The Music app (in my opinion) is pretty lame.....

[itsjustmeee]

I don't understand the lack of functionality with the music app on the Apple TV 4. Seems to me that since I have Home Sharing on with my Mac Mini, the music I have in my library should just pop up in the Music App instead of having to go through Computers, My Music, etc. It's my iTunes library so why shouldn't it be there and why can't (eventually) siri search it? Is this something that iTunes Match fixes?

(Also I find it odd that iTunes actually has to be open on my Mac Mini in order for home sharing to work. I noticed on the ATV that as soon as I quit iTunes, my library disappeared from view.)

 

[OTACORB]

Home sharing is about sharing what is on your computers drive? So, I don't follow why you don't think having it on is necessary? The computer becomes like your server and serves up the files via your Apple TV. If they were in cloud I'd agree with you, but most of the stuff I have is local and not in the cloud nor do I want it to be in the cloud. You can stream and/or down music or movies you purchased from Apple without your computer being on, because they are in the cloud.

 

[itsjustmeee]

Home sharing is about sharing what is on your computers drive? So, I don't follow why you don't think having it on is necessary? The computer becomes like your server and serves up the files via your Apple TV. If they were in cloud I'd agree with you, but most of the stuff I have is local and not in the cloud nor do I want it to be in the cloud. You can stream and/or down music or movies you purchased from Apple without your computer being on, because they are in the cloud.

So if I spent the 30 bucks yearly for iTunes Match, would the Music app on my Apple TV see my iTunes library as purchases and Siri would be able to search them?

 

[OTACORB]

So if I spent the 30 bucks yearly for iTunes Match, would the Music app on my Apple TV see my iTunes library as purchases and Siri would be able to search them?

iTunes match will match your library and store it in the cloud and YES, you can use the Music App via Apple TV 4 and go to My Library to have access to your music without going through home sharing. I do have iTunes match myself and just tested it to make sure.

 

[itsjustmeee]

Home sharing is about sharing what is on your computers drive? So, I don't follow why you don't think having it on is necessary? The computer becomes like your server and serves up the files via your Apple TV. If they were in cloud I'd agree with you, but most of the stuff I have is local and not in the cloud nor do I want it to be in the cloud. You can stream and/or down music or movies you purchased from Apple without your computer being on, because they are in the cloud.

Well, my point is really this ... Apple didn't include a way to simply plug in an external hard drive to this new ATV so one could access media. If for argument sake there would've been a way to do that, then siri probably would've been able to search and play music just like an iPhone does with it's stored media. So Apple makes it "easy" for us and says that we can simply use Home Sharing but it doesn't have the same conveniences as locally stored media .... unless of course you shell out another 30 bucks a year and get iTunes Match. Otherwise, no siri search, no just going to the Music App to see your music options all in one place, and also always having to leave a computer on your network with iTunes running in the background.

 

[OTACORB]

Well, my point is really this ... Apple didn't include a way to simply plug in an external hard drive to this new ATV so one could access media. If for argument sake there would've been a way to do that, then siri probably would've been able to search and play music just like an iPhone does with it's stored media. So Apple makes it "easy" for us and says that we can simply use Home Sharing but it doesn't have the same conveniences as locally stored media .... unless of course you shell out another 30 bucks a year and get iTunes Match. Otherwise, no siri search, no just going to the Music App to see your music options all in one place, and also always having to leave a computer on your network with iTunes running in the background.

I do not disagree with you. However, that is how it works. I have personally never had an issue using home sharing, I have my Mac Mini server on regardless because we also use Plex. What you say is logical but Apple is not known for logic.