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[silvertone]

Afternoon
I did a search through the forum and couldn't find a question that addressed what I've run into.
I'm trying to share playlists with friends who don't use flac.
1. created a Playlist in MC25 primarily of flac files.
2. converted the files to m4a which didn't keep the correct track sequence
3. renamed the files to give a number prefix
4. uploaded the playlist to Google Drive and shared the link with a friend to test
5. She was able to download but then: I download the files, moved them into the Music folder, created a playlist in iTunes then moved them into the playlist. I had to reorder them based on the order on the drive.
Summary: it works. Longer story: I don't know the fastest way to get the files into iTunes but somebody does ;-)
6. How can I get the playlist to keep the proper order after converting?
7. How can she easily download into iTunes and not have to reorder?

I'm using Windows based MC25 and am completely dumb about iTunes/Apple stuff.

Thanks for any help.

[wer]

I don't use Itunes much, although I know it can have problems importing playlists and sometimes does things to your music you don't want.

That being said, we need to be clear about one thing: a bunch of music files is just a bunch of music files; it's not a playlist.

If you give her a bunch of music files in m4a format, you haven't given her a playlist.  You've given her a bunch of files.  The individual files do not know they were on a playlist, nor their order.

If you want to share a playlist, share the actual playlist FILE.  It contains the names of the files in the playlist, IN ORDER.  Without the playlist file, it's just a bunch of files, not a playlist.

To make it simple for her, create the m4a files on your computer, then put them all in the same folder. Now add the M4A files to a new playlist, in the proper order.  Your original playlist file has the flacs, not the m4a files.

Then in MC do File->Export Playlist and select a "M3U Playlist (simple)" as the export format.  Make sure the option "Store paths relative to the playlist location" is checked.  That M3U file is the actual playlist.  Make sure you save the playlist to the same folder you have the M4A files in.

This is a pain because the playlist specifies the path to the file, including the drive letter and folders, and it won't work on the destination machine unless the drive and folders match.  And drives never match between PCs and Macs.

If you've done it correctly, if you look at the m3u file with a text editor, all the lines should start with .\


Give her that M3U file, and the audio files, and Itunes should be able to import it.

[silvertone]

Well, that certainly seems like it might work. Skipping the physical step of creating a playlist file is what was mucking it all up (sometimes I think a program is doing what I think it's doing in my head. I had that problem with Revit.)
I really appreciate you taking the time and giving such good detailed instructions. I'll give it all a try.

Many thanks!

[RoderickGI]

You could also shorten and semi-automate that process by using Handheld Sync to sync to a local hard drive location, based on your Playlist of FLAC files, with a conversion, and have MC put a copy of the Playlist file in the directory with the files, using the relative path rather than the absolute path.

Then you just need to upload the directory of files to Google Drive, and when your friend downloads and loads the files into iTunes, all should work. Well, as long as iTunes isn't set to automatically move files around. Maybe it would even work then though, if it updated the Playlist when he files are moved.

You could even play with the "Files, Paths, & More" settings to create directories to put the files into, or place the Playlist in another location. But putting them all in the one directory for sharing is the simplest.

See the attached image for the highlighted important settings. Also see the Wiki articles:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Sync_Handheld
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Handheld_Sync_Options


Using the Handheld Sync functionality would make it easy to share updated Playlists and the associated files.

.
.
.
Or get you friend to start using MC on her Mac, then create your Playlists on your PC and upload them to Cloudplay where your friend would have access to them and royalties would be paid for the use of the files. 


PS: Sorry Wer. Not trying to compete. Just filling time stuck at home. 

[wer]

Everything Rod said is true, except for one thing...

If your friend has trouble importing simple playlists, getting her to switch to MC might not be a great idea.  There's something of a learning curve, and you want to stay in her good graces. Baby steps.

PS: Sorry Wer. Not trying to compete. Just filling time stuck at home. 

I just figured you found out he was Australian or something... 

[RoderickGI]

 

Nah, I just had a better idea! 



I just checked. Not Australian. Or at least not living in Australia at the moment!

[wer]

Oh, you're sure he's not?  Well you have a better eye for that.  I usually try to wait for the profanity, or look for an open Foster's.

[silvertone]

Everything Rod said is true, except for one thing...

If your friend has trouble importing simple playlists, getting her to switch to MC might not be a great idea.  There's something of a learning curve, and you want to stay in her good graces. Baby steps.

I just figured you found out he was Australian or something... 

Man, that's true. I've been using MC since version 10, I think and just figured out how to do a playlist. Last night we tried your method and we were partially successful. I swear if we weren't friends for almost 60 years she would have said "forget it" but she stuck in there.

I was able to export the playlist as you explained with the file path checked and all went fine. I then uploaded to Gdrive and sent her the link to the folder. Here's what happened with her first try:

I downloaded the whole folder into my Downloads folder and imported into iTunes several times.
Look at this screenshot of the folder highlighted in the google drive. I selected the info window on the right.
The size can't be right if it has music files in it.

The txt file is in the folder though. I confirmed that with the TextEdit app. But there's no musica.


So to test I downloaded and installed iTunes (never had a need for it before, hehe) downloaded the folder with files and playlist. Created a new playlist in itunes and dragged/dropped the files into the playlist and all worked fine.

She tried again:
I give up. It's doing some weird ass nuts.

I realized the link you sent me was to the open folder. I needed to download the intact folder so I went up a level and downloaded the folder with the tracks in it.
That should work but...
Then I tried to import into iTunes several times and the playlist shows up but still no tracks in it but ...
I can't even figure out where the song is on my computer unless it's referencing my Downloads folder.
Poltergiest.
That's when I gave up, had a bowl of ice cream, and went to bed.

You could also shorten and semi-automate that process by using Handheld Sync to sync to a local hard drive location, based on your Playlist of FLAC files, with a conversion, and have MC put a copy of the Playlist file in the directory with the files, using the relative path rather than the absolute path.

Then you just need to upload the directory of files to Google Drive, and when your friend downloads and loads the files into iTunes, all should work. Well, as long as iTunes isn't set to automatically move files around. Maybe it would even work then though, if it updated the Playlist when he files are moved.

You could even play with the "Files, Paths, & More" settings to create directories to put the files into, or place the Playlist in another location. But putting them all in the one directory for sharing is the simplest.

See the attached image for the highlighted important settings. Also see the Wiki articles:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Sync_Handheld
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Handheld_Sync_Options


Using the Handheld Sync functionality would make it easy to share updated Playlists and the associated files.

.
.
.
Or get you friend to start using MC on her Mac, then create your Playlists on your PC and upload them to Cloudplay where your friend would have access to them and royalties would be paid for the use of the files. 


PS: Sorry Wer. Not trying to compete. Just filling time stuck at home. 

I'll try this next and see.

Again, thank you both for all your help. I'll upload the .flac playlist to Cloudplay once I get it figured out.

[wer]

All that exposition from her is useless without screenshots.  For example, she refers to a txt file, but there is no txt file: there's an m3u file and m4a files. Open folder, Intact folder? That's gibberish.

If you followed my instructions correctly, the export was correct.  Nothing more to do on this end.

You might need to look on the web for a video on how to import playlists in itunes, or ask on an itunes forum.

[silvertone]

My apologies. I couldn't remember how to post a pic.
Thanks again.

[silvertone]

Got it figured out. I zipped the folder with everything in it. She downloaded, opened the folder and loaded all. Order kept.

appreciate the help.