Automatically Add To iTunes

Can you add the mini iTunes folder as a network share on the NAS?

OK - I presume that by 'add the mini iTunes folder as a network share on the NAS' you mean have the iTunes directory structure reside on the NAS ? I.e. Set up iTunes to use that directory structure ?

Ok yes I imagine I can do that - I have pointed iTunes to different places for its music before so this is just the same thing I expect.

However I guess I'm confused between storing music files in the library which iTunes uses, and storing the files in the 'Automatically Add To iTunes' folder.

Afaik, files aren't stored in the "Automatically add to iTunes folder". Almost as soon as you put a file there (assuming iTunes is running), it will be transferred into the iTunes library thus leaving the "Automatically add .." folder empty. 

Hi -

There a couple of concepts at play here, and I'm not exactly sure which one you're asking about, so apologies in advance if my suggestion doesn't quite address your question!

If you are just looking to rip files and have them in your iTunes library (eg for loading to an iPod, or for playing directly on your Mac mini using the iTunes interface, whether through a fancy DAC or otherwise), then you must use the iTunes preferences / configuration to tell it where to find the iTunes library. In this case, the default is usually in the Music folder hierarchy on your computer's internal hard drive...but you can change that to point anywhere, including a mounted drive that lives on your NAS. If you want to hold your iTunes library on your NAS disk, it's really useful to learn how to "auto-mount" the specific directory you wish to use each and every time you boot your computer. Failure to find the music directory when iTunes launches can lead to a ton of "sorry, your library is trashed and I've started another for you" problems!

If you want to use a UPnP server running on your NAS to stream your music, and also to create a duplicate copy in your iTunes library for off-line listening, then you can copy the ripped files (as long as you've chosen a format that iTunes recognizes...so no FLAC here) to the "Automatically Add to iTunes" directory. This folder is "watched" for new content arriving and the OS moves it to the folder you've specified in the iTunes configuration settings to tell it where your iTunes library lives. In this case, you'd have one copy of your music in a folder (probably on your NAS) for UPnP services, and another copy in a folder (by default on your computer hard drive, but you can over-ride this as above) for exclusive use by iTunes.

I hope one or both of these suggestions helps you understand what you might need to do to achieve what you're after!

Regards, alan

Thanks chaps.

Essentially I want my music to be available to Sonos for multiroom duties, Mac Mini for main system front-end, and also I want to sync with my iPod. Rightly or wrongly I've got it into my head that the simplest configuration would be to have one copy of the music suitable for all those uses rather than having to worry about maintaining/synching several copies each time I rip a new cd. Maintaining several copies may well be easy to do (I don't know) but it would seem to me to introduce another potential point of failure so why should I do that if there's a simpler more robust configuration ?

I also have over 1TB of music so that won't fit on my Mini HD.

Hence I was thinking to store my files in ALAC on my NAS, so Sonos can see that (as it does currently) with iTunes configured to use that location for Mini and iPod purposes (obv compress files when synching the iPod).

I use dBpoweramp for ripping, and I would like to just rip once and then play it on whatever.

Thanks again for the advice.

Hi Will,

With one music store for iTunes and other uses, as Wat says you have two choices: let iTunes manage your directories or manage them yourself. Managing manually can avoid some issues, especially if things get disconnected. Letting iTunes do it is also nice since it updates things and gives a folder / file hierarchy and naming convention that you're familiar with. The actual folder can be wherever you like, including on a NAS. the iTunes folder on your mini HDD will contain a small amount of info and a pointer to your main NAS music folder. On your other systems, Sonos included, you only need to tell it to look at your main NAS folder. If you rip ALAC with iTunes, it's already automati. If you tell your external ripper, dBpoweramp included, to rip to the "automatically include..." directory, iTunes will move them to their real home for you.  Good to go. 

Regards, alan

Ok thanks, but could I not tell dBpoweramp to rip to the 'real home' directly instead of the "automatically include .." folder ? What difference would it make ?

Apologies but there must be something I'm not getting. I'm fine to manage my library manually and have my music on my own chosen directory on my NAS to be accessed by both Sonos and iTunes. What I am unclear on is my ripping destination - it seems I can either ask dBpoweramp to rip to my "Automatically Add ..." folder and let iTunes move it to the music folder on my NAS that I have configured in settings, or I could tell dBpoweramp to rip to that location directly.

I don't understand the difference between these two options.

I don't use DBPA but i do have the setup you have Will. iTunes managing the library, the library is on the NAS and i feed a Sonos system. I use XLD for ripping and this has an option to automatically add music to the iTunes library - basically as it rips, a script runs and automatically imports the track into iTunes. I get the benefit of XLD ripping, but with iTunes music management. 

I'd use the iTunes import option if possible - it'll keep things a lot tidier. Ripping directly to the music folder means the files are there but iTunes won't have indexed them unless you go in and manually add them. 

James

OK great.

Thanks a lot everyone.

I strongly recommend the website Ilounge dot com. If you click the help section there are 2 very well documented articles in how to manage you itunes library in the situation you describe

Seems explicitly stated here, but just for the avoidance of any doubt, are you saying that the 'Automatically Add ...' folder does nothing unless the 'Let iTunes manage your music ...' option is ticked ?

I guess I want to definitely manage my library myself (to avoid iTunes playing around with folder names etc. as I have specific dynamic folder naming commands in dBpoweramp) but also want the convenience of iTunes automatically updating its index when I rip a new cd using dBpoweramp. (Happy to use other rippers but I picked DBPA based on its popularity on here).

It's not that bad if I have to go to the trouble of dropping a folder on to iTunes each time I rip though...

Think there's some confusion here, with in iTunes you have your music repository where iTunes stores its music files. If you rip using iTunes, all rips end up there. the automatically add option covers music ripped outside of iTunes and what happens when you add the tracks to iTunes.. If the auto add option is enabled, iTunes will copy the files to its music repository and uses the copies.. If the auto add option is disabled, iTunes will use the files from the original location for playback.  the iTunes management  option covers how files are organised within the repository.. If enabled, iTunes will impose its artist,album,track file structure based on tag meta data, if disabled, it will leave the files as is and any tag changes made within iTunes will have no impact on the repositories file structure.