iTunes Server Media Locations

[kenmichelle]

I didn't see a section about the iTunes Server app so I figured that I would post my question here. If I should ask this elsewhere then please let me know.

I just got my DS920+ and I'm starting to get it all configured. I downloaded iTunes Server and it automatically installed a Music folder and a Movies folder at the top level of the NAS. My Mac mini has an "iTunes Media" folder that contains all my music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and audio books. This is where where iTunes saves everything and my AppleTV plays everything from it. Do I copy my iTunes Media folder to either the Music or Video folder on the NAS or do I need to split my files between them? Do I need a different app?

Everything seemed simpler when I had a RAID on my Mac mini and it was seen as just as external shared drive. When the RAID died (luckily it was backed up every night) I decided to go with a NAS so I wouldn't need to keep a computer powered up 24/7 to act as a media and file server. The NAS has upped the complexity since it is its own "device" and I'm not sure how everything should be setup so it works just as before for the other people in the house. That means being able to use AppleTV and all of our iOS mobile devices without jumping through hoops just to watch a movie or TV show or listen to music. The wife and the kids won't go for that. I'm hoping I didn't make an expensive mistake.

Thanks in advance for your help. I also need to sync 2 Dropbox accounts and 2 OneDrive accounts to the NAS but I should probably ask about that in a different post.

 

[kenmichelle]

Oldest Mac I used in anger was a SE FDHD 4/40.

Having used iTunes/Music/TV for a long time you'll know that some purchased media are DRM-locked. Unless you have some older purchased music then Apple removed DRM from music when they stopped selling 128kbps files, and I think music videos aren't DRM-locked either. We have some of these and I can play them in non-Apple apps. However, films and TV episodes are protected with DRM and you can only play these with Apple's apps (when they are logged in). I have very few films and TV episodes from Apple, purely because of the DRM lock-in: most came as digital versions with DVDs.

How you can proceed will be dictated by how much Apple DRM media you own. If it's a lot then you're better staying with Apple's apps, at least for that media type.

When I started the move I copied across my iTunes Media folder to the NAS: using CCC I made a filter so that known-DRM content was excluded. I then added these media folders to Control Panel / Indexing Server's indexed folders. Now the media will be available in Audio Station, Video Station, and Media Server (I have a Denon HEOS system that can stream music from DLNA/UPnP servers). The way that iTunes organised media into folders (e.g. music in Artist / Album, and TV in show / season) and renamed files is pretty good and seems works pretty well with automated tagging for display.

Later on I installed Plex Media Server and it uses the same media folders for its libraries. All that was needed was to give it permission to access the shared folders (read-only is enough) and then create libraries and select the media folders. I've not used Emby but others here use it.

The new Apple Music and TV applications still allow their 'Media folder to be placed where you want it. The defaults are the user's Music/Music/Music Media and Movies/TV/TV Media but they can be replaced to the NAS, or USB drive, etc.

Another reason for moving to Plex was so I could have additional audio track support in movies / concerts. Using Plex on an Apple TV (HD and 4K) I can play out the Multi-Channel to the Denon AVR for formats like DTS-HA MA, TrueHD, etc etc.


But I'm still interested to know how @Coop777 got iTunes Server to work, especially with iPhones.

I would estimate that around 90% of my movies and TV shows have DRM since they were purchased through iTunes or the Apple TV app. I downloaded Plex and set it up but most of the stuff won't play. The only movies and TV shows that I can play through Plex are the ones I ripped from DVD. I haven't tried music yet. I know that I do have some DRM'ed music from the days before Apple removed it.

Like you mentioned earlier, any of the DRM movies that I want to watch on my AppleTV need to be played through a Mac that is running the TV app. I thought that I read about someone who setup a VM of Windows 10 with iTunes running 24/7 on their NAS and used that successfully as their iTunes Server. I wish that I could find that thread and find out if they had to configure an additional volume on the NAS for the VM or if they installed Windows in the shared volume.

Anyway, I'm kicking myself for not just replacing the old RAID. Why have a NAS if you still need to have a PC or Mac running 24/7 at the same time to stream media? Just hang a RAID off it and be done. :-(

You also mentioned that most of your movies were digital versions that came with DVDs. If I purchase a Blu-Ray I make sure it has digital download too. However I download from iTunes and it comes with DRM. I'm assuming you use a different service to download the movies? Does it screw up the extras that sometimes are included?

 

[fredbert]

You also mentioned that most of your movies were digital versions that came with DVDs. If I purchase a Blu-Ray I make sure it has digital download too. However I download from iTunes and it comes with DRM. I'm assuming you use a different service to download the movies? Does it screw up the extras that sometimes are included?

It was more that I rarely bought just a digital download, and that most of mine came as part of a DVD+digital code. Having said that, I mostly just converted the DVD and forgot the iTunes DRM'ed version. Then came the digital download codes for Utraviolet and other stores, what a pain those were as they didn't have any way to play direct from Apple TV.

As for extras, I'm not usually interested in those (except the kids used to want the Pixar short films). Otherwise, maybe watched once from the disk, if watched at all. If I do convert them then I put them in a separate Plex library, though there is a way to have them incorporated with the main film's page in Plex.

One or two of my older iTunes purchased DRM'ed movies had extras but I think they are only working from Mac's Apple TV app (not tried, but it used to work in iTunes). Definitely the extras aren't accessible from either Mac's library or direct from Apple's servers. A newer 'iTunes' movie with extras are accessible direct from Apple's servers when streaming via the Apple TV (HD/4K).

 

[EAZ1964]

I know what you are going to say
But despite of my huge music collection, I decided in 2021 to go for the Spotify / Apples music route.
For the 3rd time in my life I moved with the flow to new technology (first time was when I dumped my records, second time my CD's and now my Flacs and MP3).
it saves me a lot of hassle with the above described, plus give additional benefits on the mobile front, where in my family there is a mix of android, Iphone and W10 anyway, making itunes hard to maintain anyway.

It is worth a thought, that is why I raise it.

 

[fredbert]

I know what you are going to say

Burn the heretic!

I have a family Tidal subscription (now with added lossless!) and I buy CDs and Blu-ray (concerts) of things I really want to own.

I’ve noticed that some players aren’t truly gapless. Irksome when two tracks really have no gap and a noticeable pause happens

 

[EAZ1964]

Tidal is a good service. High quality and decent library.