sync itunes library with apple tv

[537635]

New to apple tv, did some search, but could find anything besides Home Sharing possibility.

Since the device has 32GB of memory, is it possible to sync music to it in a same manner than let's say to iPhone. So it could play without having a connected computer.

 

[benjitek]

No -- the ATV4 manages memory for whatever is needed when you use it. It might store some songs while you're playing them, but releases that storage when you're doing something else. It isn't possible to sync stuff to your ATV4.

 

[537635]

Thank you.

What are the alternatives? I would like to be able to play music even when the Macbook with the iTunes library is away. I also have a Synology NAS.

 

[rayward]

Thank you.

What are the alternatives? I would like to be able to play music even when the Macbook with the iTunes library is away. I also have a Synology NAS.

You can get an original ATV. It has an HDD inside which can be swapped out for a high capacity drive. It can handle only 720p (will down-scale 1080p) and doesn't have the App Store and other features of the 4, but it lets you sync your iTunes media and carry it with you.

Also, it runs so hot you can use it as a portable stove.

 

[benjitek]

What are the alternatives? I would like to be able to play music even when the Macbook with the iTunes library is away. I also have a Synology NAS.

iCloud Music Library and Apple Music both work with the ATV4. There may be other options, but those won't provide Siri control if that matters.

 

[2010mini]

Use iTunes Match service from Apple. It is an iCloud service that syncs your music library and makes it accessible to all your Apple devices.

 

[priitv8]

Use iTunes Match service from Apple. It is an iCloud service that syncs your music library and makes it accessible to all your Apple devices.

If I'm not mistaken, Apple Music subscription provides the same functionality (iCloud Music Library), without additionally subscribing to iTunes Match. Although at the end of the day iTM will cost less than AM, but if you are already paid subscriber to AM, then it makes little sense to add iTM to the bucket.

 

[Gabrielanicolao]

Hope this Guide will help you to find the solution.
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH19500?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US

 

[Boyd01]

FWIW, that article pertains to the original first generation AppleTV and the OP has an AppleTV4...

 

[537635]

Thank you all for comments. I see that if I want to keep my current iTunes library, Match is the only viable option.

 

[Snoopy4]

Thank you.

What are the alternatives? I would like to be able to play music even when the Macbook with the iTunes library is away. I also have a Synology NAS.

ITunes Match. Worth every penny.

 

[rhett7660]

You could always get a used mac mini or if you have an extra windows box lying around and use it as your iTunes hub/head. Have your NAS box handle all the media, point your iTunes media manager to the NAS box and then when you want to stream to your ATV, you enable homesharing, and all your media is now available to you on your ATV4.

It can be a little expensive to get up and running, but you already have one of the pieces in the NAS box.

 

[priitv8]

It can be a little expensive to get up and running, but you already have one of the pieces in the NAS box.

For just music sharing (what OP mentioned), just a NAS ought do, no? Although I personally never turned on the old-school iTunes Server on my NAS, as I also run iTunes on a Mini as my media server. Synology has even circumvented the Home Sharing lock and can serve video.

EDIT: My bad! Indeed, the aTV 4 does not see a iTunes shared library, it requires Home Sharing.

 

[rhett7660]

For just music sharing (what OP mentioned), just a NAS ought do, no? Although I personally never turned on the old-school iTunes Server on my NAS, as I also run iTunes on a Mini as my media server. Synology has even circumvented the Home Sharing lock and can serve video.

EDIT: My bad! Indeed, the aTV 4 does not see a iTunes shared library, it requires Home Sharing.

Most of the commercial boxes like QNAP and Synology have a built in iTunes client that you can turn on. I tried the one on my QNAP, and it was rather poor at serving up media whether music or movies to my then ATV3. So, I invested in a Mac Mini to run my iTunes and pointed iTunes to the media folder on my NAS box. The Mac Mini does all the "heavy" lifting if you will. I have had no issues serving up a HD MKV video rip to Plex, while simultaneously playing media to my Sonos system and also playing media to another device via iTunes. I used to have a windows box running my the above, but I wanted to keep it in the Mac family so I sold my Windows box and bought a Mac Mini.

 

[priitv8]

So, I invested in a Mac Mini to run my iTunes and pointed iTunes to the media folder on my NAS box. The Mac Mini does all the "heavy" lifting if you will.

My setuo is the same, but to be honest, since getting the Mini, NAS becomes obsolete. Could have been a simple DAS.

 

[rhett7660]

My setuo is the same, but to be honest, since getting the Mini, NAS becomes obsolete. Could have been a simple DAS.

This is true. But I actually plan on either building or buying a preconfired limetech box for all of my media. I am currently running a four disc nas box and I am running out of space and would like a little more horse power under the hood.

But you are correct, this could have easily been a direct connected device.

 

[priitv8]

But you are correct, this could have easily been a direct connected device.

Exactly, because i5/i7 in the Mini easily outperforms most of consumer-level NAS boxes, even the Intel-powered. Which tend to cost more, than the Mini.

 

[rhett7660]

Exactly, because i5/i7 in the Mini easily outperforms most of consumer-level NAS boxes, even the Intel-powered. Which tend to cost more, than the Mini.

Yup! One could argue, have the MM as a head unit, with a case full of hard drives and have the MM run a backup script etc on it. While you might loose some items, like speed accessing it from another location, might being the operative word.

Heck this is a great idea and I wonder how much it would be to get say a USB tower for oh eight or so drives and then set them up as a raid with redundancy and have it run off the MM. Hmmm. This might be something I have to look into.

Not to thread highjack much more, but this is what I have been looking at getting:

http://greenleaf-technology.com/our-servers/6-drive-mini-server/

 

[priitv8]

...While you might loose some items, like speed accessing it from another location, might being the operative word.
...
Not to thread highjack much more, but this is what I have been looking at getting:
http://greenleaf-technology.com/our-servers/6-drive-mini-server/

a) For that there is Back to my Mac (no help for iOS devices, unfortunately). For iOS there are Plex or something else, that can read network share on iOS.
b) I was dreaming about TB-connected Drobo 5D, but then realised that I would only shift my single point of failure from HDD to Drobo MoBo. I also do not think in the era of huge capacity HDD it will make sense to build striped arrays for home use any more. RAID-1 drives at least are self-sufficient and can be read using just a SATA-USB dongle.

 

[rhett7660]

a) For that there is Back to my Mac (no help for iOS devices, unfortunately). For iOS there are Plex or something else, that can read network share on iOS.
b) I was dreaming about TB-connected Drobo 5D, but then realised that I would only shift my single point of failure from HDD to Drobo MoBo. I also do not think in the era of huge capacity HDD it will make sense to build striped arrays for home use any more. RAID-1 drives at least are self-sufficient and can be read using just a SATA-USB dongle.

I have a QNAP now, however it is an older version and only goes up to 3tb drives and it has a four drive capacity. Ideally I would like to have at a minimum six drives. Looking at the eight drive version of lime-tech (larger version of the one I posted above).

I currently use Plex on all of my devices and love it. I have my media library on my NAS and have Plex, Sonos, and iTunes all using the same media folder. No issues (knock on wood) yet with this setup.