Digital player won't recognise iTunes

[iansmusic]

Hi,

Can anyone help as I am quite new to technology, I have converted my cd's to FLAC files using Dbpoweramp software & put them in a MUSIC folder on my Mac then I copied the MUSIC file to my NAS drive & my Cambridge CXN recognises this & runs fine. I then converted my flac files into apple lossless files so I could import into iTunes & make playlists etc but when I copied my iTunes folder to my NAS drive this is not recognised & it only shows my original MUSIC file. Can anyone inform me what I may be doing wrong & why my iTunes music is not recognised.

 

thanks as always

ian

[rodrigaj]

Itunes > Preferences > Advanced > Change

 

Choose your NAS location and it will move your files to it.

 

Make sure you're NAS is always mounted when you work with iTunes. Otherwise it will recreate another iTunes media folder on your main MAC drive.

[iansmusic]

Thanks for the help but it still won't recognise it..grrrrrr....so frustrating, might go back to just playing cd's lol

[17629v2]

Thanks for the help but it still won't recognise it..grrrrrr....so frustrating, might go back to just playing cd's lol

 

What file system are you using on your NAS?

[iansmusic]

please bare with me but I don't understand what fie system I am using, the only info I know is the FLAC files in my MUSIC folder is recognised but when I converted to APPLE LOSSLESS for iTunes & saved the iTunes folder in on my NAS it is not recognised....hope this helps...thanks

[fragoulisnaval]

Does the mac see any folder on the nas at all?

[iansmusic]

Yeah my MAC sees the folders but my CXN player only sees the MUSIC flac files folder but not the iTunes folder. I can use the player with the music folder fine but wanted to run off iTunes so I could easily make playlists, I tried the Jriver media centre for making playlists but to use this I need to have my computer running...thanks

[Cebolla]

Hi Ian

 

I believe you may have been getting some irrelevant advice, possibly due to you mentioning 'iTunes' (a green light to the Apple device using/Mac DAC tethering majority of this forum) & possibly also to you creating this thread in the General Forum section. Your Cambridge Audio CXN device is an industry standard UPnP/DLNA supporting, network streaming, audio file player (aka streamer aka renderer), so your query would most likely have had a better response in the Networking & Streaming section.

 

The CXN does not support iTunes (but can play Apple lossless files) and the CXN cannot directly access networked shared folders (regardless of the file system being used). Therefore, the problem is elsewhere, most likely in the UPnP/DLNA media server application you are using on your NAS. Only a UPnP/DLNA media server can supply the NAS's stored music files to your CXN.

 

What exactly is the make & model of the NAS you are using?

 

Do you know what UPnP/DLNA media server running on the NAS, that's providing the files for the CXN?

 

How exactly are you controlling the playback on the CXN (eg remote control/onboard screen, Cambridge Audio's own controller app on an iOS or an Android device, third party UPnP/DLNA controller app, etc)?

 

 

Is it just the 'plain' playing of the iTunes produced Apple Lossless (ALAC) files stored on the NAS that you require for the CXN?

Otherwise, if your actual requirement is to navigate iTunes's own music library structure, iTunes created playlists, etc, in order to get the CXN to play those ALAC files from the NAS, then you are most likely to be disappointed.

 

John

[iansmusic]

Hi John,

Thanks for your time replying, I clearly am still on a learning curve with all this

Regarding the NAS drive all I can tell you is it's a WD MyCloud. I run the CXN player both off the actual machine & also the Cambridge connect app. I can play my flac files fine the only reason I wanted to play the iTunes is because I could easily make playlists & organise my music easily. I tried the Jriver media centre which was great for organising music & playlists but I couldn't access these off my NAS drive but only off the computer which means I needed the computer running to be able to play the music. I have seemed to struggle all the way with going from cd's to modern technology...jeez I do miss vinyl (laffin)...Thanks again John

cheers

ian

[17629v2]

please bare with me but I don't understand what fie system I am using, the only info I know is the FLAC files in my MUSIC folder is recognised but when I converted to APPLE LOSSLESS for iTunes & saved the iTunes folder in on my NAS it is not recognised....hope this helps...thanks

 

I haven't used a Mac in a while, but if you right click on the hard drive icon, a menu should pop up. Look in that menu for a choice called properties (or something similar). When you click on properties, you should be able to see what file system the drive/partition is using. You may have to look for it. It will be something like, ext4, ntfs, exfat, fat32, or possibly something else. You shouldn't have any trouble finding. it.

 

If you're using dbPoweramp, I'll assume your using it on Windows. Try this before you do anything, because its quick and easy. Sometimes Windows doesn't fully unmount your drives/partitions when you shut it down, or log out. This prevents other OS's from using those drives. To properly unmount drives in Windows do this: 1. Log into Windows. 2. Once you're up and running in windows, do a complete shutdown while holding down the shift key. You should now be able to use all your drives (if that was the problem).

[Cebolla]

Hi 17629v2

 

The OP's issue has nothing to do with Macs, file systems, network file sharing methods, etc. The OP wants to access iTunes created playlists and to access music files stored on the NAS as organised by iTunes - all when using his Cambridge Audio CXN, so when using the CXN's ir remote control or its own controller app or via a third party UPnP/DLNA controller app.

 

The CXN can only access the stored music files on the NAS via a UPnP/DLNA media server. So the requirement would be for a UPnP/DLNA media server that is able to access iTunes created playlists and to be able to organise its music library (with the iTunes created ALAC files stored in the NAS) in exactly the same way as the iTunes's own music library has been organised with those files.

Do you know of any UPnP/DLNA media server capable of this?

 

Incidentally, isn't dbPoweramp CD ripper and music file converting software?

Out of curiosity, why exactly did you reference dbPoweramp?

 

 

John

[bottlerocket]

Check out https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204668

 

I'd start with doing a Command-I on one of your tracks and see where the index is pointing. You can't just copy the iTunes folder, you have to let itunes rebuild your .xml index file so it points to the new location.

[Cebolla]

@bottlerocket, how does this help 'force' the UPnP/DLNA media server the OP is using into supporting iTunes playlists & the way iTunes organises its music library?

[rodrigaj]

From the Cambridge tech support page: [h=1]Does my Stream Magic device interface with iTunes and my iTunes music library?[/h]

Stream Magic was the name used before Cambridge connect but I believe what they say still applies.

[Cebolla]

At last, some relevant info. Thanks, rodrigaj

 

The Cambridge Audio Stream Magic range of streamers were indeed the forerunners of the current CA network players and certainly as a UPnP/DLNA supporting streamer, most of the advice still applies to the CXN. However, iTunes itself has changed much since and the old 'iTunes server' mentioned in the link, that's sometimes found in (especially older) NASs, no longer works with iTunes so should not be used.

[iansmusic]

Thanks for the help John, just going to click on that link now rodrigaj...thankyou

[Cebolla]

Hi John,

Thanks for your time replying, I clearly am still on a learning curve with all this

Regarding the NAS drive all I can tell you is it's a WD MyCloud. I run the CXN player both off the actual machine & also the Cambridge connect app. I can play my flac files fine the only reason I wanted to play the iTunes is because I could easily make playlists & organise my music easily. I tried the Jriver media centre which was great for organising music & playlists but I couldn't access these off my NAS drive but only off the computer which means I needed the computer running to be able to play the music. I have seemed to struggle all the way with going from cd's to modern technology...jeez I do miss vinyl (laffin)...Thanks again John

cheers

ian

Ian,

 

In your specific case, the WD MyCloud NAS uses Twonky Media Server as its UPnP/DLNA media server, which should actually support Apple Lossless (ALAC) files. ALAC files are stored with a .m4a suffix by iTunes, which is in WD MyCloud Twonky's supported media file list, according to WD support (the Twonky supported media table, near the bottom of the page):

How to access the Twonky Media Server on a WD NAS | WD Support

 

So there should be no reason why it's not seeing the ALAC files created by iTunes. If you are certain that they are being stored on the NAS by iTunes running on your Mac, then the likely reason why the Twonky Media Server isn't picking them up is because you need to tell it where to look for them on the NAS's storage. The place to do this is in Twonky's Sharing setup page, by adding the ALAC file's storage folder location via the Add New Folder function - see the '4. Sharing' section in the above link

 

As you have probably gathered by now, it's unlikely the Twonky Media Server will configure its music library with those iTunes stored ALAC files in the same the way iTunes itself privately organises them & displays them. This is because iTunes may not have stored all the music category tag information in the ALAC files themselves. You should be able to at least make sure iTunes has added the more important tags, by applying the Convert ID3 Tags function on the relevant files in iTunes.

 

Hopefully you'll be able the CXN to play using something similar to the iTunes music file organisation, though of course you won't be able to access your iTunes stored playlists for them.

[17629v2]

"Incidentally, isn't dbPoweramp CD ripper and music file converting software?

Out of curiosity, why exactly did you reference dbPoweramp?"

 

First, lets look at my post. Its #10, so you only have to scroll up a couple of inches from your last post (#11), to see it.

 

"If you're using dbPoweramp, I'll assume your using it on Windows."

 

It really doesn't matter what dbPoweramp does. It confirms that he is using Windows when working with his files.

 

The rest of it is self explanatory, at least to me.

 

"Sometimes Windows doesn't fully unmount your drives/partitions when you shut it down, or log out. This prevents other OS's from using those drives. To properly unmount drives in Windows do this: 1. Log into Windows. 2. Once you're up and running in windows, do a complete shutdown while holding down the shift key. You should now be able to use all your drives (if that was the problem)."

 

This is a very common problem. If I don't shut my Windows machine down properly, nothing else can access the drives Windows mounted. By the looks of it, you still haven't come up with a fix, so why rule out other solutions?

[gmgraves]

Thanks for the help but it still won't recognise it..grrrrrr....so frustrating, might go back to just playing cd's lol

 

I reviewed a Cambridge digital music server client last year (don't remember the model number), and I seem to recall that Cambridge didn't support iTunes at all. Don't know if that's still the case, but you might look into that possibility.

[iansmusic]

Hi There, I am using Poweramp on my Mac btw.

Thanks for all the advice it's appreciated but I am clearly trying to do something I can't do with iTunes.

Instead then I am now looking for software that I can make playlists on & then put them onto a usb stick & plug directly into the cambridge cxn, I have tried Jriver media centre & beatunes 4.5 & had some luck with Jriver but it seemed like hard work does anyone know of an easier software for making playlists....

Thanks again for taking time out to help...

cheers

[Cebolla]

Hi Ian

 

Before you give up on iTunes, it may be worth seeing if exporting its playlists as .m3u playlist files can be used by your NAS's Twonky Media Server. According to the Twonky supported media table in that link I gave you, it is supposed to support .m3u playlists.

 

BTW, did you manage to get Twonky to recognise the iTunes Apple Lossless files?

[iansmusic]

NIGHTMARE!!!! tried Twonky but couldn't get it to recognise iTunes.....got to give up on that one ...thanks for the help though....just put a cd on oh sooooo easy...this is the future.....(laffin)

 

regards

ian

[iansmusic]

FINALLY SORTED!

Thanks for everyones input really appreciated, if anyone is interested I finally managed to get iTunes playlists on my NAS drive & then recognised on the Cambridge CXN, I downloaded 'export for itunes' from the app store £5.99 & this allows me to download playlist or albums to my CXN via my NAS....brilliant.....

cheers

[Cebolla]

That is excellent news! Thanks for the follow up.

[iansmusic]

Extra thanks to John (Cebolla) I've learnt a lot on here....cheers....hopefully I might be able to help others one day..(here's hoping..laffin)