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Author Topic: the shift from iTunes to Plex  (Read 16013 times)

mahlernut

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the shift from iTunes to Plex
« on: 02 Jul 2019, 09:52 »

I'm not finding a lot of recent information or discussion about this, and figured I might as well see if anyone here has a clear understanding of what's going to happen when iTunes is dumped and replaced by Plex.  As far as I can tell, they're saying that a monthly subscription is going to be required to let you sync your music from a library resident on your desktop/laptop and a mobile device; I know that a lot of people have shifted to using subscription services to listen to music anyhow, but having a large collections of legally-owned music not available through those services (classical, J-pop, etc...), the idea of having to pay them on a monthly basis just to be able to listen to music that I own on my iTouch (I know...way behind the times) is...well...crazy. 

Am I understanding this right?  If you pay for one month, sync your device, and then cancel the subscription, will the Plex app actually lock itself on your mobile device so you can't listen to anything until you start paying again?  I can't imagine how such a thing would work otherwise.  I know there're other services of a more continuous nature only available with a subscription, but the syncing is the only thing I have even the slightest interest in, and isn't something I need to actually do very often.

So...yeah, just wondering if anyone has a better idea of how this whole thing is going to work.  I'm sure I could get better information from the source...if they'd ever actually reply...so I'm casting a slightly wider net.  Thanx!   :?
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pwhodges

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #1 on: 02 Jul 2019, 13:42 »

Is something going on I don't know about?  Plex is an independent streaming server for home hosting, and has been able to draw content from iTunes for years, I believe.

I don't like Plex so much, and its developers are notoriously uncommunicative; I prefer Emby, with is younger, but catching up fast, and has very active communication between the users and developers.  But I don't use iTunes...
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Jimor

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #2 on: 02 Jul 2019, 14:08 »

I think this has to do with iTunes no longer going to be updated or supported for PC. Sounds like Plex is going to be the offered alternative way to sync between iTunes on iOS and a PC?
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pwhodges

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #3 on: 02 Jul 2019, 15:17 »

I see no sign of any official link.  Indeed, I found a recent post in the Plex forum asking about updating it to interface with Apple's new Music Library system instead of iTunes; obviously that wouldn't be necessary if there was any kind of official link-up.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

mahlernut

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #4 on: 02 Jul 2019, 15:23 »

Ah, interesting.  It seems like Plex might just be contacting iTunes users in some way, to try to convince them to move to their system, rather than it being the program Apple is using to replace the music functionality of iTunes.  I was cynical enough not to trust what I was reading, but not smart enough to realize what they were actually saying.   :lol: :oops:
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jwhouk

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #5 on: 02 Jul 2019, 20:54 »

iTunes is going to be going away from the Mac OS and iOS in short order. Windows will have it around a bit longer, though.

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hedgie

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #6 on: 02 Jul 2019, 21:43 »

I'm actually thinking of getting a Pi 4 when they're available, and seeing if I can run it as a plex server.  If the Pi isn't up for that, I'll just use it as an NFS share.
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pwhodges

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #7 on: 03 Jul 2019, 03:30 »

How to set up Plex on a Pi 3

How to set up Emby on a Pi 3

I guess you'll be fine with a Pi 4 as well!
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
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hedgie

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Re: the shift from iTunes to Plex
« Reply #8 on: 03 Jul 2019, 09:51 »

Oh, I did see that it was possible, just wondering how well the little thing would handle it.
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