Creating a plan for iTunes music

My Cloud OS 3 Personal & Network Attached Storage My Cloud
1

Hi!

Bought 4TB MyCloud because I want to run music to Sonos system without so many data hops (ie: Phone to router, router to Sonos). But now that I’m digging in, I see that I have some decisions to make that didn’t occur to me originally. I want to have the music locally on my phone because i’ll access it when outside of my network, but I also want it on MyCloud. I buy new music very spontaneously and need to be able to do that without being on my network. Is there any way to have MyCloud automatically ‘mirror’ what’s on my phone, so that the actual music files reside on both? Or is there a better way to accomplish what I’m aiming for?

In the simplest sense, even just copying music files onto the MyCloud seems to be a chore because the files in iTunes are in Music → iTunes → iTunes Music → Music → {Folder for band name} - > {Folder for Specific Album} → SongTitle.m4a
So how would I create a Playlist that I can map my Sonos to?

Thanks for any help!

2

What phone (Android or iOS) are you using?

Would you want to “mirror” or sync the phone’s media contents locally over the local network or remotely?

Edit to add: Also, do a subforum search for Sonos as others have had issues with that device and the My Cloud.

Also see the following unofficial Twonky FAQ thread for possible additional information.

https://community.wd.com/t/faq-twonky-dlna-media-server-setup-use/95373

3

I def don’t need to remotely sync. I don’t know what relatively simple options exist, but I guess a local sync is fine as opposed to ‘mirror’.

4

Have you checked the Apple mobile app store to see if there is an app that will sync music from your mobile phone to another network device or computer?

Currently the WD My Cloud iOS mobile app will “backup” from the mobile device to the My cloud photos (and I think possibly videos).

5

Yes, My Cloud app for iOS backs up the complete Camera Roll to the My Cloud NAS; videos incl.

Also, to OP, you will get a few suggestions of how to use your iTunes music on the My Cloud. This is what I do.

I do NOT want my iTunes Media for the iTunes program administered anywhere other than on the same drive as my iTunes program, so I don’t make the NAS the location of where it is stored.

What I have done for years is to copy the iTunes Media folder to other locations such as external drives and currently to my MC NAS so I can access it with music apps and from other devices locally and remotely. Yes, I have to manually update the copied folder, but it does not take me long and it is what I prefer to do.

Various apps and devices can access the music as DLNA/UPnP or Samba shares. Music accessed as Shares is delivered in album track order, whereas music delivered via DLNA is delivered in alpha order; unless the DLNA app can be configured to arrange and deliver content in track order. The Android app BubbleUPnN can do this.

With iOS devices (which I have) you haven’t much choice as there are hardly any DLNA apps. Same may go for Sonos; it most likely receives the media in DLNA format only, meaning music is not in album/track order, but rather alpha order. This frustrates people that they cannot get the music in track order, so be prepared for that.

I keep no music or videos on my iOS devices; rather I stream it to my mobile devices from My Cloud, either locally or remotely. I also have an Android tablet where I can use Bubble and other Android apps. Also, I have a lot of Playlists, and DLNA is the only way to play from Playlists (if not actually using iTunes on device to play music). So. I rarely use an iOS device to play my music; instead I use devices that work via DLNA. So, to play my playlists from a playlist on tablet, and send music to devices (e.g. speaker) from tablet via Bluetooth. Or, play playlists from another device (e.g. a WDTV) into my TV and stereo amp.

So, to summarize. keep a copy of the iTunes Media folder on the My Cloud, manually update it, and understand that Sonos will access the music via DLNA, and this has its limitations, and advantages.