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How to play music without Apple Music subscription?

Kentuckienne

Kentuckienne

macrumors regular
Original poster
I have a huge iTunes library as I ripped all my CDs and vinyl years ago. I have a still-functioning iPod Touch that I take on long car trips. But I can’t figure out how to migrate my existing iTunes library into a replacement app, now that iTunes is long gone. For a while I used Apple Music because it came free on my cell plan, but I refuse to subscribe to a monthly fee to listen to music I already bought. The iPod is also discontinued and I fear the day it ceases to be.

Is there an app I can use on Tahoe (mac mini) to play my iTunes library? Or a way to use Music locally without subscribing? I’ve been through so many threads and can’t find an answer. It’s so irritating. I feel like I’m in a three Stooges episode where Apple keeps putting obstacles in the path for me to trip on.
 
The Music app will work just as iTunes before (actually it's just iTunes with a different name and some changes). The "Apple Music" service subscription is not required. They moved the iPhone sync options to Finder, but it works the same as before.

It's been some time so probably the old iTunes library file can't be imported anymore, but you can just create a new library.
 
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Thanks, will try … I think it worked! Everything seems playable. I got so stuck on the sign-up screen for Music that I didn’t try the import. Thank you, thank you, thank you all.
 
Last edited:
galad said:
The Music app will work just as iTunes before (actually it's just iTunes with a different name and some changes). The "Apple Music" service subscription is not required. They moved the iPhone sync options to Finder, but it works the same as before.

It's been some time so probably the old iTunes library file can't be imported anymore, but you can just create a new library.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily, I have a similar situation. I had gotten a new iPhone as my old one died. My iTunes library was marooned on a 2009 MBP that could not be updated. I knew I needed a new MacBook so I let the Apple Store move my old library to my new computer and was able to connect my new iPhone and get my iTunes library synced.

You are correct that you can use the Apple Music app without a subscription. I will not submit to a subscription either and just use it to listen to my large iTunes library.
 
I've been using Albums.app on my M4 Mini/local library with success lately. It runs 24/7. Hasn't crashed or screwed up my album artwork.

Apple's Music.app is a steaming pile.
 
Kentuckienne said:
I have a huge iTunes library as I ripped all my CDs and vinyl years ago. I have a still-functioning iPod Touch that I take on long car trips. But I can’t figure out how to migrate my existing iTunes library into a replacement app, now that iTunes is long gone. For a while I used Apple Music because it came free on my cell plan, but I refuse to subscribe to a monthly fee to listen to music I already bought. The iPod is also discontinued and I fear the day it ceases to be.

Is there an app I can use on Tahoe (mac mini) to play my iTunes library? Or a way to use Music locally without subscribing? I’ve been through so many threads and can’t find an answer. It’s so irritating. I feel like I’m in a three Stooges episode where Apple keeps putting obstacles in the path for me to trip on.
Click to expand...
I use Swinsian. Just point it to your music library and it will organize everything. It's not iTunes, but it functions a lot like it.

Also, the primary requirement that I have for music apps on the Macs/PCs I use is that said app must monitor my music folder for any changes. iTunes could never do that and I do not know of any Apple music apps that will. Swinsian does.

That allows me to keep my music library in one place on my NAS and when I add or remove music from it, Swinsian and the other apps I use on different Macs/PCs will see those changes and update accordingly.

Finally, I am an old Google Play Music fan who was not at all happy when Google shut that service down and transferred everyone to YouTube music. So, I found an alternative…iBroadcast. iBroadcast functions just like Google Play Music did, in that you can load your entire ripped library to their cloud and it will be accessible on any device anywhere when outside your home.

The only downside is that because iBroadcast does not monitor your music folder, any changes you make have to actually be uploaded there. Google Play Music monitored the music folder and that's what I loved about it. But for what it does, iBroadcast is sufficient to meet what I want.
 
OP wrote:
"I can’t figure out how to migrate my existing iTunes library into a replacement app, now that iTunes is long gone."

iTunes still works.
It just needs to be "modified" a little bit.
I have both Sequoia and Tahoe -- and iTunes works with both of them.

There are threads here that explain how to do it -- requires a terminal command.

I prefer iTunes because it retains the built-in FREE internet streaming radio tuner (that was REMOVED in "music.app").

Having said this, it's possible that in the upcoming OS 27, iTunes won't work any more.
But for now, with existing OS's, it still can be made to work.
 
Would iTunes match be of interest to you? It costs $24.99 a year so still something but it puts your entire library in the cloud- everything all the ripped CDs etc- and then you can listen to it on Apple Music ( or itunes if you still have that on an old device) without a subscription on any device you want. I still use it because there are a lot of things I have that aren't available on streaming
It has another trick though which is if it has an identical item in higher quality, it'll give you the higher quality.
 
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