Headless iTunes Server, how to add music?

[temm]

Hi,

After reading how other forum members have used a mac mini or a pc as a headless iTunes server i decided to do the same.

I have a QNAP TS-451 and have setup a windows 7 image on the virtualisation server. Installed iTunes and imported all my music library from the windows 7 vm, using vnc.

I've shared the library on the server and i can access it fine from my other devices, MBPr, 2xAtv, iMac.

My question is, when using the shared library from my iMac or MBPr, is it possible to add music to the shared library or does this have to be done from server pc that it sharing the library?

I was hopping i could do this from my iMac and don't have to connect remotely to my headless server to add new music.

Thanks.

 

[Boyd01]

I use a Mac Mini for this, so I don't know how it might differ with a PC. But on the Mac it's trivial: enable file sharing on the server, connect to it as a shared disk and copy your media to the folder called "automatically add to iTunes". This is found inside the folder that contains your media library on the server.

 

[temm]

I use a Mac Mini for this, so I don't know how it might differ with a PC. But on the Mac it's trivial: enable file sharing on the server, connect to it as a shared disk and copy your media to the folder called "automatically add to iTunes". This is found inside the folder that contains your media library on the server.

Thanks, that worked like a charm.

Is there any chance i could edit the album art from my iMac? I tried it from my iMac on the shared iTunes server library but it doesn't work.

 

[Boyd01]

I normally add metadata to my files before I copy them to the server, have been using a program called Subler. But I can also do it on the server when desired. I just use screen sharing for this. Again, with a Mac it's really simple, you enable screen sharing in System Preferences on the server, then when you click on the network drive from another Mac there's a button that says "share screen". This allows you to do anything that could be done directly on the server either within iTunes or with another program like Subler.

I don't know if you can setup a Windows screen for sharing this easily, but there are some apps that should allow it.

 

[temm]

I've used Subler in the past for video files, i'll give it a try for music also.

I can connect to my pc server with vnc, which is remote access like "share screen", but it's not that convenient as if i were to do it from the mac. For album art work you can "show info" for the album from iTunes on a mac and just drag an image onto the album, something doesn't work so easy on windows.

Anyway, the main problem is solved and i'll just have to deal with the metadata somehow.

 

[Boyd01]

I've used Subler in the past for video files, i'll give it a try for music also.

I have never used Subler for music either. In iTunes on the Mac, you can choose Song Info > Artwork > Add Artwork and then browse for the file you want. I assume this also works on the PC version?

 

[temm]

I have never used Subler for music either. In iTunes on the Mac, you can choose Song Info > Artwork > Add Artwork and then browse for the file you want. I assume this also works on the PC version?

Yes, it does. It's just that macOS is so much more initiative. You can just drag an image, lets say from images in the browser, right onto the the album in the ArtWork tab.

 

[Boyd01]

Sure, and that's why I used a Mac for my iTunes server!