macOS Catalina Causes Issues for DJs Who Used iTunes With XML File Support

[MacRumors]

macOS Catalina eliminates the iTunes app in favor of new Music, TV, and Podcasts apps, but the lack of iTunes will impact DJs who relied on the software, reports The Verge.

Along with nixing iTunes, Apple is removing support for the method many DJ app developers had been using to access XML playlist files that let users access their iTunes music libraries.

DJs use XML file support to sort tracks into playlists and use iTunes' "Share iTunes Library XML with other applications" to transfer data between apps. The new Music app, though, uses a new, more modern library format that isn't compatible with XML.

Developers still have access to frameworks for accessing Music on the Mac, but XML file support is no longer available in macOS Catalina and developers need to update their apps to take advantage of the new methods that are compatible with music libraries on the Mac. Many DJ app developers are in the process of doing so, but customers using an XML app that is not supported should continue to use macOS Mojave until developer updates are implemented.

We spoke with Michael Simmons of Algoriddim, the developer behind the djay Pro apps, and he provided us with more insight into the issue, pointing to a previous report outlining how Apple launched an official SDK for delivering programmatic access to users' music libraries with the launch of iTunes 11 a number of years ago. Apps like djay Pro that previously transitioned to the SDK will have no problems continuing to integrate with Music libraries in macOS Catalina.

App developers who have continued to rely on the earlier undocumented XML integration and have not updated in time will find that their users will be unable to access their Music libraries after upgrading to Catalina. Companies like Serato and Native Instruments have warned their users not to upgrade to macOS Catalina yet, although Native Instruments has a public beta of its Traktor Pro app available that will support Catalina.

Article Link: macOS Catalina Causes Issues for DJs Who Used iTunes With XML File Support

 

[Skyblve]

Thumbs down for those DJ who uses iTunes for playing tracks... that's not real DJ

 

[Simmias]

Oh no! This is tragic. Won't someone please think of the iTunes DJs who use XML (all 3 of them)?

 

[ersan191]

Please don't post an article for every tiny group of people that has been disenfranchised by this OS update. They changed a bunch of things, that's life. Don't update if it's important to you to use legacy features.

 

[BGPL]

They had a good run... I don't know about XML integration, but iTunes had 18 good years. Kind of saw that coming, XML has fallen by the wayside over the past several years.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

Thumbs down for those DJ who uses iTunes for playing tracks... that's not real DJ

Oh no! This is tragic. Won't someone please think of the iTunes DJs who use XML (all 3 of them)?

this has nothing to do with using itunes to DJ. it's regarding giving your DJ software, like Serato DJ, access to your iTunes library, where you may or may not maintain your music library.

 

[LeeW]

Why on earth would anyone who relies on specific software to work a specific way upgrade without actually finding out what has changed? If they do, well tough luck.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Please don't post an article for every tiny group of people that has been disenfranchised by this OS update. They changed a bunch of things, that's life. Don't update if it's important to you to use legacy features.

So this was well known, well ahead of time? I don't see a mention of it anywhere before today.

 

[ersan191]

So this was well known, well ahead of time? I don't see a mention of it anywhere before today.

It was undocumented, they don't have to give people notice when they remove something that's undocumented. They even provided an alternative SIX YEARS AGO and apps didn't use it. Roll back or get over it.

Not to mention there were like 4 months of betas and nobody caught this? Not one soul?

 

[Jetson]

There is always a group here who applaud whatever Apple does and criticize those who are adversely affected by changes, as though those people don't matter.

Come on, how difficult would it have been to continue to support XML for those people invested in using that feature of iTunes?

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Why on earth would anyone who relies on specific software to work a specific way upgrade without actually finding out what has changed? If they do, well tough luck.

Apple's habit of intentionally breaking things without warning anyone first is not one of their better qualities.

 

[Ryan0751]

As a DJ, we saw this coming for quite a while with all of the announcements.

For those unaware, nobody is DJ'ing WITH iTunes. Rather, many DJ's used iTunes to organize their music. Bloated as it got, iTunes still has some powerful music management tools, with it's smart playlists and such. Plus, you could take your new music, playlists, etc. and sync them up to your iPhone/iPod for offline listening.

The DJ software vendors recognized this, and pretty much all of them built in support to read the library.xml file directly into their software.

So if you used Traktor, Serato, Rekordbox, Virtual DJ, etc., you could keep your library in iTunes, and it would just show up in the DJ software. Rather powerful, and if you decided to switch software, your tracks would move over easily (though all of the custom beat gridding, cue points and loops, etc. are still software specific).

From what I gather, the new Music App does have an API, it'll be interesting to see if the DJ vendors adopt it.

 

[Icaras]

Thumbs down for those DJ who uses iTunes for playing tracks... that's not real DJ

LOL, we don’t use iTunes to DJ. We use it as our organizational library because it excels in that. The XML file allows your iTunes library to be shared to whatever DJ app you use. As a DJ, this makes me nervous to upgrade to Catalina right now.

Because the flip side is, is that you can still manually generate the XML file from the Music app, so there is still hope yet.

 

[ersan191]

There is always a group here who applaud whatever Apple does and criticize those who are adversely affected by changes, as though those people don't matter.

Come on, how difficult would it have been to continue to support XML for those people invested in using that feature of iTunes?

How difficult would it be to switch to something documented and endorsed by Apple when they released it SIX YEARS AGO instead?

 

[mudflap]

Apple's habit of intentionally breaking things without warning anyone first is not one of their better qualities.

Intentionally breaking things?

 

[BornAgainMac]

Just run iTunes in a VM running Windows on your Mac.

 

[HenryFSU]

Like this was not known in June LOL

 

[Mimiron]

Most people here do not understand the issue at hand. You don't DJ using iTunes. The app was merely used to create a playlist and generate an XML File that allows for sharing a playlist with third-party software like Traktor or Serato.

 

[Diamond Dog]

Hmmm a core part of my workflow involves using iTunes.

I think I’ll install the new update that gets rid of iTunes.

 

[Ethosik]

Please don't post an article for every tiny group of people that has been disenfranchised by this OS update. They changed a bunch of things, that's life. Don't update if it's important to you to use legacy features.

Yes I agree. Why are businesses still on Windows 7? Some are due to programs not working right in Windows 10. Heck, my old place of work has a Windows 2000 system to operate an old $500,000 printer.

Why upgrade if it breaks your software?

 

[flygbuss]

Over the last two weeks I received mails from pretty much all the serious audio software companies I bought software from not yet to update to Catalina and wait until further notice (That can take several month after the OS has been released).

Just a few examples, you can easily review those reminders on their websites:

UAD
Waves
Avid
SSL
Soundtoys
Slate Digital

This is business as usual and happens with pretty much every macOS release.
Besides I wouldn't update the machine my work relies on anyways. That wouldn't work and never had.
Nothing wrong with 10.13 and 10.14, You'll still get security updates over the next year.

 

[citysnaps]

There is always a group here who applaud whatever Apple does and criticize those who are adversely affected by changes, as though those people don't matter.

Come on, how difficult would it have been to continue to support XML for those people invested in using that feature of iTunes?

How would Apple know they'd be affected?
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Apple's habit of intentionally breaking things without warning anyone first is not one of their better qualities.

Intentionally breaking things? Seriously?

 

[ignatius345]

Oh no! This is tragic. Won't someone please think of the iTunes DJs who use XML (all 3 of them)?

Nobody's saying this is "tragic", just that it's disruptive for a particular subset of users.

People who use Macs to earn paychecks don't want to have their systems break because of a bug or because a key piece of specialized hardware or software is no longer compatible. For you, sure, you can still post your snarky comments regardless because your web browser and keyboard still works (and believe me we're all very grateful) but maybe recognize there are Mac-based workers with other needs.
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Like this was not known in June LOL

Right. And some people might be too busy working to play around with beta OS versions, yeah?

 

[Icaras]

So if you used Traktor, Serato, Rekordbox, Virtual DJ, etc., you could keep your library in iTunes, and it would just show up in the DJ software. Rather powerful, and if you decided to switch software, your tracks would move over easily (though all of the custom beat gridding, cue points and loops, etc. are still software specific).

Do you mean just keep your library in the iTunes folder? The Music app still wouldn’t automatically update XML file though?

 

[techpr]

Thumbs down for those DJ who uses iTunes for playing tracks... that's not real DJ

Are you DJ? It seems you're not. Most Profesional DJ use their iTunes Library as a base for organize their songs in Rekordbox Software or any other software like Serato, Traktor etc and then play the songs on their CDJ2000/DDJ1000 players/controllers. This has nothing to do with playing the songs directly from iTunes.