Help with transfer PC digital library to Mac OS

**JonMarsh** · 31 January 2016, 19:22 Sunday

If you want comprehensive library management and to continue importing in a similar fashion, you may be best off with iTunes. I use other players when I do use a Mac (I'm converted since about 2005, heavily so; when I have to run Windows, I do it on eBay sourced used Macs, such as my 2010 Mac Pro, or my 2011 17" Macbook pro. You COULD continue to use Windows media player by using either BootCamp or Parallels, for example, but maybe you want to try some dedicated players, like Vox, Bit Perfect, Fidelia.

But, they tend to be focused on bit perfect playback of formats that aren't lossy compressed, such as AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, ETC. So, with your MP3 library, not necessarily the optimum match, as they don't have a focus on library management, though most due support fairly reasonable playlist management. in fact, a common option is to allow you to use iTunes as the library and playback manager, but their program is the actual playback engine. This can be fairly important to some people, as for example, VOX supports FLAC playback, which iTunes doesn't. (FLAC being kind of like a ZIP compressed version of AIFF).

Of the three players you mention, which one you might prefer probably has a lot to do with your likely listening habits- Tomahawk would make sense if you have a variety of sources you want to work with. Otherwise, from what you've described, I would think Swinsain is likely your best bet.

I use digital streamers such as the NAD M50 or AURALiC Aires. I rip the music separately using XLD, and store it in a "standard" format recognized by all streamer apps and machines I've come across, which is the Artist name at the top level folder, individual album folders for each album, and though I rip to FLAC or AIFF and embed the album art I also include a 500x500 or larger jpg for the album art. Everything I've tried works with that- Aurender, SoTM, my Aires, my M50, etc. If it's in AIFF, then most Mac programs work fine with that arrangement, too, and all you have to do is index or update the index.

BTW, what do you use for actual playback?

**Dark Knight** · 31 January 2016, 20:36 Sunday

JonMarsh,

Thank you so much for your informative help. It looked like the post was languishing and I really need help with the decision. My initial research into iTunes made me nervous (http://www.wired.com/2015/11/itunes-alternatives/). I probably should have mentioned that I was using the dual boot until the windows side started causing troubles with machine. I was "encouraged" due to time loss to remove the dual boot and work in the Mac OS environment, only.

I like to be meticulous with my collection in terms of cataloguing, organizing, and getting all the data correct. As mentioned the only organization I care for is album, artist, and genera. I do not even make play lists. I just chose an album and enjoy. For playback, it depends who is around either at work or at home. At work, if no one is around, I use a Creative Technology system with a subwoofer. I am actually quite pleased with it. At home, I feed the audio to a Yamaha CA2010 integrated amp which is paired with JBL L36's. It is a beautiful arrangement. If the house is populated, I switch off the JBLs and use AKG K701 headphones. Again, I love that set-up too.

Thank you for your suggesting, I really appreciate it.

DK

**Steve Manning** · 01 February 2016, 15:53 Monday

Dark Knight ...... I use JRiver Media Center on my pc. They also have a version for Mac's. It will do audio, video, pictures etc., and is configurable to the Nth degree for cataloging, organization, meta data, viewing, you name it. Might be worth a look at, http://www.jriver.com/. It's not free, but I believe like most software, you can use it for 30 days to try it.

**JonMarsh** · 01 February 2016, 19:40 Monday

Jriver is admired by a lot of users- if I was using a computer based setup still, I'd probably be looking into it. Hate to admit it, but I was NOT aware there was a Mac version.

I just downloaded the Mac version to try out for those times I'm doing a "portable" gig and not carrying the Aires around with me (it likes to be tied into a local WiFi network for control relay to an iPad, and that isn't always possible).

**Steve Manning** · 01 February 2016, 20:41 Monday

Originally posted by JonMarsh

Jriver is admired by a lot of users- if I was using a computer based setup still, I'd probably be looking into it. Hate to admit it, but I was NOT aware there was a Mac version.

I just downloaded the Mac version to try out for those times I'm doing a "portable" gig and not carrying the Aires around with me (it likes to be tied into a local WiFi network for control relay to an iPad, and that isn't always possible).

It's somewhat new on the scene, a couple of years as I recall. They also have a Linux version as well. If you play around in all three environments (or even two of them) they have a Master License option that gives you all three options as well, at a considerable discount price.

**Dark Knight** · 01 February 2016, 20:45 Monday

Thank you for the further suggestions. I will look into J River as well. It is an overwhelming step.

DK

**PewterTA** · 02 February 2016, 17:32 Tuesday

I use Foobar2000 on the Windows side and JRiver on the MAC side. All my media is sitting in FLAC format on my Media Server...so this was the best option for me instead of having iTunes go nuts on everything and make it a real pain.

This way I can use the music on whatever I'm listening to.

-Dan

**Dark Knight** · 05 February 2016, 19:35 Friday

OK. It is the weekend now and I can continue to make progress. Before continuing on my mac, with everything backed-up, I performed a dry run on the original PC the digital library on Windows Media Player. With great trepidation, I installed the trial version of JRiver Media Centre 21. It is love at first site. I transferred all of my data and organizational preferences as existed in Windows Media Player. It has kept all the work done by hand on obscure albums. The album art that did not transfer was album art that I for some reason just cold not get to "stick", even in Windows Media Player, no matter how many times I changed it. An odd album or two in either the Decca, Living Presence, to similar box sets. I can't remember now.

At any rate, I will down load the mac version and continue. It says on the website that a newer build is on the Mac 21 board. Should I go there? And, rather than transferring the library to the Mac, how is to run J River on my Mac but directing it to music on a dedicated external drive? I will gladly purchase this no problem if it continues to save all the work. Does it have some sort of cooperation with MusicBranz or something?

DK

**TEK** · 06 February 2016, 09:54 Saturday

Hi

JRiver can work in several ways.
1) You have a server with JRiver. Clients connect to the server and use that library. When clients load files from the server you have two ways it might work
a) The server transcode files and delivers a stream to the client to the client. In this case the work is done on the server and there is very little demand on the client
b) The server and the client "see" the same files. You do this by letting the server access the files trough a global name that is the same for both the server and the client*
2) You have a shared file area. Each client maps that up into it's own library

I think that solution 1) b) is the best solution. When using that solution you only have one library to maintain. JRiver can also be set up so that you may maintain the library from both the server and the clients.
But you have to have all codeds on the client, if you mounts iso files you have to be able to do that on all clients and so on. With 1) a) the server will handle all that.

* Example of a path might be \\myserver\music and you would use that path from both the server and the client. You must not use c:\music on the server, because the client computer will find nothing when it checks the c:\music folder to find the file to play (naturally - as that file is on the server)

You will have to figure out what this means in a mac world - I have no clue ;-)
MusizBranz? I have no clue...

Edit: you may of course replace "server" with "my network drive", "my nas driver" or whatever media you are storing your media on.

**Dark Knight** · 06 February 2016, 12:20 Saturday

I am continuing with the project this morning. While I now have my library backed-up in several formats, I am going to have have J River run from a FAT32 external hard drive. J River also easily found the blank album covers by asking it to search the file itself; it blew me away as I believe I have some obscure stuff. In the past, I had used to third party product to grab album art cover through a data base (https://musicbrainz.org) but hopefully that will no longer be necessary. I am looking forward to this process now of organizing and "re-organizing" more efficiently. I really appreciate the time you have taken to help.

Best Wishes,

DK

**JonMarsh** · 06 February 2016, 13:31 Saturday

Glad this is working out well for you. I'm looking at putting JRiver on one my MacBooks for portable use when I can't use a streamer like the Aires.

I would use the current "stable" version for where you are now, get familiar with that and have a solid setup before looking at versions that are more like Betas from the Mac 21 board. If possible, try them out on a separate system until you get more experience with how well things are working. (just a cautious viewpoint, here...)

**Dark Knight** · 07 February 2016, 13:00 Sunday

My thoughts exactly. Its a great program and very intuitive. Yes, I have already encountered issues but they are not with the program they are my penchant for leaping before I look when playing around then having to un%$#@ what I %$#@-up. But, it is always fun exploring from the safety of multiple back-ups.

DK

**JonMarsh** · 08 February 2016, 11:55 Monday

Originally posted by Dark Knight

. But, it is always fun exploring from the safety of multiple back-ups.

DK

Exactly the right way to do it...

Help with transfer PC digital library to Mac OS

Help with transfer PC digital library to Mac OS

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