Cloud based music storage?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I’m on the verge of getting a new phone but I’m also tired of using my PC to sync. It’s the only thing I use my PC for and is an onerous process because it is old and slow, even though I only do it about once a year.

I am not interested in the Apple matching service as I have quite a bit of unique content (bootlegs, live shows etc).

Do I have any options?

Ideally when I get a new phone I’ll auto download all my music purchased thru iTunes directly to my phone and then for the non-Apple music I’ll access the cloud storage and download selected songs onto my iPhone into the native Apple Music player. All without ever having to use iTunes for my PC. If I have to use a 3rd party app and play the music thru “files” or something that won’t work. It would need to sync just like iTunes on PC. If that makes sense.

Is such a thing possible?

[Hemi-Cuda]

Google Music lets you upload 50,000 songs to your online library


https://support.google.com/googlepla.../1075570?hl=en

[cDnStealth]

Google Play Music is what I use. You can upload any music to your account and stream it or download it directly onto your phone.

[DownInFlames]

Google Play Music lets you upload 50,000 songs for free, but you need to use their app so that might not work for you.

iTunes Match works great for me. You can upload 100,000 songs for $35 a year and access them in the music app on your iPhone.

I’m not sure you can do anything else without using a third party app. I have my music on my NAS but you need another app for that as well.

[DownInFlames]

Google Play Music lets you upload 50,000 songs for free, but you need to use their app so that might not work for you.

iTunes Match works great for me. You can upload 100,000 songs for $35 a year and access them in the music app on your iPhone.

I’m not sure you can do anything else without using a third party app. I have my music on my NAS but you need another app for that as well.

[Boblobla]

Google play music works fine on an iPhone. I have a google play music subscription and my wife can use it as well on her iPhone.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I can upload my music purchased thru Apple to google play I assume?

I guess using a different app isn’t a big deal as long as I can access all my music in one place.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

Google Play Music lets you upload 50,000 songs for free, but you need to use their app so that might not work for you.

iTunes Match works great for me. You can upload 100,000 songs for $35 a year and access them in the music app on your iPhone.

I’m not sure you can do anything else without using a third party app. I have my music on my NAS but you need another app for that as well.

Can you access all your songs for download? I mean your versions, not the 256 AAC files that Apple replaces them with. I also have a lot of music Apple doesn’t have. Can I upload that too?

[Wormius]

I have a WD MyCloud NAS drive that you can access from anywhere. There are some apps for different phones. I don't know if that is something you want to try. The speed from outside your home network though isn't great, so I don't know if you were planning on streaming directly from it, or downloading the music as needed.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I’d be downloading to my phone. No streaming. Just need a non home PC option for storage.

[Wormius]

You could try the MyCloud then. Memory Express has the 2TB one for $199


https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX68885

[DoubleF]

In a different direction, what about those memory expanding thumb drives for iphones?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MUH9BET/...ing=UTF8&psc=1

You'd have to keep this physical thing on hand, but if you left it in a place you access regularly (ie: car, computer bag etc.) then you should be able to forgo the computer entirely?

Edit (clarify): How this thing works is supposed to work is that you should be able to transfer files between Apple internal memory and this thumb drive via your phone. That means you can download files directly to your phone and play them from iphone. You could, but wouldn't need to play from the thumb drive.


I think there might even be options to stream download files to your phone via a hootoo travelmate or something and you just store data on thumb drives and SD cards or something. How this thing works is that you can use it kind of like the thumb drive above, by via wifi tether. (No experience with this method though)

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I also have a lot of music Apple doesn’t have. Can I upload that too?

Yes. I have bootlegs/full sets that Apple Music doesn’t have and they uploaded just fine.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

So unfortunately iTunes Match isn’t suitable. It reencodes all music to 256 AAC. I need a way to store all my original files.

[White Out 403]

I remember one time I had a friend over and did a test with headphones. We tried to tell the difference between 256, 128, and 325 or whatever bit rate, and never could successfully tell the difference.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

So unfortunately iTunes Match isn’t suitable. It reencodes all music to 256 AAC. I need a way to store all my original files.

I thought it only did that with the stuff it had in its library?

Unless you’re uploading FLAC I guess.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Google play is a no go too. It also converts all files to 320 mp3 and every online review of the service says it’s gonna be dumped for YouTube music soon anyways.

Mycloud doesn’t appear to have a suitable music player. I’d need something comparable to Apple Music app or google play.

I think I’m better off using my PC with iTunes for the time being. I’m not interested in streaming and need a way to store and sync my existing music without downgrading quality or reencoding.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by DownhillGoat

I thought it only did that with the stuff it had in its library?

Unless you’re uploading FLAC I guess.

It actually doesn’t do FLAC at all.

I guess I could give it a try. Not many options at this point. Having all my music accessible remotely via an Apple app would be handy. I have the original files on my PC/ext HD anyways if I ever wanted to go back to the original lossless files.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

It actually doesn’t do FLAC at all.

I guess I could give it a try. Not many options at this point. Having all my music accessible remotely via an Apple app would be handy. I have the original files on my PC/ext HD anyways if I ever wanted to go back to the original lossless files.

Yeah, I couldn't remember if it did and converted or didn't at all - the only time I've used FLAC is on my home network on Kodi so no iTunes involved.

[DownInFlames]

Ok, FLAC changes the game entirely. There aren't any services that I know of that'll host them. You'll need to host them yourself and use something like Plex to play them.

I would settle on Google Music unless you can absolutely tell the difference between lossless and 320kbps mp3, especially on a phone. Google wants everyone to switch to Youtube but I don't see Google Play going away any time soon.