposite. When people call copying data from one device to another (USB stick to computer, memory card to computer, camera to computer, computer to USB stick) employing the term downloading can be ambiguous as the hierarchy isn't clear. For this I prefer the terms importing, exporting or copying (where importing/exporting implies that the device from which the transfer is initiated is the one importing or exporting the data).

"Make Available Offline" downloads Apple Music from iCloud Music Library but I want any songs in my iTunes Library to be downloaded from iTunes into my iPhone Playlist instead of using the 'matched' iCloud Music Library versions.

And what do you mean with 'directly synced'? Copying music files already on a computer being copied onto an iOS devices instead of copies of those files downloaded via the Internet to the device?
Again, I don't know what you mean. You mean that without an Internet connection you cannot add music to an iTunes library and then add it to an iOS device because Apple Music insists on downloading them from their servers (and possibly even first uploading the local file if it isn't found in their catalogue?

See above.

Isn't that exactly how it already works?

No, all music is downloaded from iCloud Music Library and not from your iTunes Library. If you have a song in iTunes in ALAC it will download an AAC version from iCloud Music Library to your iPhone. Also if your version of a song is a different mix than what is in the iCloud Music Library and is mistakenly matched you will get the iCloud Music Library version and not your version.

For me that already seems to be the case, e.g., a song added to my iTunes library many years ago shows up on my iPhone with the download mark.

I'm talking about if implemented differentiating music originated from your iTunes Library from music originating from iCloud Music Library (see above).

 

[flur]

Here is the way I think Apple Music/iCloud Music Library should integrate with your owned local music iTunes Library.

• Local music in iTunes/iDevice should never be edited by iCloud Music Library unless it is a Match download

THIS. Over and over THIS. Stop touching my music! Don't delete files I OWN, don't screw with my metadata or my art without my permission.

ETA:
If Apple wants my $9.99/month, this is what they need to do. I can live with the other bugs, but don't go ***** with my files.

 

[manu chao]

Yes, and album/track names/numbers, Star rating, and .....

Changed on the iPhone or inside iTunes?

No, all music is downloaded from iCloud Music Library and not from your iTunes Library. If you have a song in iTunes in ALAC it will download an AAC version from iCloud Music Library to your iPhone. Also if your version of a song is a different mix than what is in the iCloud Music Library and is mistakenly matched you will get the iCloud Music Library version and not your version.

Didn't somebody say that iTunes 12.1 fixes that?

I'm talking about if implemented differentiating music originated from your iTunes Library from music originating from iCloud Music Library (see above).

Why would you need to see that on the phone? You can view the difference in iTunes (which is where you would take action, eg, purchasing part of the 'rented' music if you decide to stop subscribing to Apple Music).

 

[flur]

Didn't somebody say that iTunes 12.1 fixes that?

Nope. What it fixes is for Match only, and some of the people with Match have reported that it's still messed up for them.

So, basically, if you have Match and you get lucky, you'll get the correct song, but it will be AAC, not ALAC, and it won't have DRM. If you are not lucky, you'll get the wrong song, or you'll get the right song with DRM. If you don't have Match, you're getting DRM-versions of all your songs, even if you have the un-DRM'd ALAC version in your iTunes, and it might not even be the right song (and don't even ask about the cluster that is album art).

 

[Julien]

Changed on the iPhone or inside iTunes?

Both (on the iPhone it is a copy from iCloud Music Library so it can be different without being 'changed'), but the primary problem is changing your 'permeant' record metadata in iTunes.

Didn't somebody say that iTunes 12.1 fixes that?

It does NOT.

Why would you need to see that on the phone? You can view the difference in iTunes (which is where you would take action, eg, purchasing part of the 'rented' music if you decide to stop subscribing to Apple Music).

Just for convince and as an indicator that if you tried to download away from your home WiFi you would not get your actual iTunes music.

 

[John6Plus]

The way it should work is that it should work.

It is so awful, such a catastrophe (and I'm talking specifically iCML) that it has made me think less of Apple as a company. Not only do I know they knew about these issues - because they are the same as what was wrong with Match (and still is, I assume) - but they couldn't bother to fix them for their widely touted service? Everything I own (and my family owns) asks to turn on iCML, and if they do it would be a disaster and trigger GB upon GB being restored from a backup.

 

[Julien]

The way it should work is that it should work.

It is so awful, such a catastrophe (and I'm talking specifically iCML) that it has made me think less of Apple as a company. Not only do I know they knew about these issues - because they are the same as what was wrong with Match (and still is, I assume) - but they couldn't bother to fix them for their widely touted service? Everything I own (and my family owns) asks to turn on iCML, and if they do it would be a disaster and trigger GB upon GB being restored from a backup.

Believe I have a fix. Almost 20 hours and all is fine.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/fix-possible-apple-music-icloud-music-metadata.1901061/