Apple Music Service - most exasperating

I'm having some of the well-documented library misnaming issues that happen to anyone who has ever or is currently an iTunes Match user, but apart from that I'm not seeing most of the issues Tom's talking about. Of course, I'm not yet saving things into the iCloud Music Library either, and I think I've only downloaded a song or two from Apple Music, so maybe I've simply (accidentally) avoided most of the problems.

The actual service itself I absolutely adore. Best thing that has happened to music for me since New Wave.

As I posted previously, I'm still having a problem with syncing iTunes with my iPhone 6. I have always had iTunes Match, but have never opted for or even checked Apple Music. (All turned off on all devices)

I create a playlist (x) on iTunes. I sync with iPhone. All fine. Now, if on a subsequent sync, I choose not to sync playlist (x) by unchecking that in the usual way; then the playlist disappears from the iPhone (correct). But in iTunes, the playlist (x) is still shown (correct), but the contents are gone (ie it's an empty playlist). Worse, in the sense of finding a cause/solution, this is an inconsistent occurrence. It only happens now and again.

It's not "the end of the world as we know it"; but irritating. I'm running 10.9.5.

Ian

chas_m said:

...
snip...
The actual service itself I absolutely adore... snip

Click to expand...

Naw, git outta here...

Of course you do. No one here is surprised by that announcement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

I did discover the issue by the end of my second go round with the music service not downloading all songs of an album. There have been a couple of regular Apple reviewers also writing about this issue, although, they have ascribed it to affecting those that have iTunes Match. That would be incorrect as I am not now, nor have I ever been, a subscriber to that service.

The issue arises when you already own a song with the same name by that artist. The issue primarily raises it's head if you have a greatest hits, collected works or live albums by an artist that has the same song on another album.

I've been waiting to write more to see what Apple is doing about the issue.
While Apple is not admitting to any problems anywhere that I've found, they are fully aware of it and have been working on it.

Within a week of my first starting this thread and pics, Apple had the issue fixed related to both the first 2 albums I posted screen shots above. But there are plenty more.

Here's some of what they are doing - this is an album that did fully download, but a week later Apple had gone back in and decided to add (Live) onto the title of every track. So now you have duplicate tracks to delete or you can delete and re-add the album.

Here is an example of the issue. This is with James Taylor's Mud Slide Slim album.

The issue here is that if you want to listen to the entire album, you can't just double tap the album and start playing. You must open the album and click on the 'Show Complete Album' or it will skip the missing songs. And still, none of the 4 options for adding those missing songs works.

.

At this same time, you can go back to the Mud Slide Slim album in the music service and while it won't permit you to add those songs to your music, it does provide the option of adding them to one of your playlists.

The two missing songs there are 'You Can Close Your Eyes' and 'Riding on a Railroad'.
Upon adding them to a playlist, instead of adding the version from 'Mud Slide Slim' it adds the version of the songs that you already own - In this case, from two separate albums as shown below.

And no, these are not the same version of a song re-released - these are separate versions - studio recorded in the case of Mud Slide Slim vs live versions of these songs.

.

I know this particular problem does not exist within the iTunes store when you are purchasing albums - not downloading a song from a newly purchased album because you already own a version of that song. That sort of thing would have closed iTunes doors years ago as no one would be able to trust they would get an entire album after purchase.

This is something new Apple has introduced into it's Music Service and there is just no excuse for it.

The problem is also totally random. Another I tried was Nick Drake's complete collection that included all 5 albums he released. This collection had one song that would not add to my music no matter what - because I had a version of that song from an album released after his death from songs he had recorded years earlier, but never released. However, if I added the individual album instead of the collection, it added that same song just fine.

These are just a few examples - I have added well over 100 albums at this time. When adding music of artists that I don't currently have in my iTunes library, there is no problem. For anyone with even a minimal collection of music that includes greatest hits, collections or live albums, you will have problems.

I have verified, this issue exists whether your existing music was ripped from a CD or the digital version purchased from iTunes, Amazon, et al

Just one more point here on this issue.

In iTunes when you click on 'Show Complete Album' and then play one of those songs that refuse to be added because you already own a version of it - iTunes does indeed play the version from that album - not the version you already have in your library.

In the Music app on your iOS device, when you click on the 'Show Complete Album' and play one of those songs, it does not play the version from that album, but instead, plays the version of the song you already own.

I've not tried this yet:
One option to eliminate the issue in iTunes might be to set up a 2nd empty iTunes library used exclusively for Apple's Music Service

edit:
I have now tried deleting the owned version of a song from my library and attempting to add an album from the Music Service.

Music purchased from iTunes - this will not work because iTunes will still indicate that song is available to download and in your library.

Upon deleting a song I purchased from Amazon - it was immediately available to be added to my library from the Music Service.
Adding the deleted version back into my library does not seem to affect the playability of the version from Apple's service.

Thanks for the update Tom. This pretty much convinces me that I made the right decision to hold off joining this mess. Initially I held off because the monthly coast was hard to justify: I barely have time to listen to the existing stuff much less add this to the mix.

Since the music service debuted I had almost become convinced that the problems were mainly tied to problems associated with Music Match. That shouldn't affect me because like you I haven't used that service. This pretty much cinches the idea that the problems are deeper than Music Match. Think I'll be holding off for a while.

Yikes!! Even though I don't have a single Apple iTunes song and all the hassles there have been with various iTunes updates, from reading this and many other posts etc. I'm glad I've managed to stay with only iTunes 11.4 with Mavericks and save most or all the hassles.

Actually it seems that I've told the Software Update to buzz off and don't bother me about any iTunes 12.x update so much, it doesn't even show anywhere in my Software Update now. Nada!! Sort of a relief!!

Tom: you don't love the "for you" playlists and album recommendations? I spend all day in there! It's incredible!

No need to be so condescending, nobody is disagreeing with you that the iTunes version has issues. But 11 million people are using Apple Music, so I'd politely suggest that maybe not everyone is having drama to the same level as you. I'm having some issues, but I already acknowledged this and detailed them, so I won't repeat myself. I've been in touch with Apple, they're aware of the issues, I'll see what the inevitable update/patch/fix does.

I'm sorry if I offended you by liking something.

chas_m said:

But 11 million people are using Apple Music, so I'd politely suggest that maybe not everyone is having drama to the same level as you.

Click to expand...

Fair enough but I'm willing to bet that a good portion of those people, myself included, are using it because it was free and won't start paying for it when the trial expires (again, myself included). I'd argue that membership figures don't tell the story until the real test of retention comes along - paying for it.

Finally got to go in and see what happened with the iTunes update (12.2.2) from earlier this week to see if they had fixed any of the issues.

Holy freaking cow..... 3 dots were not enough.....

So, Apple is working on things - When I went to check Taylor's Mud Slide Slim album this morning and clicked the 'Show Complete Album', it showed me two songs for each one of them. This is the same as has happened with others - ok, delete the album - head for New, locate the album and add it again - Works - They now have all the songs added from this album instead of referencing other songs of the same name I already own on other albums.

So, off I go to other albums in that same category. Went next to John Martyn's "London Conversation" - deleted that album and added it back. Guess what, click the plus sign to add it, it turns into a check, but is it in "My Music"? - Nooooooo.
Ok, that's not the only way to add it, so I go up to the three little dots to Add it and it refuses to be added.
Ok, maybe a problem with that album.
Noooooo

I cannot add A N Y T H I N G via iTunes.
I have gone into Preferences and unchecked iCloud Music, quit iTunes, opened iTunes, rechecked iCloud Music - waited for Apple to complete it's syncing of the service - it does this each time that box becomes unchecked and you have to recheck it in Preferences.
No dice - Nothing can be added to My Music, nor will it add any song or album to a playlist.

Hmmm, maybe they fixed the duplicating of playlists issue.
Ahh, no duplicating of all the default playlists this time.
But, wait a second, where are the playlists I created?
Guess what - gone - all gone...
Not a big deal for me since I don't use playlists and only had them there for testing.
But, for those that do... sorry to be the bearer of more bad news.

So, let's go to my iPhone and check it out in iOS.
Was able to go and add Martyn's London Conversation, added several other albums from multiple artists while I was there.
Let's check iTunes - nope not there.
Open Preferences, uncheck iCloud Music, uncheck Show Apple Music, log out of iTunes, restart my Mac, open iTunes, log back into iTunes, head back into Preferences and recheck Show Apple Music and iCloud Music Library, wait for Apple to resync the service and...

Nothing, none of the Albums added to My Music (the iCloud Music Library) from the iPhone which are still there on the iPhone after a power down and reboot are in iTunes and I still can add nothing further from Apple Music into iTunes.

Time to go do something else.

bobtomay said:

Finally got to go in and see what happened with the iTunes update from earlier this week to see if they had fixed any of the issues.

Holy freaking cow..... 3 dots were not enough.....

So, Apple is working on things - … … ...

Time to go do something else.

Click to expand...

My God, and I'm sorry I sure can't help as I hardly even use iTunes, and certainly definitely not the latest, and I'll just stick with v. 11.4 thanks.

But are you sure you weren't just having some sort of surrealist nightmare earlier this morning??? What a God awful experience!!

iTunes is, for me the very WORST software Apple has produced.

Not suitable for the tech-naive, and as I understand it you don't legally own what you paid for?

Gave up on it. There are simpler cheaper alternatives that are far better.

domlanic said:

iTunes is, for me the very WORST software Apple has produced.

Not suitable for the tech-naive, and as I understand it you don't legally own what you paid for?

Gave up on it. There are simpler cheaper alternatives that are far better.

Click to expand...

I have no problems with the iTunes application and while there may be "simpler" applications, since iTunes is free, I'm certainly not aware of any "cheaper" alternatives either. If you have an application that pays you for using it, I'd like "in" on that.

This thread has nothing to do with the iTunes application and everything to do with their new Music Service.

Went to check if the iCloud Music Library had updated itself before I went to bed last night. Of course not.
Still, after another reboot of the computer, nothing could be added to My Library from the service, none of the albums I had added that morning (13 hours earlier) on my iPhone had shown up in My Music on my Mac and all of my Playlists - including the Music Service's playlists I had added were all missing.

Decided, maybe it's time to go back to iTunes 12.2.1 via a restore from my cloned backup and could let it run overnight.
Booted to the clone, and after authorizing iTunes there, sure enough, everything is working - including showing the albums that had been added from my phone.
Don't know why, but decided to boot back to the internal drive one more time before I cloned.
Started up iTunes and the Music Service is now working - what? - I'm flabbergasted - nothing but booting to my clone and opening iTunes there and booting back to the internal drive fixed it.
Fixed it including all of my Playlists are back in place. I've added another 15 albums this morning and all appears to be working as it should.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another item I mentioned earlier in the thread about Albums and songs having the wrong year attached to them - Apple appears to be working on that issue also.
The problem was that the latest copyright year was being shown on an album (and the songs) rather than the original release year of the album.
All the latest albums I've added (perhaps another hundred or so) are now showing the correct year of original release rather than the latest year of copyright.
This means you'll now be able to create correct playlists based on a decade and you won't have (for example) Santana's first album showing up as being from 2004 instead of 1969.

I have posted to this thread at least twice. Now that I've found a solution to my difficulties, I hope it will be appropriate to share this in case other people experience similar issues.

To recap briefly:

Before the latest iTunes update, I was a subscriber to iTunes Match. After the update, I NEVER at any time turned on or experimented with Apple Music.

The problem: When I synced my iPhone with iTunes (via USB to my iMac), I found that if I decided not to continue syncing a particular playlist (let's call it classical mix), it disappeared from my iPhone (as it should); but on my iMac the playlist was there, but empty. If I synced a new playlist to my iPhone, no problem, but removing it from the iPhone always resulted in an empty playlist of the same name on the iMac. This happened every time.

What I did: I signed out of my account and in again. No change. I unchecked iTunes Music Library. No change. Re-checked iTunes Music Library. Still no change. But something new happened! All my iMac playlists were duplicated; for example "classical mix" was retained and "classical mix.2" appeared. This was for all playlists. But examining the duplicated playlist showed fewer songs than my original playlist. For example; "classical mix" had 133 songs whist "classical mix.2" had 91 songs. This behaviour was reproduced on all the duplicated playlists. Moreover, my original playlists all showed a list of songs (as it had always been), whilst the duplicated playlists shoed the Album artwork on the left and the whole page was in a sort of brown colour.

Final solution (I hope!!): Went in to duplicate, copied all, pasted into original, choosing to skip any duplicate songs. Then deleted the duplicate playlists. Now syncing to iPhone and iPods works fine. But I did have to hard-restart 2 out of 3 of my iPods in order to get the proper sound quality.

I know this has been a long post, but it might help others. I don't understand any of what has happened (or not happened) nor do I fully comprehend why my "solution" worked. But there you are.

Ian

An update from my end. Since there have been several updates to iTunes of late, I decided the best way to test things would be to turn off any connection to iCloud Music Library, restore my iTunes library from a pre-12.2 version, force a clearing of the iCloud Music library, and then let it re-upload things.

That seems to have cleared the issues, though I'd be the first to say it shouldn't take that kind of drastic measure to fix some misidentified files. I've now tried doing things I didn't before, like downloading songs from the service for offline listening and so on, and everything works as it should. There was (is?) clearly some glitch with iCloud Music Library that reacts to some libraries very badly, but a simulated "fresh" updated library and Apple Music seem to be working just fine now. I'll keep you all posted but in case anyone's not willing to wait for Apple to sort it out, this has been my solution (I should note that I wasn't having any SEVERE problems, just a few dozen misidentified files but boy is that annoying!).