Suddenly no local music library

[colodane]

I just installed my new ATV4 today.

Install went smoothly, and I could easily access my large iTunes music library on my iMac on the same network and play it through the ATV.

Came back a couple hours later and now when I select "library" in the ATV4 Music app it says
"You have no music on this Apple TV"

Can't figure out how to access my music Library.

The ATV4 continues to access other content on the iMac (Podcasts, Radio stations) without any issues.

Any ideas??


Think I've stumbled on what I think is the answer. I updated the TVos between the two attempts to access the music library. It now seems to be located in "Computers" rather than in "Music". Is this correct?

 

[benjitek]

Sign out of iCloud, reboot, sign back in.

 

[colodane]

Sign out of iCloud, reboot, sign back in.

Sign out and reboot on what device? iMac or ATV?

 

[priitv8]

...The ATV4 continues to access other content on the iMac (Podcasts, Radio stations) without any issues. ...
...Think I've stumbled on what I think is the answer. I updated the TVos between the two attempts to access the music library. It now seems to be located in "Computers" rather than in "Music". Is this correct?

This may be a little confusing, but it is so. When you go under Computers, you will be directly browsing your homeshared iTunes library from whatever computer you selected in the opening list (there is no computer selection, if you only have 1 iTunes homesharing server in your home network).
When you approach via the Music app, you will not browse any of your local Macs. Instead, you will browse your status quo in the cloud. You will see all your music purchases, playlists you've created in your Apple Music AND if you've shared your library to Apple Music (in iTunes preferences), then also the library items on your Mac.
Sharing library to Apple Music to cloud does exactly the same what iTunes Match does - it just compares your titles with iTunes Store and enables streaming of those songs you have, from iTunes Store.
You will notice, that many songs will have differing cover art than what you have in your library on Mac.

It seems to me, that the main difference to iTunes Match is this: iTM will upload any titles in your library that are not in the catalogue of iTunes Store, to your private space in the cloud and they will be accessible for streaming like all others.
Sharing library to Apple Music will not upload missing titles, so they simply are not available for streaming at all.

PS I also do not believe aTV will use iTunes on your Mac to play Radio or Podcasts. They are also streamed directly from internet. You can test - close iTunes on your Mac and see if they still play.
The only thing that will disappear is the media list under Computers.

 

[colodane]

This may be a little confusing, but it is so. When you go under Computers, you will be directly browsing your homeshared iTunes library from whatever computer you selected in the opening list (there is no computer selection, if you only have 1 iTunes homesharing server in your home network).
When you approach via the Music app, you will not browse any of your local Macs. Instead, you will browse your status quo in the cloud. You will see all your music purchases, playlists you've created in your Apple Music AND if you've shared your library to Apple Music (in iTunes preferences), then also the library items on your Mac.
Sharing library to Apple Music to cloud does exactly the same what iTunes Match does - it just compares your titles with iTunes Store and enables streaming of those songs you have, from iTunes Store.
You will notice, that many songs will have differing cover art than what you have in your library on Mac.

It seems to me, that the main difference to iTunes Match is this: iTM will upload any titles in your library that are not in the catalogue of iTunes Store, to your private space in the cloud and they will be accessible for streaming like all others.
Sharing library to Apple Music will not upload missing titles, so they simply are not available for streaming at all.

PS I also do not believe aTV will use iTunes on your Mac to play Radio or Podcasts. They are also streamed directly from internet. You can test - close iTunes on your Mac and see if they still play.
The only thing that will disappear is the media list under Computers.

Thanks priitv8. That is useful info.

I'm not actually signed up for Apple Music and do not intend to in the future. Probably should have mentioned that in my original post. My only goal was to access the iTunes music library on my iMac.

What really confused me was that I did have access to the music on my iMac by selecting "Music" on the ATV when using the tvOS that was shipped with the ATV4. Then when I updated to the latest level OS on the ATV4, could no longer access my music this way. Apparently this was a recent change in the OS?

Thanks again.

 

[mic j]

...
It seems to me, that the main difference to iTunes Match is this: iTM will upload any titles in your library that are not in the catalogue of iTunes Store, to your private space in the cloud and they will be accessible for streaming like all others.
Sharing library to Apple Music will not upload missing titles, so they simply are not available for streaming at all.

PS I also do not believe aTV will use iTunes on your Mac to play Radio or Podcasts. They are also streamed directly from internet. You can test - close iTunes on your Mac and see if they still play.
The only thing that will disappear is the media list under Computers.

I did not realize that Apple Music does not upload local tracks to the iCloud. That's interesting information. Thanks.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Not so sure about several of these comments seeming to imply some need for Apple Music or Match. If anyone reads this thread and perceives one must subscribe to either to play their own music library stored in iTunes on their own computer, that's just not true. A Music or Match subscription just brings some other benefits- it is NOT required to play your own media.

OP: all of your "home" content should be in "Computers," not Music. Think of it like this: Apple is prioritizing iTunes store purchases & rentals over our own content. So the interface has very intuitive names like Music, Movies, TV Shows front & center and the less intuitive "Computers" as a "catch all" for our own content. The original TV merged local content with store rental options so that- say- our own movie rips would be in the "movies" menu, our own tv show rips would be in the "tv shows" menu, etc. But, Apple being Apple, they wanted to "improve"(?) upon that by shifting our own media to the- IMO- much less intuitive app name called "Computers."

If you originally saw your home network music in "Music" instead of Computers, I'm guessing you've purchased a lot of music from iTunes and were probably just seeing that music (not including rips from CDs, etc.). Or if you have a Music or Match subscription, you probably were seeing most of your music (maybe all of it) but playing much of it from iCloud instead of your home iMac.

Computers is where all of your home collection should be found. If you can't find music in Computers, perhaps your iMac is turned off, iTunes is closed on that iMac, etc. Otherwise, with home sharing activity, it should all be in Computers. The "log out then log back in" suggestion is a good one. It might also help to close iTunes on your iMac and reopen it, and/or reboot your iMac and reopen iTunes.

In my own case, I dragged the "Moves", "TV shows" etc apps down off of the main bar and put "Computers" app in the upper left as very first choice. That way, I still have access to iTunes store rentals or purchases via TV, but I and others are not readily confused about where the home collection is accessed (in spite of the app name).

 

[priitv8]

Not so sure about several of these comments seeming to imply some need for Apple Music or Match. If anyone reads this thread and perceives one must subscribe to either to play their own music library stored in iTunes on their own computer, that's just not true. A Music or Match subscription just brings some other benefits- it is NOT required to play your own media.

That is true. That is also why I say it may be confusing. The subscribers, will actually see and be able to listen to their library in 2 places - Music and Computers.
If you are not a subscriber, the Music section on aTV will only show a splash screen inviting to subscribe.

 

[colodane]

Thanks to both of you for the clarification.

Yes, the content I saw at first under "Music" was all recently purchased music from iTunes. That no longer appears there, but both that and all the music I've loaded from CDs into the iMac shows up under "Computers".

I also plan to move the icons around on the ATV so that only content I actually use is in the top row.

 

[priitv8]

I also plan to move the icons around on the ATV so that only content I actually use is in the top row.

Top row has a special treat - apps, that support it, can generate the image-based additional shortcuts above the icons, on the top pane. Many do, Computers and Settings, for example, dont.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Top row has a special treat - apps, that support it, can generate the image-based additional shortcuts above the icons, on the top pane. Many do, Computers and Settings, for example, dont.

I might be misunderstanding this but "computers" in the top row does indeed show music or movie "posters" above the top row. I pretty much make a point to always select "movies" in Computers so that the top row is very regularly showing the latest group of movie posters. It works fine.

If that zone is blank for you, do you maybe not use tools to assign a movie poster & information tags to your ripped movies?

 

[priitv8]

I might be misunderstanding this but "computers" in the top row does indeed show music or movie "posters" above the top row. I pretty much make a point to always select "movies" in Computers so that the top row is very regularly showing the latest group of movie posters. It works fine.

If that zone is blank for you, do you maybe not use tools to assign a movie poster & information tags to your ripped movies?

Let me try it out.