So I am planning on getting an iPad 2 in the coming weeks. I have never owned an Apple product before. I currently have a Microsoft Zune, and the music (all MP3s) is stored on the unRAID server in a share called "Music". The Zune software just uses these MP3s.

 

I have not yet installed iTunes

 

So I asked around at work and they said that once I point iTunes at my current music library it will want to convert it to an AAC format. Is this true? 

 

Where will iTunes store this converted music? Local to the PC running iTunes or on the unRAID server? Do I get a choice? This is an issue as the PC that will be running iTunes has an 80GB SSD drive and storage is limited.

 

 

thanks!!

 

 

You can get iTunes to scan a volume on unRAID, and you have the option to allow (or not) it to organise the library for you. It won't convert anything to AAC until you import something from a CD. You can change the import settings to MP3/AAC/Apple Lossless if you wish.

Look at MediaMonkey - http://www.mediamonkey.com/ to keep yourself out of the Apple closed inflexible world.

 

It will synchronise your existing music library doing the required conversion on the fly. I have managed my music library by this for years. I now have a centralised installation on my unRAID server, I can manage my library from any PC i have, I sync with iPhone 3GS, iPod Classic (160GB), Sony K810i phone (through USB stick) and a disk normally attached to my car PC. Used to sync to my Creative Zen Vision:M until it got stolen.

 

It will work with your iPad just fine 

 

You will have to install iTunes to get the drivers in there, and you can still sync apps and whatnot with Apple. Just deselect Music sync, and you're good to go.

 

PS: Unfortunately, Microsoft has closed down the Zune so hard, that no other known software can sync with it but the native. But MediaMonkey has got most everything else covered. You should usually wait a couple of weeks when a new iOS is released before you upgrade to allow the developers to update. Other than that, it's a breeze 

 

Look at MediaMonkey - http://www.mediamonkey.com/ to keep yourself out of the Apple closed inflexible world.

 

+1 for MediaMonkey.  I also use it in a similar way to nia describes.

Look at MediaMonkey - http://www.mediamonkey.com/ to keep yourself out of the Apple closed inflexible world.

 

 

PS: Unfortunately, Microsoft has closed down the Zune so hard, that no other known software can sync with it but the native. But MediaMonkey has got most everything else covered. You should usually wait a couple of weeks when a new iOS is released before you upgrade to allow the developers to update. Other than that, it's a breeze 

 

 

  Pot kettle black? Apple isn't any more closed than Microsoft.

 

I'd definitely use media monkey... if it worked on a Mac / Linux.

 

Does Media Monkey have a managed library that is stored on UnRAID, or is it installed on UnRAID itself?

never used mediamonkey but iTUnes works just fine for me.  I have all my music on unraid and just point iTunes to it.  I also have all Macs.

Does Media Monkey have a managed library that is stored on UnRAID, or is it installed on UnRAID itself?

 

MediaMonkey only runs on windows. I have it's library stored on UnRAID in FLAC format.

 

Note, the library meta data (composer, singer, genre, etc) is stored with the  files themselves.  This allows players multiple devices to mount and use the same unRAID share, and make use of the meta data for sorting, filtering etc.  e.g I use XBMC to play music through a non windows machine and all meta data is available.

   Pot kettle black? Apple isn't any more closed than Microsoft.

 

I'd definitely use media monkey... if it worked on a Mac / Linux.

 

Does Media Monkey have a managed library that is stored on UnRAID, or is it installed on UnRAID itself?

Yeah - two different types of prisons there...  I'm no fan of either.

 

With a Mac You're out of luck with MM as You've gathered.

 

MediaMonkey is actually a single user system. It is however possible to install it on and run it from an unRAID share. The database is also stored in a folder there in that case.

 

As mcs states, the meta data - including cover art etc. - can be embedded in the music files by defaut by MM, which should be done.

Visit http://www.albumartexchange.com/ for the highest quality cover art. Try not to process all of your albums at once, or you'll go bonkers.

No matter what he uses his iPad is going to ask to sync with iTunes the second he turns it on.

It is true that iTunes is a bloated nasty thing on Windows, but it also has a lot of misconceptions about it as well.  It will ask to convert wma files to mp3 or aac (depending on what you have set up in the importing preferences), but it will not force you to convert your mp3 files to aac.  aac is the default for importing, but this is easily changed to any variation of mp3 quality / settings you want. 

 

It will want to organize your files for you, but you can disable this (not sure if it is enabled by default or not).  I personally like it to organize my library as it sorts it the way I would anyway.  If you don't let it organize your files (as well as copy all files to a single location), wherever the mp3 is when you add it to iTunes is where it will remain and play from.  If you do let it organize (and copy), then it will do so wherever you have set it in preferences.

 

I've heard good things about Media Monkey, but never tried it.  I'm primarily a Mac user, so iTunes for Mac works great for me.  Again, iTunes for Windows is bloated and nasty, but the same is not true for the Mac (ok....maybe a little bloated, but not nasty).

It is true that iTunes is a bloated nasty thing on Windows, but it also has a lot of misconceptions about it as well.  It will ask to convert wma files to mp3 or aac (depending on what you have set up in the importing preferences), but it will not force you to convert your mp3 files to aac.  aac is the default for importing, but this is easily changed to any variation of mp3 quality / settings you want.

Same behavior in Windows. The only thing it will ask to convert are WMA files. MP3 files, you can import as is.

 

It will want to organize your files for you, but you can disable this (not sure if it is enabled by default or not).  I personally like it to organize my library as it sorts it the way I would anyway.  If you don't let it organize your files (as well as copy all files to a single location), wherever the mp3 is when you add it to iTunes is where it will remain and play from.  If you do let it organize (and copy), then it will do so wherever you have set it in preferences.

Again, same.