Sonos - iTunes - Out of Sorts

This afternoon I was at a client's premises looking into some problems with their network and how that was handling music streaming. The client asked me to look at an issue that was puzzling him and it concerned music on his Sonos controller, compared to his iTunes library.

He showed me his Sonos hand held controller and accessed his Bach music. Right at the top of the list were two tracks that were obviously out of order. When we crossed to the Mac with iTunes, did the same search and looked at the result. A very different result. It was a trip down memory lane for me, back to my early days in IT when as a programmer you had to keep in mind a thing called "sort order".

I've deliberately put "sort order" in quotes, but if you saw that phrase among others, sorted alphabetically, where would you expect it to be slotted? In the good old days It manufacturers took different views and looking at the Sonos display it was obvious that the Sonos view is that single quotes and double quotes should come at the top of the list, like this -

'A
"A
A
B
C and so on.

Looking in iTunes it's clear Apple have set up iTunes to ignore any distractions such as the single or double quotes. So the track title will appear in the place it would be in if it didn't have those marks. Clever, would have saved me hours and hours all those years ago.

So if you have an iTunes / Sonos environment and you're experiencing some sort oddities take a look at your track names and album titles. My client's library is huge (2,700 albums) and I found four albums and 12 tracks that started with ' or ". It only took a few minutes to edit out those unnecessary characters and now iTunes and Sonos sort in harmony. Lovely.

iTunes - The Hidden Gem?

We've had some huge CD ripping projects since Christmas, today we complete an 1800 CD music library. The last few tracks are making their way across to the NAS drive now. It's a huge library covering what seems to be everything in the popular and classical catalogue. So, how does the owner of such a large music library get to enjoy the full benefits of their music? Time for the hidden gem in the iTunes system.

The Genius playlist facility. Here (in overview) is how it works. Highlight a track you like, hit the Genius icon, and the intelligence of Apple's computers will create a playlist for you based on that track. Once done you can re-order the list, delete items, and of course save the list. Saving allows you to create another list and access the previous list from the menu. As with any intelligence Apple's genius learns, and you can prompt the system to update its analysis of your music when you add new tracks to your library.

If you log into the iTunes Music Store after the Genius function is enabled you'll notice their brain has assembled some new tracks you might like. Cynics will say this is just a merciless sales tool, others will find it a clever way to find new music.

But there's more .... Genius Mixes. After your library has been scanned the Genius brain will create a set of mixes for you, just hit the icon for a selection of your music in the theme shown on the mix label. All done for you, as if by magic.

Any down side? Although you don't have to pay to use Genius you do need and iTunes Music Store account which requires an Apple ID. That's a pretty simple process. When you switch on Genius you'll be taken through the Apple small print and you need to understand Apple will have some summary data about your music library. Apple doesn't use the data for anything other than this process and it doesn't collect any more personal data than this, but you do need to be aware of this. Also, the process takes time and data is exchanged over the internet so you'll need a link and maybe some patience.

Aside from that this strikes me as a great way to tackle big music libraries and uncover some great tracks nestling in the hidden recesses of your music vault. Give it a try.

Data Grooming In Practice

Classical music lovers are quick to appreciate the benefits of our data grooming function, particularly in standardising classical composers names. Here's snippet of what this can mean in practice.

In a few minutes this afternoon we ran through just three composers - Bach, Mozart and Chopin - and reduced the total number of composers by 23; how? It seems amazing how many variations get submitted when music lovers would be perfectly happy with a single surname. So we see christian name followed by surname, surname then christian name, same variations with one or two initials. It's rare but it does happen that someone thinks it's a bright idea to have both initials and christian names.

Perhaps the oddest construction is adding dates. OK, it is interesting and I'm sure some people find it relevant but do people really get confused with some other Chopin? Is the years of birth and death vital to enjoying the music he composed? Well, if you are going to add dates be consistent - in the same album some tracks had the dates while some didn't and one track had the dates in brackets - but with the closing bracket missing.

The consequence of this is that iTunes, or any other music management system, thinks each of these variations constitutes a different person and you the listener have to scroll through each of these names to find the music you love.

What Does the Little Cloud Symbol Mean?

Always happy to answer questions and we get many phone calls to resolve issues with CD ripping or other aspects of digital music. Last week I ran through a Q&A with a client day by day, over email. He's away on business so the stuttering conversation was the result of flights and time differences. Me, I remained stuck here in rain soaked Brentwood.

Q: What does the little cloud symbol with a down arrow mean in iTunes?

A: This indicates tracks that have been purchased from iTunes Music Store against the account to which that computer is linked, but haven't yet been downloaded.

Q: How did I make these purchases? Don't remember doing it and wouldn't they have downloaded when I bought them?

A: OK, couple of ways. maybe after buying the tracks the computer you were working on lost its internet connection. Or the transmission got screwed up. Alternatively you could have made the purchase from an iPhone or an iPod Touch. The tracks would have been sent to those devices over their data link, then synced with your computer later.

Q: Wouldn't they sync when I connected my iPhone or whatever to the computer at home?

A: I don't think so, I think syncing purchased music only goes one way, from iTunes Music Store to one of your five authorised devices.

Q: Would the symbol have anything to do with iTunes Match?

A: No, and you don't have an iTunes Match account (at least you didn't when I was with you last week).

Q: Do I have to enter a password when I buy music from iTunes Music Store?

A: I think that's optional. You can turn on one-click purchasing that side steps that, so anyone can make a purchase if that's set that way.

Q: So that explains why I've bough stuff from this Bon Jovi. Can I get a refund on music I don't like?

A: No, Apple doesn't do refunds.

More Bits?

Talking about quality yesterday, and how CD ripping has changed since we started. Gone are the days of persuading clients to move up from 128 Kbps AAC or MP3 files, squeezing music collections onto masses of CD-Rs then onto DVDs. Today's standard is Apple Lossless delivered on a small USB drive.

So what about 24-bit rips?

At heart the source of our digital music libraries hasn't changed, that being the CDs issued over the years. Just to be a little technical, the music on those discs have been mastered from an analogue source using computer software which expresses each note as a digital value, stored in 8 bits. The big "complaint" about CDs and digital music is that it loses the detail, the warmth, the "feel" in the process. Something that doesn't affect vinyl. Suppose you upgraded and converted music using more bits to represent each sound, then you'd get back the elements that were lost. Well, that's the argument and indeed there are now a number of high quality music streaming or download services which are built on 24 bit sound.

Why don't we rip at 24 bit?

First, if we just ripped from the typical CD there would be no benefit. As an 8 bit source there's no way you can get back that which was lost when the CD was created. Second, you'd need 24 bit friendly devices to store, manage and play back the music. That isn't available in iTunes, the iPod or even a system such as Sonos.

Would we rip in 24 bit? Yes, we would, even if the only justification were to future proof our clients collections. However true 24 bit music libraries would require re-mastered CDs, better ripping software, plus storage and replay systems to take advantage of all that extra data. That's not going to happen any time soon.

The Worst Music Mess?

“Is this the worst mess you’ve ever seen?” It’s one of our most frequently asked questions, usually posed when we’re called onsite to deal with a home entertainment issue. In most cases the problems aren’t massive and it’s pretty easy to find a polite way to sidestep the question.

Except on Monday. By a county mile I cam across the worst mess I’ve ever come across.

I’ll give you a flavour of the issues by describing the hardware. A PC, an iMac, a Sonos system with ten zone players. Next to the iMac were three iPad devices - two Classics with stick on labels, then an iPod Touch in a labelled box. Nestling amongst the Sonos boxes were three iPod docks, and yes, each dock had its own iPod Classic.

Then I was told there was a Mac Mini, and sure enough next to the Sonos boxes and the router, in a basement cupboard, there was a little silvery box with a tray containing a flip up screen, keyboard and a mouse. Then I saw the WD My Book Live NAS drive.

How did this mess come about? Here’s the history. Initially the client had a PC and naturally they put their music on it. A while later they decided to move from the PC to the iMac, their music was copied across by the Apple install man. Using the Mac resulted in a larger music library on the Mac, and a stack of classical music CDs ready to be ripped.

Not wanting to rip the CDs themselves, and the Sonos installer not being prepared to do it for them, they hired a student to rip the CDs. The Mac Mini was bought to give the student something to work on, hence that unit.

While the student was ripping the CDs they decided to install the NAS drive because the client didn’t want to have to leave the iMac on when (in due course) the Sonos system was linked up. However once the Mac Mini project was completed nobody seemed to know how to get all the music onto the NAS drive, so various genres of music was downloaded to its own dedicated iPod Classic. Each iPod was planted in its own Sonos dock, so that the in-house music system had something to broadcast.

Where can I begin to describe the problems the household had with all this. First the music ripped onto the Mac Mini had vast gaping holes - none of it had genre information attached. As the Mini didn’t connect to the rest of the home network none of the music on that could be shared, it couldn’t be accessed on the iMac, it couldn't be put onto any of the other iPods. As the iPod Classics driving the Sonos system sit in docks all day, and the docks are in an airless cupboard they frequently seize up. When that happens nobody can access that genre of music in the house until some kind family member does a hard reset. A problem that’s happening more and more often, iPods simply aren’t meant to run all day every day.

The client doesn’t know how to add music, there’s effectively a berlin wall between the Apple iMac in-house and the Sonos system. They have a bag of new music they’d like to add but if they add it to the Mac Mini somebody has to stand in the cramped cupboard ripping CDs. Oh, and as the Mac Mini daren’t be connected to the internet, all track data has to be entered by hand.

Maybe I’m being picky but despite the effort that had been invested in CD ripping (including some poor soul who had stood ripping 400+ CDs onto the Mac Mini) the music had been ripped to Apple AAC at just 256 kbps. Now that’s more than fine for an iPod on the tube but a massive Sonos investment real ought to be driven by higher quality music, Apple Lossless.

The way ahead?

After some head scratching I think the place to head towards is one where all the family’s music is stored in a single place. That should be the NAS drive. How do we do this? Well the Mac Mini has been dragged from its subterranean lair and the music has been removed to another drive.

As the iMac is connected to the internet and the home network the music recovered from the Mini will be plugged into that, where we’ll spend a few hours tidying up the resulting music library. Once that’s done we’ll copy that all onto the NAS drive, setting the iMac to rip into Apple Lossless for any music they might rip themselves in the future.

Once that’s done we’ll make sure the Sonos system is connected to the same router as the rest of the system, and that the Sonos Controller program points to the shared drive on the NAS. When that’s been done all the music will be available on each computer or Sonos unit in the home, any iPod could be loaded with any selection of music regardless of genre. When this is achieved the client will have a few iPods and iPods Sonos docks surplus to requirements.

End of the iPod?

Could it really be? Is Apple going to kill the iPod? Well, that's what the rumours have been in parts of the Apple watching blogosphere.

The rationale is pretty much as this - Apple is used to growing revenues across its product line, iPod revenues are falling, so the merciless suits will kill the product. Well .. revenues may be falling but even at a massively reduced level the portable music line makes lots and lots of money for Apple. Today there is certainly considerable overlap between iPods, iPhones, iPads and Apple TV but I for one don't see them as competing, more as complementing items playing roles in the Apple home entertainment ecosphere.

At the same time there are rumours that Apple will refresh the Apple TV product and (maybe) deliver on a refreshed version of iTunes. I can't see it would make sense to drop the world's most popular, biggest selling, portable music player. It would leave a massive gap in the market ready for another supplier to enter. Having digested portable music what then would the next target be?

I can't really see Apple turning their back on the iPod. And I have high expectations for a better Apple TV product, very soon.

Sonos - A Bridge Too Far?

A few years ago I was in a hi-fi store, rudely eavesdropping on a conversation between a couple on Sonos. He was sold, she clearly thought this was (another) of her husband's daft ideas. I recognised the look I've seen so many times on my wife's face.

The salesman just passed a hand held Sonos controller to the lady and smiled. That was a really great sales tool, the wife scrolled though the music and clicked on a track. The shop was filled with "her" music, and she broke into a broad grin. I imagine they now enjoy a great Sonos system in their home.

On Saturday I found myself in a nearby PC World store. They now sell Sonos and there was another couple, him sold, her doubting. The salesman was trying to close the sale and telling rather than showing her, how easy the system is to operate. He didn't have a hand held controller (they abandoned that in favour of phone and iPad apps) and he hadn't linked his own phone to the in-store device. Her face was becoming more stony with every passing techno-babble second.

"What's that?" she said, in a tone of voice which, in the case of my own dear wife, means its never coming near our house.

The salesman explained it was the bridge, and at the moment it's free. Back home in Sonos HQ that's probably a big deal but over here, on a cold retail park on a dark December afternoon it's not a deal closer. You have to have it. "Why?" she said, not unreasonably. The PC World salesman tried to explain, and ended up with a lame you-have-to-have-it. But Mrs didn't want it. This time the husband tried "you'll hardly notice it's there" to which she retorted that she will, it takes up space, it gathers dust, it eats electricity, and it probably bleeps or flashes and keeps the kids awake or cause the hound to howl. "The other one didn't have one of those" she said, crushingly.

At this point I feared my eavesdropping was becoming noticed so I drifted off to another part of the store. Some minutes later we saw the couple walking across the car park, neither clutching a PC World or Sonos bag.

Since then I've been thinking. Yes, I understand why they dropped the controller in favour of apps, and sort of appreciate why they have the bridge unit, but somehow their stance might be comprehensible to the techies among us, to at least half Mr and Mrs Normal out shopping, it's an unnecessary bit of kit.

Sonos Alternative? From Pure?

Just seen this, it caught my eye as I love the Pure Avanti we invested in a year or two ago. Yes - could Pure become a serious alternative to Sonos? I've got some head scratching to do but this is the article in question.

Pure Connect iOS and Android apps updated.

No More Futures?

Every so often I've written about my hopes and dreams for Apple's iPod range, iTunes and Apple TV. I have been spectacularly wrong on every point. So at the time of the last major Apple product-fest I decided to hold my tongue even though many others were predicting upgrades to Apple TV and iTunes.

What was announced? Nothing. Why? Well I am coming to realise just how small a company Apple is and the ground they cover - from cloud computing, tablets, desktops, laptops plus all the software associated with an operating system (new version of Mac OS announced already) let alone major applications including iTunes.

And anyway, Apple are doing a great job. When it comes to home entertainment look how advanced Apple is compared to others. We've just finished a major DVD ripping project for a client who has invested in first class video streaming hardware. When you look at the connected TV the image is no better that you'd get with a connection to Apple TV and the mess of trying to resolve metadata with non-standard video file types is a nightmare.

Sure Sonos are selling their players in number. But nothing compares to Apple's dominance of the home entertainment sphere. Quiet upgrades have crept out and as Jobs used to say - Apple, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV - it all just works. That's not a bad lead to sit on.