Differences Between iTunes, Apple Music, and Music App

[jayne_cobb]

HI there

I'm giving Apple Music a try.

Is there a way I can "download" music from Apple Music to my "iTunes library"(I realize its no longer called iTunes but just trying to not be confusing the post) in the same way I can download it to my phone? I'm asking for primarily for a reasons.

I use Final Cut Pro quite a bit and there is a fairly easy way to add music from iTunes into Final Cut Pro Movies. Would I have to actually buy the song to do this(in addition to paying the monthly Apple Music Charge?)

I also find that I'm a bit more old school and I enjoy creating my own playlists on my desktop instead of my phone, but as I "Add" music to my phone I can't seem to do this in iTunes.

Lastly I did enjoy the ability to edit songs. For example I had downloaded a lot of Disney songs for the kids and simply put the Artist name as "Disney". I realize a playlist would have accomplished something similar, but I did enjoy the freedom of that.

This last one is less of a concern for me as I didn't do it that often, but just one more thing as I can't seem to figure out if I can get any music into iTunes.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[MacInWin]

Just a quick note. It's more confusing to call Music iTunes. The two apps work differently, so when you refer to iTunes you may be getting answers that work in iTunes but not in Music. I think you meant Music in pretty much all of the iTunes references in your post, right?

 

[IWT]

Hi Jayne,

I am in no way trying to be patronising, but you may find this article by Apple useful in dissecting the differences between iTunes (of old) and the new Apple Music app.

What happened to iTunes?

With macOS Catalina, your iTunes media library is now available in the Apple Music app, Apple TV app, Apple Books app and Apple Podcasts app. And Finder is where you can manage and sync content on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

support.apple.com

As regards purchasing "Apple Music" and its 60 million songs:

Apple Music

Stream millions of songs in lossless audio at no extra cost. Download your favorites and play them offline. Start listening for free today.

www.apple.com

It is very confusing - at least to me.

Ian

 

[jayne_cobb]

Hey all

Appreciate the response

What if I simply it and just call it the music app on my desktop lol (I am running Catalina so I believe by definition it is called Apple Music. That said once upon a time I was a child of the CD era and between that and keeping an eye on iTunes sales probably have 10 000 plus songs in "said app on my desktop") All of those songs I can still do all the old things I used to do in iTunes.....edit them how I want, put them in playlists on my desktop and perhaps most importantly easily transition them to Final Cut Pro

So perhaps not to get stuck on the distinction between Apple Music and iTunes. I'll ask is it possible to get a song from Apple Music into Final Cut Pro? Again in the past all songs I owned I was able to do this with, however I can't see anyway to do this with songs in Apple Music. (when I open Final Cut Pro it only recognizes songs I previously owned........what to me is the issue is......."said app on my desktop" seems to be able to stream 60 million songs but none are actually accessible for any other use other than streaming. I find this slightly different than my phone in that I can actually download my selection of those 60 million songs to my phone. (i.e. should I be in a situation where streaming was not an option .....I can still listen to them)

Any thoughts?
Cheers

 

[MacInWin]

Ah, Jayne, if only it were that simple! Apple Music is a service from Apple while Music is the app on the desktop. They aren't necessarily related. You can have Music and not Apple Music (That is how I am set up.) or you can have Music AND Apple Music.

As for sound and FCP, this is what the User Manual at Apple has on that (this is for FCP X, don't know if that makes a difference): https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/add-music-and-sound-ver549f1ed1/mac

The full guide is at https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/welcome/mac

 

[IWT]

Hi Jayne,

My understanding of Apple Music (60 million songs) is that you are "renting" them, not "owning them". Therefore you can't put them in FCPro and try to modify them in any way.

You can listen to them for as long as you pay the monthly "rental", compose radio stations of your choice and myriad other things; but not use them in the way you can with purchased songs.

HTH

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

Ian, that is for Apple Music, but if she has previously paid for the songs and have them stored in Music, she should be able to use them. Again, that is why it's important to distinguish Apple Music and the Music app.

 

[jayne_cobb]

So how does one get music from Apple Music into the Music App on a iMac(desktop) This seems easier on a iPHone

When I am in Apple Music and I right click on the song I am given the following options
Play Next
Play Later
Create Station
Get Info
Love
Dislike
Show in Apple Music((when I click this it just refreshes the same apple screen)
Show in iTunes(when I click this my only option is to buy it)
Share Song
Copy

Any thoughts?

 

[ferrarr]

Apple Music is a subscription service, macOS Music app holds your audio cd & song collection.

 

[MacInWin]

Jayne, it's getting confused again, at least for me. When you say "Apple Music" are you referring to the service from Apple or the "Music" app on your desktop? Terminology is important.

When I open Music and click once on a track to select it, I can right-click and get this menu:


"Show in Finder" does exactly that, shows where the track is stored. With that information you should be able to import to FCP.

 

[ferrarr]

I believe Jayne is subscribing to Apple Music, so the entire Music app "View" is changed significantly. A screen shot would be helpful.

 

[MacInWin]

If that's the case, Bob, then she will have to buy the track to use it. I don't think FCP can import from Apple Music directly.

 

[jayne_cobb]

So I think based on what Ferrar is saying there is indeed no way to use a song from Apple Music (subscription service) in Final Cut Pro.....I have to buy the song in order to do that?

MacinWin My Music App looks the same as yours. If I wanted a song from Apple Music(subscription service) to appear in Music App on Desktop it seems there is no way for that to happen?

Do we agree?

 

[MacInWin]

If you haven't paid for the track, it cannot be added to Music (on the desktop). Apple Music is a streaming service. If you pay for it, you can download it and add to Music and from there put it in FCP.

 

[jayne_cobb]

Thanks for the help everyone, at least I understand it better.

It is a bit of a bummer I sorta was hoping paying for the subscription service would mean "never paying for music again". (other than the subscription).

However given its limitations it makes me feel like more times than I feel comfortable I'd have to be purchasing something twice. (subscription and than cost of additional song). I'll just have to weigh all those options.

Again at least it makes sense now.
Cheers

 

[jayne_cobb]

Just thinking of another question than.......I suppose there is no way to make a playlist in the Music App from Apple Music(subscription service) (imagine a scenario I find 10 new songs on Apple Music Subscription service that I like.....and want to listen to them from a playlist on my desktop)

I could do this on my phone.....but there is literally no way to do this on a desktop. Does everyone agree?

 

[ferrarr]

I sorta was hoping paying for the subscription service would mean "never paying for music again". (other than the subscription).

That's still true. You're paying a licensing fee to listen, just like cds.

 

[MacInWin]

That's still true. You're paying a licensing fee to listen, just like cds.

Drifting away from the subject, but there is a real difference between purchasing an CD and subscribing to Apple Music. When you purchase a CD it comes with some legal freedom for what is called "fair use." So if the project in FCP is for her use only, and not for sale or public performance, then any track that was on a CD and imported to Music, or copied from the disk to FCP directly would be "fair use." (Really need a lawyer to step up as this is definitely Intellectual Property area stuff.) But Apple Music is a streaming service, so she is paying to listen to the tracks only, and not to use for any other use. Apple then pays the licensing fee to the recording studio who pays the artists. I suspect Apple pays one level for subscriptions and a different level when someone buys the track or album to get the additional "fair use" authority. I'm no lawyer, but that's what I have read elsewhere.

I look at Apple Music (and the other streaming services) like this: it's a chance to listen to music cheaply, then if I like it and want it for my own "fair use" and to be able to play without Internet connectivity for streaming, to pay for that convenience. It's like renting a movie and then deciding to buy it, or leasing a car and then deciding to buy it outright.

 

[IWT]

Ian, that is for Apple Music, but if she has previously paid for the songs and have them stored in Music, she should be able to use them. Again, that is why it's important to distinguish Apple Music and the Music app.

Hi Jake. Things have moved on since our last encounter. Sorry, but I've been busy with "you know what".

Anyway, I think I was right in that Jayne was wanting to use songs downloaded from Apple Music (60 million songs) to put into FCP and edit them. As she doesn't own them, that is not possible, is it?

I do wish Apple had developed a different nomenclature when macOS Catalina was introduced.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

@ian, we never "own" music we think we purchase, we just pay a licensing fee for personal use. That fee comes with some permission to play for our own use, maybe to use for other things in a "fair use" approach. But for the casual user the fee does not include the right to resell, or use to make money (sound track for movie), etc. That kind of use requires a difference license of the copyrighted material. But we don't need to get pedantic about that, as the real issue is that one does not, AFAIK, "download" a track from Apple Music in the sense that it then exists on our machine as a file. AM is a streaming service, so the music file is downloaded and played on the fly, not saved to the storage. So she can't use a track from AM in FCP because the file itself is not on her drive, just in the cloud. As I said earlier, I suspect Apple pays for a lower license for AM as a service than she would pay to get it as a file. Which is why it sounds like she's paying twice--but really isn't. As I said in post #18, it's a bit like leasing a car and then deciding to buy it. The lease has some restrictions (mileage, servicing, condition, etc), that are removed by purchasing outright.