# Apple Music



## greensuperman32 (Mar 28, 2005)

So now that Apple Music is out and available to Canada on day one, how many here on ehMac are giving it a try? I updated my iPhone and signed up for the 3 month trial immediately. I was very surprised to see the pricing be $9.99 and $14.99 in Canada, I thought they would adjust for the exchange rate.


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

Does the price include taxes?


----------



## greensuperman32 (Mar 28, 2005)

MacUnited said:


> Does the price include taxes?


I don't think so.


----------



## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

Playing around with it. I like just finding music and adding it to my library for offline use. Easier and legal but at $120/year not sure it will make the budget come September. Beats 1 station seems to be such a large mix of genres at the moment. Not sure I overly enjoy it. Still exploring though. 


Sent from my iPhone using Crapatalk


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

If one is of the habit of actually buying all their music, I don't think the 120 price tag is that expensive, specially for larger families!
however, I question the whole streaming music concept with the meagre bandwidth Canadian carrier sell, how long can you stream a month with 1 or 2GB plans?


----------



## greensuperman32 (Mar 28, 2005)

MacUnited said:


> If one is of the habit of actually buying all their music, I don't think the 120 price tag is that expensive, specially for larger families!
> however, I question the whole streaming music concept with the meagre bandwidth Canadian carrier sell, how long can you stream a month with 1 or 2GB plans?


You can also download songs, albums, playlists, etc to your device so you can listen offline. You can even set it on your iPhone so that Apple Music won't use cellular data.


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

I'm trying to download a couple to listen offline.. very difficult to tell what's going on!! lol


----------



## CTA (Jul 4, 2010)

I thought I'd try the radio and was enjoying it till I realized it drops the multiple speakers. The button disappears. Back to my own music. Probably drop it after the free three months.


----------



## bmovie (Jan 18, 2003)

Why pay for this, when there are lots of Free stations from many different apps that stream music.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I didn't even bother with the free trial. Streaming is not for me, especially when I spend so much time without the internet available to me in the summer.


----------



## greensuperman32 (Mar 28, 2005)

SINC said:


> I didn't even bother with the free trial. Streaming is not for me, especially when I spend so much time without the internet available to me in the summer.


Keep in mind, you don't have to stream the content. You can download any of the content on the service to any of your devices.

The only time I will be streaming it will be when I'm at home, otherwise I will have plenty from the service downloaded straight to my phone.


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

Ok I'll have to admit that I was skeptical, and maybe still won't pay for it.. BUT, last night, I put my headphones on and went on a long trip down memory lane and listened to probably energy iron maiden album that was ever made. I feel the ability to get these albums and download then for offline listening might be a winner in my book maybe I will change my mind by the end of the free trial!


----------



## HenriHelvetica (Oct 4, 2011)

it saddens me to hear that the one thing that ppl are in constant battle over - listening/owner ship of music, is too expensive @ $9.99/month. When I'm more than certain 2/3 coffees/week @ Starbucks will be about the same. Or 1 beer @ a Toronto bar. Again, there's always radio and all that. But this is the evolution of music listening - which I have mixed feelings about all around. Musicianship and the career has seen so many changes in the last 10 yrs. 

I was never a huge streaming type - not like current gen, but that's also because I was raised around ownership. 

That said, I'm about to make this happen. Looking fwd to it frankly.


----------



## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

HenriHelvetica said:


> it saddens me to hear that the one thing that ppl are in constant battle over - listening/owner ship of music, is too expensive @ $9.99/month. When I'm more than certain 2/3 coffees/week @ Starbucks will be about the same. Or 1 beer @ a Toronto bar. Again, there's always radio and all that. But this is the evolution of music listening - which I have mixed feelings about all around. Musicianship and the career has seen so many changes in the last 10 yrs.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I like having physical copies of the music. I generally don't pay for all of it. I probably buy 2-3 albums a year from artists I really like or non mainstream artist that need the money (yes that definition is totally judgmental on my end). The rest get downloaded from other sources. The radio streaming probably isn't for me either but after just adding three albums (legally for the next three months) with a matter of clicks I think paying $10/month for legal music at my finger tips could is the only argument I need to justify it. It's definitely easier than finding torrents and its legal.

Now I just need some new good headphones to listen to this music with... Argh another cost. 


Sent from my iPhone using Crapatalk


----------



## HenriHelvetica (Oct 4, 2011)

Dr_AL said:


> I like having physical copies of the music. I generally don't pay for all of it. I probably buy 2-3 albums a year from artists I really like or non mainstream artist that need the money (yes that definition is totally judgmental on my end). The rest get downloaded from other sources. The radio streaming probably isn't for me either but after just adding three albums (legally for the next three months) with a matter of clicks I think paying $10/month for legal music at my finger tips could is the only argument I need to justify it. It's definitely easier than finding torrents and its legal.
> 
> Now I just need some new good headphones to listen to this music with... Argh another cost.
> 
> ...


I'll generally listen to anything someone wants to willingly make available for stream/buy. It's the very delight of discovery i like to offer/be offered. I've discovered so many bands that way - bands that I ride for now (_Cinematic Orchestra, LO Freq_ come to mind)

But I realized a long time ago that tech and the more of less privacy in being able to download made this a lose lose for artists - at every step of the way. 

Either way, let's see what happens here as this is the biggest entry and maybe disruption of the streaming space. 

And yes, great earphones are a great way of adding to the experience for sure. I actually own some Sennheiser Momentums which I take to work and back daily. 

H!


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

HenriHelvetica said:


> it saddens me to hear that the one thing that ppl are in constant battle over - listening/owner ship of music, is too expensive @ $9.99/month. When I'm more than certain 2/3 coffees/week @ Starbucks will be about the same. Or 1 beer @ a Toronto bar. Again, there's always radio and all that. But this is the evolution of music listening - which I have mixed feelings about all around. Musicianship and the career has seen so many changes in the last 10 yrs.
> 
> I was never a huge streaming type - not like current gen, but that's also because I was raised around ownership.
> 
> That said, I'm about to make this happen. Looking fwd to it frankly.


It's not much the cost as it is the cultural shift. for me personally, I wouldn't pay a single dime for most of today's talentless hack that call themselves artists! but again, it might be my age lol maybe after the 3 months I'll change my mind, or I'll have had enough of "classics".. who knows.


----------



## Pat McCrotch (Jun 19, 2006)

MacUnited said:


> It's not much the cost as it is the cultural shift. for me personally, I wouldn't pay a single dime for most of today's talentless hack that call themselves artists! but again, it might be my age lol maybe after the 3 months I'll change my mind, or I'll have had enough of "classics".. who knows.


Music is like air. Every needs it yet everyone takes it for granted and no one wants to pay for since it's all around us all the time. People used to pride themselves in their music collection; now I can listen to Mozart or an Indian ragga with the press of a button. Really wonderful in some ways but really awful in other ways.


----------



## heavyall (Nov 2, 2012)

MacUnited said:


> I question the whole streaming music concept with the meagre bandwidth Canadian carrier sell, how long can you stream a month with 1 or 2GB plans?


That's probably the only part that doesn't bother me so much. Unlimited data is not that hard to come by (and I've had it for my iPhones for many years).

It's the reliability of that signal that is the problem. I get no bars at all at work. Anything that requires a data connection literally doesn't work during the time that I would have my headphones on the most. Phones don't work in most places that I go -- schools, hockey arenas, hospitals, Costco…. There's a reason I still use my iPod Classic almost everyday -- everything actually works when I don't have a cell signal.

How does the downloading really work? Can I download the music and load it onto a non-connected device (my iPod Classic)? Does the DRM still need that signal to check if my subscription is valid? If it needs a signal (ever), it's a thousand percent useless to me.


----------



## Commodus (May 10, 2005)

heavyall said:


> How does the downloading really work? Can I download the music and load it onto a non-connected device (my iPod Classic)? Does the DRM still need that signal to check if my subscription is valid? If it needs a signal (ever), it's a thousand percent useless to me.


Think of it more as a cache -- it's meant for the device you're storing the tunes on, and that's all. I wouldn't have the exact details of how long offline songs last, but it's likely the same as Spotify (i.e. you'll have to connect once every 30 days or so to prove that you're still a member, but that's it). Pretty reasonable, since you're not actually buying the tracks.

Streaming music definitely isn't for everyone, but it makes a lot of sense if you're regularly on good cellular and WiFi access (and need offline playback mostly for one-off things like flights). I look at it this way: there's too much new music I want to hear that I'd otherwise buy. It's "renting" music, but that's worthwhile when the alternative is missing out on a lot of worthwhile content.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

heavyall said:


> How does the downloading really work?


That is my question as well. I can see no method to actually download anything. What am I missing?


----------



## greensuperman32 (Mar 28, 2005)

SINC said:


> That is my question as well. I can see no method to actually download anything. What am I missing?


Well on iOS when you are viewing say an album or a list of songs you will see options buttons that look like 3 dots, once you click one you will be given a list of options one of which will be "Make Available Offline"

In iTunes on the Mac you have to add the song, album or whatever it is you want in your to "My Music". Then you can go to the "My Music" tab and you will see a symbol that has a cloud with an arrow pointing down, once you click on that it will download to your computer.


----------



## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

Also adding music to "my music" on your iOS device will make it show up in iTunes on your Mac (or windows I suppose). Then you can download it to iTunes. 

Once downloaded to iTunes you can then add to an iPod that requires a sync with iTunes. 


Sent from my iPhone using Crapatalk


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Thanks very much guys, that is a great help. :clap:


----------



## slipstream (May 9, 2011)

I'm going to like it a lot I think. Takes a little orientation, but after burning our large library of CDs a few years ago I haven't spent time searching out fresh music. This seems easier somehow. It's opening up new artists for me, fairly painlessly.


----------



## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

I don't know if this is the right thread for posting, but there seems to be a new "iOS 8.4 _*Feature*_" circulating:
_*iOS 8.4 loses Home Sharing*_
i.e.:
iOS 8.4 loses Home Sharing - Mac-Forums Discussions for Apple Products & Services

Maybe something that some may want to check out.


----------



## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

pm-r said:


> I don't know if this is the right thread for posting, but there seems to be a new "iOS 8.4 _*Feature*_" circulating:
> 
> _*iOS 8.4 loses Home Sharing*_
> 
> ...



You don't need home sharing with apple music enabled do you? Home sharing would just share your music library when on the same network. If all the music is in the cloud then you don't need to share and can just stream. 

Has anybody not signed up for apple music trial and on iOS 8.4? Maybe it comes back as an option with Apple music being off. Just speculation on that though. 


Sent from my iPhone using Crapatalk


----------



## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Obviously we're just a few days into it, but on the whole I would have to rate it a very excellent start with a few (minor) glitches that need to be ironed out.

Let's first of all make clear what is free and what isn't:

*using your own music library like you've always done, free.
*listening to Beats 1 or the genre-oriented radio stations, or creating your own station: free.
*reading the Connect social service to catch up on what your favourite artists are doing: free.

*streaming 30 million songs: part of the $10/month deal.
*storing said songs for offline listening: part of the $10 month deal
*participating in Connect: part of the $10 month deal.
*The AMAZING "For You" recommendations (by humans!): part of the $10/month deal
*iCloud Music Library (essentially what iTunes Match does): part of the $10/month deal

I signed up for the free trial, specifically to see how good the "For You" recommendations would be. THEY ARE AMAZING. I'll come back to that.

Beats 1: I'm not the target demographic, but there's some interesting stuff there. Not enough to keep me listening all the time, but enough to get me to check in every so often. I like the concept, I'm just a bit too old for what they're going for. Still, nicely done.

iTunes Radio (sorta): all my custom iTunes Radio stations were preserved, plus there's a bunch of genre-based stations from classical to punk and everything in-between. So, great stuff.

Connect: needs more of the sort of artists I would follow posting, looks promising, but too soon to say.

Okay, so on to the paid stuff:

Having some 30 million songs at your fingertips: kind of amazing. Call up Siri, ask her to play some Brian Wilson, or the album "Kimono My House," or some 1990s indie rock, and she will. Think of a song you're in the mood for? Ask her, she'll play it.

For You: this is where I spend ALL DAY. Every few hours, Apple Music throws me some deep-cut playlists or intro to (a band), or full albums or other mixes -- more than I can listen to in a day -- but the best part is that it is ALL STUFF I LOVE. It's uncanny, but I know its based on what I have in my library, things I've favorited, iTunes purchases and the artists I said I loved (or hated) during the orientation, so it shouldn't be so surprising.

Since I'm middle-aged, I have a long and wide history that For You is really taking advantage of -- albums I haven't listened to in decades keep showing up, right alongside stuff I know very well. This part of the service BY ITSELF is worth $10 a month for me. So much music to listen to that I don't already own!

New: this is where you go to look up stuff, and see what's popular. With few exceptions, I don't care much for what's hot and popular (and never did), so there's not a lot there except for the search bar I need to find what it is I'm looking for to stream or buy. Works great, and you might discover new stuff here.

iCloud Music Library: has some bugs. I'm not overly concerned about this, it will get resolved. For now, approach this part with some caution.


----------



## polywog (Aug 9, 2007)

Dr_AL said:


> You don't need home sharing with apple music enabled do you? Home sharing would just share your music library when on the same network. If all the music is in the cloud then you don't need to share and can just stream.
> 
> Has anybody not signed up for apple music trial and on iOS 8.4? Maybe it comes back as an option with Apple music being off. Just speculation on that though.
> 
> ...


If one is concerned about monthly internet usage, it is a bit of a problem. For instance, I have a fairly extensive library locally stored. I want to stream from that, not the cloud when I'm at home.

Plus, I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but since 8.4, I can't use the remote app to control apple TV. iTunes shows up fine, home sharing is on everywhere, but Apple TV no longer appears.


----------



## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

polywog said:


> If one is concerned about monthly internet usage, it is a bit of a problem. For instance, I have a fairly extensive library locally stored. I want to stream from that, not the cloud when I'm at home.
> 
> 
> 
> Plus, I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but since 8.4, I can't use the remote app to control apple TV. iTunes shows up fine, home sharing is on everywhere, but Apple TV no longer appears.



True. I've always had unlimited bandwidth at home and unlimited* data on my cell so I usually forget that point. 

I guess the remote app did use home sharing for control but iOS 8.4 still has home sharing in the video app... I can't say I ever use the remote app much, I'll try tonight to see if I see either of my appleTVs. 


Sent from my iPhone using Crapatalk


----------



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Thanks Chas.^^


----------



## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

_*This may be of use to some of you....*_

*How to Fix an iTunes Library Corrupted After Enabling Apple Music*

_Several users in Apple’s forums and around the web have reported that after turning on iCloud Music Library (which scans your music library and makes it available for streaming on all your devices), their metadata was thrown out of whack. In the worst cases, album titles aren’t linked to the right songs and artwork is completely wrong. Thankfully, you can roll back your library file to get it working properly:_​
(Details at LifeHacker)


----------



## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

And some other articles to be aware of it looks like that some users have got hit with…

iTunes 12.2 and iCloud Music Library: A Disaster for Your Music Collection - The Mac Observer

"_iCloud Music Library was introduced with this week's iTunes 12.2 and Apple Music release, and it's turning out to be a big bag of hurt. Instead of giving us a unified music library across all our devices, it's scrambling albums and tracks, and even adds DRM to songs you already own which will lock you out of albums you ripped from CD if you ever drop your Apple Music subscription. …_"

Just being a *messenger* for possibly some *mess*!!


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

Installed it on my 9 year old iMac last night, and it works really well. Tried an Elton John playlist--all good tunes, and a nice balance of hits and lesser known gems. I like what I see and hear so far.

+ 1 on For You and Chas_m's comments.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

polywog said:


> Plus, I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but since 8.4, I can't use the remote app to control apple TV. iTunes shows up fine, home sharing is on everywhere, but Apple TV no longer appears.



All of my AppleTV's (2 of them) show up with iOS 8.4 and the remote app. There is a home sharing option in the remote app settings still. 


Sent from my iPhone using Crapatalk


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

I have no problems using the remote app with Apple TV.


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

I see no downsides yet, except that perhaps my 6 1/2 year old Shaw router needs to be replaced with something newer.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

I was using Spotify but I HATED their shuffle, the shuffle on Music is great. Also if I wanted to listen to anything from my iTunes library I'd need to add it to my playlist, which was too time consuming for me. Now everything is integrated. This is well worth the $10/mo but I wonder how this will effect their sales, I wont be buying music anymore if I'm subscribed...

Now if they could only take on Netflix with a similar subscription service...wouldn't doubt it's in the works.


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

JumboJones said:


> I was using Spotify but I HATED their shuffle, the shuffle on Music is great. Also if I wanted to listen to anything from my iTunes library I'd need to add it to my playlist, which was too time consuming for me. Now everything is integrated. This is well worth the $10/mo but I wonder how this will effect their sales, I wont be buying music anymore if I'm subscribed...
> 
> 
> 
> Now if they could only take on Netflix with a similar subscription service...wouldn't doubt it's in the works.



Perhaps I'm traditional, but I still like to buy the song or artist I've just Soundhounded or really like, especially since I know that's how the artist gets paid (I have a couple of songs of my own on iTunes) and that people are generally pretty cheap. I don't care. I will buy and also use Apple Music, but I can tell you that Spotify alone pays the artist ****, compared with Amazon or iTunes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

Care to share them two songs with us? I'd like to check them out 




fjnmusic said:


> Perhaps I'm traditional, but I still like to buy the song or artist I've just Soundhounded or really like, especially since I know that's how the artist gets paid (I have a couple of songs of my own on iTunes) and that people are generally pretty cheap. I don't care. I will buy and also use Apple Music, but I can tell you that Spotify alone pays the artist ****, compared with Amazon or iTunes.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

MacUnited said:


> Care to share them two songs with us? I'd like to check them out



Sure. Here they are. 😎👍🏽

Listen to Fearless Frank on @AppleMusic.
https://itun.es/ca/vtEBN

Also on Spotify (streams but pays the artist almost nothing)
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4TST3ROKkLBgBIK1SZMOzv

Also on Google Play—whoo! Price increase. 😀
https://play.google.com/store/music/artist/Fearless_Frank_Nobert?id=Aqdx4x247oxfxj276uzfaetpwsq

Or listen for free on SoundCloud. Might as well shoot for exposure. 👊🏽
https://soundcloud.com/fearless-frank

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## greensuperman32 (Mar 28, 2005)

JumboJones said:


> I was using Spotify but I HATED their shuffle, the shuffle on Music is great. Also if I wanted to listen to anything from my iTunes library I'd need to add it to my playlist, which was too time consuming for me. Now everything is integrated. This is well worth the $10/mo but I wonder how this will effect their sales, I wont be buying music anymore if I'm subscribed...
> 
> Now if they could only take on Netflix with a similar subscription service...wouldn't doubt it's in the works.


I'm sure Apple isn't worried about the iTunes sales, they've never been shy to cannibalize their own products afterall. At the end of the day, you'd still be giving them money.


----------



## irontree (Oct 28, 2006)

Personally I find Spotify way better. Also anyone notice not everything in the iTunes Store is available to stream like Apple claims. Lots of albums only in store but not showing up in my Apple Music searched. Think I'll cancel and stick with Spotify


----------



## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

Everything I had on Spotify is on Apple Music, so I had no problems with cancelling it.


----------



## irontree (Oct 28, 2006)

a lot of the artists I'm "following" have incomplete libraries in Apple Music but those same albums are in the store... Go figure


----------



## irontree (Oct 28, 2006)

I had to screenshot this... Go home Apple Music. You're drunk!


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

irontree said:


> I had to screenshot this... Go home Apple Music. You're drunk!
> 
> View attachment 58481



BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! 😝


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

I don't know about matching the artwork, but those Playlists in the For You section just keep getting better, with new ones everyday. And the hits just keep coming!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## BReligion (Jun 21, 2006)

irontree said:


> I had to screenshot this... Go home Apple Music. You're drunk!
> View attachment 58481


Oh man I hope they didn't punish you and actually play Chili Peppers instead of The Police... Right there would be enough reason to avoid the service all together.

BReligion


----------



## CTA (Jul 4, 2010)

Fatback and Greens: Funky Jazz for Cooking. This is what was at the top of For You tonight when I got home. Is apple reading my mind?!?!?! Lousy day at work made a little easier.


----------



## CTA (Jul 4, 2010)

Back on page one I mentioned radio drops multiple speakers. Not true. Now it's just Beats One. Is this the case for others? I'll be happy with the other radio stations although I don't understand why Beats One is limited. Call me crazy but I like to put something on throughout the condo and listen!


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

CTA said:


> Fatback and Greens: Funky Jazz for Cooking. This is what was at the top of For You tonight when I got home. Is apple reading my mind?!?!?! Lousy day at work made a little easier.



Listen to the bird! Pow! Pow! Skidlly doo wa wa wah!

http://youtu.be/Gc9ZPPyVn7g




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

CTA said:


> Back on page one I mentioned radio drops multiple speakers. Not true. Now it's just Beats One. Is this the case for others? I'll be happy with the other radio stations although I don't understand why Beats One is limited. Call me crazy but I like to put something on throughout the condo and listen!



How do you set multiple speakers from an iPad? I am currently flummoxed on this one...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## CTA (Jul 4, 2010)

HaHa. Fred being a way cool hipster!!!


----------



## irontree (Oct 28, 2006)

So now I go to iTunes and try and copy music over from my library and I get a message that I can't because iTunes match is enabled... what??? I never turned that on and have never subscribed to it. So I go to my iPhone music settings... and I see the option to subscribe but no option to turn off.... weird. So I turn off iCloud music library, go back to my computer to try and copy the music over. Now the music is showing on my phone but greyed out.... screw you apple I'm so annoyed


----------



## irontree (Oct 28, 2006)

Wow so I turn off "Show Apple Music" and now I'm able to copy tunes from my computer again...and minus my embedded cover artwork... once again screw you apple...


----------



## 18m2 (Nov 24, 2013)

irontree said:


> ... once again screw you apple...


It would be nice if Apple's upgrades left settings the way they were (when possible) and described how to enact new or different features. I too was frustrated by the disappearance of MY MUSIC. 

Music streaming for me is a non-starter unless they start making new classics.


----------



## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

Have a look at another forums thread where a few ehmac members also hang out…
Apple Music Service - most exasperating - Mac-Forums Discussions for Apple Products & Services

Unfortunately the problems don't seem to be affecting just a few users, so another big Apple "upgrade" screwup…???


----------



## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

I have no interest in this at all. I once heard someone describe streaming music like "renting music". I'd much rather own it and have access to it at any time that I like, even if/when I break up with iTunes or Music.

When I hear a song that I like, I have no problem paying for it to thank the artists that put countless hours into producing their work.


----------



## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

Can I just say that in addition to having no interest in the new streaming service, I really hate the iOS 8.4 music player? Interface is way too convoluted, with too many itty-bitty targets to tap and non-obvious implementation of features. 

The way they buried the toggle for Shuffle mode is bad enough, but they also included a great big word "Shuffle" in the main playback interface that only reshuffles rather than toggling Shuffle mode as you would think it would. 

No user, let alone an experienced one, should have to go looking for tutorials on this stuff. And yet for the first time in as long as I can remember, I had to do just that.


----------



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

How artists get paid normally is bad enough..

Also, they still get paid.




talonracer said:


> I have no interest in this at all. I once heard someone describe streaming music like "renting music". I'd much rather own it and have access to it at any time that I like, even if/when I break up with iTunes or Music.
> 
> When I hear a song that I like, I have no problem paying for it to thank the artists that put countless hours into producing their work.


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

HowEver said:


> How artists get paid normally is bad enough..
> 
> 
> 
> Also, they still get paid.



Thank you, Taylor Swift! However, the amount of money artists will actually see from streaming is measured in I hundredths of penny. So not exactly lucrative.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Thank you, Eddie Cue.

I guess you can toss those radios out the window based on how much artists receive for airplay.




fjnmusic said:


> Thank you, Taylor Swift! However, the amount of money artists will actually see from streaming is measured in I hundredths of penny. So not exactly lucrative.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

HowEver said:


> Thank you, Eddie Cue.
> 
> 
> 
> I guess you can toss those radios out the window based on how much artists receive for airplay.



In the golden days of radio, airplay motivated youngsters to go out and buy the latest 45 or album if they really liked the artist. Today, people are both cheap and lazy and most will not buy the cow if they could get the milk for free. I buy from iTunes and taught my kids to do the same, but we're a disappearing breed. The days of "owning" music are numbered anyway, so streaming was just the next logical step. In fact, the MP3 was developed for the purpose of streaming originally, not downloading, but it took a while for the playback technology to catch up to a decent streaming standard. There was an interesting episode of Q with Shad all about this very subject.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## greensuperman32 (Mar 28, 2005)

Buying music doesn't really support the artist much if they are behind a big label. Typically an artist sees a very small amount of the money from their record sales, if any, and sometimes they even end up in debt to the label. Most of the money ends up in the hands of their record label. If you really want to support an artist, one of the best ways is to go to one of their shows. This type of crap has been going on pretty much as long as record labels have been around, yet most artists still go this route even in the age of the internet when labels really seem to be pointless.


----------



## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

I wonder how much if any this chart has changed???
https://musictechpolicy.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/how-much-do-artists-earn-online/

And, anyone know how much was actually shared from the Canadian tax on CDs and DVDs??? Not too many artists got rich from that I don't think…


----------



## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

I have two songs on iTunes. As an independent and self-produced artist I make the full 70 cents per dollar from each copy sold. I would need to sell 1000 copies to make $700. However, I do not have the distribution channels that major labels provide, and I don't really do a ton of self-promotion, so I'm lucky to make double-digits on iTunes. Even then, that's WAY more than either Spotify or Apple Music or any other streaming service would pay. And tariffs on blank media? Forget it. There's nothing to made there,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## MacUnited (Nov 1, 2009)

greensuperman32 said:


> Buying music doesn't really support the artist much if they are behind a big label. Typically an artist sees a very small amount of the money from their record sales, if any, and sometimes they even end up in debt to the label. Most of the money ends up in the hands of their record label. If you really want to support an artist, one of the best ways is to go to one of their shows. This type of crap has been going on pretty much as long as record labels have been around, yet most artists still go this route even in the age of the internet when labels really seem to be pointless.


So when you guys refer to an artist, you mean the starters? The unknown? Or the famous? Somehow I don't think kanye west is in debt to any label company..


----------



## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Something that should be of interest (concern?) to Apple Music subscribers:*

*Apple Stole My Music. No, Seriously.*

...through the Apple Music subscription, which I had, Apple now deletes files from its users’ computers. When I signed up for Apple Music, iTunes evaluated my massive collection of Mp3s and WAV files, scanned Apple’s database for what it considered matches, then removed the original files from my internal hard drive. REMOVED them. Deleted. If Apple Music saw a file it didn’t recognize—which came up often, since I’m a freelance composer and have many music files that I created myself—it would then download it to Apple’s database, delete it from my hard drive, and serve it back to me when I wanted to listen, just like it would with my other music files it had deleted.

* * *​
What Apple considers a “match” often isn’t. That rare, early version of Fountains of Wayne’s “I’ll Do The Driving,” labeled as such? Still had its same label, but was instead replaced by the later-released, more widely available version of the song. The piano demo of “Sister Jack” that I downloaded directly from Spoon’s website ten years ago? Replaced with the alternate, more common demo version of the song. What this means, then, is that Apple is engineering a future in which rare, or varying, mixes and versions of songs won’t exist unless Apple decides they do. Said alternate versions will be replaced by the most mainstream version, despite their original, at-one-time correct, titles, labels, and file contents.

* * *​
Should I choose to reclaim my songs via download, the files I would get back would not necessarily be the same as my original files. As a freelance composer, I save WAV files of my own compositions rather than Mp3s. WAV files have about ten times the number of samples, so they just sound better. Since Apple Music does not support WAV files, as they stole my compositions and stored them in their servers, they also converted them to Mp3s or AACs. So not only do I need to keep paying Apple Music just to access my own files, but I have to hear an inferior version of each recording instead of the one I created.​
(VellamAtlanta.com)

*Do also read the follow-up commentary on the above story here:*

*No, Apple Music is not deleting tracks off your hard drive —unless you tell it to*

On your original Mac, Apple Music will never delete songs without your knowledge. Your original library is scanned into iCloud, but your songs are yours, and Apple will not automatically delete them, or replace them with its own proprietary copies.

....

You can, however, download iCloud Music Library-sourced tracks on your Mac if you delete your original copies — and this is what I suspect may have happened to Vellum Atlanta author James Pinkstone's original library, possibly unknowingly.​
(iMore)


----------



## BigDL (Apr 16, 2003)

Apple, with the last iTunes update, broke the links to my Music Library, removed my playlists (in iTunes) from my Mac and removed all of my iPod, iPad and iPhone Apps on my Mac and the ability to store, update and sinc Apps of iDevices backed up on my Mac. 

It seems Apple wants everything in iCloud for mobile (pad, pod and phone) devices. Steaming music also seems to be what everyone 'must have' with the latest paradigm shift from Apple. Especially with the design of iTunes for iDevices.

I have to wonder how long before Apple dictates all mobile (and desktop) Macs shall be tethered to iCloud as Apple pushes (small size at a high price for) solid state storage and paying for iCloud storage.

I looked around for an alternative player/catalogue data base, to iTunes but all alternatives I found, are tied to iTunes.


----------



## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

iTunes is hot garbage now and has been for a long time. It's as if a seemingly great idea took root at Apple over a decade ago and just won't die: let's make iTunes a media hub that can do it all. So convenient!

So now iTunes is (or is the front end for) a music library organizer/CD ripper/player, a music store, a streaming music service, a cloud mirroring service for music, a video organizer/player, a video store, an iPhone/iPod manager and backup system, and probably other things I'm forgetting.

IMHO they should blow it up and create at least three new apps. I'd fold iTunes Match, Apple Music and iCloud music library into a single tiered service for which one of the new apps is the front end, make iTunes itself a straightforward music library/player, and have a separate app as a front end for the music and video store. And please, if I have something on my local disc, let Apple TV get to it without my having to launch iTunes or one of its successors.

Instead I expect yet another refresh that just tinkers without addressing the core issue that iTunes is a classic example of a jack-of-all-trades and master of none.

Regarding the disappearing music issue: Apple has now said they're aware of it, can't reproduce the bug, but are going to fix it anyway. As I read somewhere, this sounds like Apple saying they think it's probably user error, so they're going to patch the beast with some rewritten dialogue boxes and maybe some new warnings/dialogs.


----------



## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*FYI, today:*

*Apple Releases iTunes 12.4 - Features Interface and Navigation Tweaks*










_Apple on Monday released iTunes 12.4 to the general public. The update brings a number of interface and navigation tweaks, as well as bug fixes. The update is available via the “Update” tab in the Mac App Store, and it should also be available via download from the Apple website very soon.

Today’s update brings the much-rumored redesigned interface that is designed to be simpler to navigate, and reintroduces the sidebar for easier navigation. A revamped media picker is also part of the update.

It isn’t known at this time whether the update includes a fix for the bug that was causing personal music files to be deleted. While the issue is said to have affected only a small number of users, and Apple was unable to recreate the bug, the company had promised a fix._​
(MacTrast)


----------



## polywog (Aug 9, 2007)

I quite like the tweaks. Here's hoping they squished some annoying bugs while they were at it.


----------



## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

While we wait for genuine improvements to iTunes, I see no reason not to have some useful interface tweaks. I'll be installing 12.4.

But forgive me if I predict that the program is still a bloated beast that has too many major functions crammed into it.

I'm curious about the rumoured Apple Music overhaul coming soon (WWDC). Will Apple untangle the mess of different but related cloud services? It's going to take that and probably more before I'll consider any of Apple's content-related services again.


----------

