Music streaming services UIs (need some help)

[HotRats]

I've been an iTunes/Apple Music user since ever and I always liked how the personal library is organized by Artist/Song/Album. When you click on an Artist you only see the albums or songs you actually added to your library and not every fucking single album, single, , video, news, whatever. You can sort everything the way you like (for example by Artist Name and Year of release).
Added artists and albums/songs are linked, when you add an album it goes into your artist or apple music automatically add that artists in your list.
You can view playlists as albums, you can set up automatic playlists with rules, you can create playlist folders. Might not be the best looking UI but functionality awesome.

The way your library is organized is perfect for me.

Now I use chromecast a lot and apple music with chromecast simply works like shit and this is becoming a big problem for me.
Main issue is that for whatever reasons (I've already contacted both google and apple assistance) is unable to playback songs longer than 15 minutes (it stucks at 15'03") and I listen to a lot of prog with long songs, has a lot of connectivity issues and there's no native apple music app for chromecasts.

Therefore I've started looking for an apple music alternative but so far I've had no luck in terms of UI. I've tried Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and Tidal and none is able to organize a personal library like Apple Muisc.

They all let you add songs and albums in you library but you can't organize them in a logical way and ARISTS and ALBUMS/SONGS are not linked. When you click on one of your favourite aritsts it simply goes to the artist page. The album list is a useless list if you have a huge library like I do.

here's the question:

which streaming service can organize your personal library like Apple Music does?

 

[Bruce]

I think Apple Music is pretty unique in its streaming service as well as all around library organizer. They intentionally break this so you are stuck in the Apple Music/apple everything ecosystem. It sucks on PC.

My solution to this is Sonos. Sonos is my home entertainment audio center. Sonos will contain my iTunes library, all my streaming services and then some. It works pretty well, but this is an expensive way to fix a problem that shouldnt exist.

One fun thing I do with the Sonos is plant alarm bombs when I’m not there for my wife throughout the house with songs she hates, pre recorded fart noises, reveille and other bugle calls, etc etc etc. Ain’t I a hoot?

 

[HotRats]

I think Apple Music is pretty unique in its streaming service as well as all around library organizer. They intentionally break this so you are stuck in the Apple Music/apple everything ecosystem. It sucks on PC.

My solution to this is Sonos. Sonos is my home entertainment audio center. Sonos will contain my iTunes library, all my streaming services and then some. It works pretty well, but this is an expensive way to fix a problem that shouldnt exist.

One fun thing I do with the Sonos is plant alarm bombs when I’m not there for my wife throughout the house with songs she hates, pre recorded fart noises, reveille and other bugle calls, etc etc etc. Ain’t I a hoot?

Yeah even the pc version of apple muisc sucks compared to the mac one. I hate them for this stupid behaviour.
I've been an apple customer for a long time but now can't stand them anymore, I've moved to windows pc and android phones.

Anyway, I'll check this sonos. The other solution is buy an apple tv and replace the chromecast tv.

I've seen that YouTube Music can organize the library in a decent way but I don't like the service at all.

 

[Warmart]

Another vote for Sonos at home. Been using for 10 years. The mobile Android app doesn't work as well as it used to (but that can be said for just about any software that's been around 10+ years) but once you get used to a few quirks, I'm sure you'll like it.

 

[Bruce]

Another vote for Sonos at home. Been using for 10 years. The mobile Android app doesn't work as well as it used to (but that can be said for just about any software that's been around 10+ years) but once you get used to a few quirks, I'm sure you'll like it.

Im on iOS with the Sonos app. I just wish it picked up the system a little quicker. Really for me it’s a 1st world problem but it takes a good 10 seconds to see my devices when I open the app. I do like how it seamlessly finds my Apple Music playlists. For me this is huge if I need to work on music not in front of my desk.

 

[Bruce]

Yeah even the pc version of apple muisc sucks compared to the mac one. I hate them for this stupid behaviour.
I've been an apple customer for a long time but now can't stand them anymore, I've moved to windows pc and android phones.

Anyway, I'll check this sonos. The other solution is buy an apple tv and replace the chromecast tv.

I've seen that YouTube Music can organize the library in a decent way but I don't like the service at all.

So you generally listen to music through your TV? The TV speakers or do you have some kind of sound bar?

 

[HotRats]

So you generally listen to music through your TV? The TV speakers or do you have some kind of sound bar?

I have a pair of spare studio monitors hooked there I use for both music and movies.
I actually don't have a tv but a 43" computer monitor I use with Chromecast tv.

I used to have a mini fanless PC running iTunes, it was hooked to the same speakers (and the the 43" monitor) in my living room via HDMI using an HDMI switcher and a small DAC.

The PC died so I've moved to Chromecast only but is not working/meeting my needs.

I might buy a new mini PC an call it a day.

 

[Bruce]

I have a pair of spare studio monitors hooked there I use for both music and movies.
I actually don't have a tv but a 43" computer monitor I use with Chromecast tv.

I used to have a mini fanless PC running iTunes, it was hooked to the same speakers (and the the 43" monitor) in my living room via HDMI using an HDMI switcher and a small DAC.

The PC died so I've moved to Chromecast only but is not working/meeting my needs.

I might buy a new mini PC a call it a day.

If you’re happy with your current listening environment that may be your best bet. This wouldn’t solve your streaming and file organization issue though would it?

 

[Warmart]

Im on iOS with the Sonos app. I just wish it picked up the system a little quicker. Really for me it’s a 1st world problem but it takes a good 10 seconds to see my devices when I open the app. I do like how it seamlessly finds my Apple Music playlists. For me this is huge if I need to work on music not in front of my desk.

Yeah, same on Android. Something they changed not too long ago has caused this, one of the annoying things with it these days. It is good about aggregating and it sounds pretty sweet. We have a wide mixture of sound bars, the "move", 1's, a 2 and a 5.

 

[HotRats]

If you’re happy with your current listening environment that may be your best bet. This wouldn’t solve your streaming and file organization issue though would it?

Yes my listening environment is good, no problems in that department.

My current issue is only apple music not streaming reliably when casting to a Chromecast.

That's why I'm looking for an alternative streaming service with the same file organization capabilities.

Apparently no other service can do what apple can.

I guess that using an apple tv instead of the Google one is the easiest solution.

It would solve the streaming issues (I hope!) without the need to choose a different streaming service. Something I don't really want to because it would mean rebuilding a huge library made of almost 2k records and some huge playlists.

 

[Bruce]

Yes my listening environment is good, no problems in that department.

My current issue is only apple music not streaming reliably when casting to a Chromecast.

That's why I'm looking for an alternative streaming service with the same file organization capabilities.

Apparently no other service can do what apple can.

I guess that using an apple tv instead of the Google one is the easiest solution.

It would solve the streaming issues (I hope!) without the need to choose a different streaming service. Something I don't really want to because it would mean rebuilding a huge library made of almost 2k records and some huge playlists.

Last I knew you have a 150 dollar problem in this case. Sonos is a rabbit hole you probably dont want to go down.

 

[HotRats]

Last I knew you have a 150 dollar problem in this case. Sonos is a rabbit hole you probably dont want to go down.

Yep!
I lurked the Sonos website and watched a couple of videos you YT.
Looks like a great system.

 

[HotRats]

I forgot to mention another important issue apple music with Chromecast can't even do gapless playback.
It's crippled because they want it to be, fuckin bastards.

 

[norminal]

When you click on an Artist you only see the albums or songs you actually added to your library and not every f*****g single album, single, , video, news, whatever.

macOS or iOS?

 

[HotRats]

macOS or iOS?

Andorid