Why do my playlists keep failing?

I had this problem a while ago, but it disappeared with an iOS app or streamer firmware update. So for starters, are your NDS firmware and Naim app up to date?

Hi Chris,

IOS is latest version but I am still running 4.3 on the NDS as I didn't want Tidal and wasn't aware there may have been any fixes of this nature worth updating for.  Do you recall if you had these issues with 4.3?

Thanks.

Jason, I had these issues with 4.2 but I can't remember exactly when they disappeared, or if it was a streamer firmware or Naim app update that fixed it. Either way, you have nothing to lose by updating to current versions even if you don't want Tidal.

By the way, I assume you have this issue with playlists created on the Naim app, as I did. I found that playlists created on the server, which can still be viewed and played on the app, were OK. If nothing else, this might be a useful workaround for you until you get to the bottom of the problem.

I long ago decided that the Naim app playlist feature is as useful as it's user guide. I store playlists in either .m3u or .pls format  on the NAS. Selecting such a playlist on my ND5SX with the IR handset loads all tracks in the listed order ready for playing; one press of the play button and off we go.
Selecting the same playlist using the Naim app results in the track list appearing in the app (not on the ND5SX) BUT tracks have to be chosen from the list and added to the app playlist for playing. How stupid can you be! What on earth is the point in showing a playlist in the app that can't be played.

Hi Jason

I had this problem some time ago. The reason this hapens because the 'path' to the track on the server gets lost or corrupted. Unfortunately there is no way of looking at the path for playlists generated on the Naim Ap As you can on m3u playlists on the server. Try deleting one of the unavailable tracks and then re adding it to the playlist. If it then ok then that will almost certainly confirm that it is the 'path' that is causing the problem. This does not of course identify how this has happened or how to resolve it other than re Creating the playlist. Thinking back a couple of years I think I solved it by using two iPads and transferring the playlists to the second iPad and back again, I cannot however remember exactly how this worked.

Hi Jason

Somthing has stirred in my memory. I think I transferred the playlist to the second iPad then reinstalled  

the Naim Ap on the first iPad then transferred the playlist back to the first iPad. For this to work both iPads, iPods or iPhone have to be registered in the same name.

philip

How are you transferring playlists between iOS devices? I only know one way to do this, and it doesn't require devices to be registered to the same person.

As already mentioned this is a known issue with minimserver/naim, which requires a fix on both sides.

Simon told me a few months ago that the minimserver fix had been implemented already, but when I asked for an update from naim support at the time they tated that it hasn't been fixed at their end yet.

I just tried it again and confirm that I experience the same behaviour.

The root cause of this is linked to the album/song counts minimserver displays. Whenever these values change it will invalidate the URI path stored with the track on the playlist

There is one other method I use to reduce the incidence of the problem, which is to always add to a  playlist from the Artist branch of the minimserver browse tree.

Nick

Thank you all for your responses.  It seems I'm not alone with this issue then.  I will research the m3u route as I have not heard of this before, but this may be an answer if I can figure it out!  It would be great if Naim are aware and looking at a fix as the playlist app on the iPad is nice, simple and tactile to use.  However, sadly I suspect they won't spend too much time looking at this if this problem doesn't manifest itself with Naim servers, as this may be seen more as a Minimserver issue?  

Ok thanks Chris, yes it is a playlist created within the Naim app.  I shall have to sit down and try to work out how to create the playlist with Minimserver like you have, that looks like the best way forward.  I have just read that you can also lose playlists made by the Naim app when you update the Naim app and I don't want to lose playlists every time I update or reset the app.

Strangely I just went into a playlist that had earlier lost the path to a couple of tracks, and they have now re-linked and all songs in the playlist are playable again......for the moment anyway!  

Hi Jason. I don't use Minim as I have a Unitiserve, and it's easy to flip from the Naim app to the N-Serve app to manage playlists, which the Naim app can then see and play. I assume the something similar can be done with Minim.

When my Naim app playlists were corrupted, they never recovered. Also, I use more than one iOS device for control, and they each store their own playlists, which as far as I know, can only be manually sync'ed between devices. That's why I decided to keep playlists on the server instead.   

Ah, ok, that makes sense.  I had an HDX prior to NDS and used that as a server for a very brief period when I acquired the NDS and could see how that would work.  I shall have a play with Minim and see if I can do the same with the playlists on that.  Thanks.