I use a Melco server with an integrated SSD drive with control using the Linn App on my iphone (Melco have their own app for the iPad). It has the benefit that you can save your ripped files onto it (just copy existing ones to a fileshare area, import from USB etc.) and access streaming services too. It feeds a USB output directly into my DAC of choice. So there are solutions that support local storage and streaming simultaneously. Alternatives to Melco include Innuous, Auralic, Lumin etc. I feel happier owning some of my own stuff (possibly a legacy of owning records) but at least I know that no internet supplier can turn it off!
How do I start a digital music library?
- Thread starter Nicholas
- Start date
I am wondering how useful these all-in-one audiophile music servers/streamers are, should they no longer be supported by the manufacturer - a twist on the final words in your post above, if you will. Can you access your music on the Melco device via your local network using a traditional method, i.e. SMB, and control it locally, perhaps via a web interface, without an internet connection or a mobile app?
mandryka
pfm Member
For me, streaming from Spotify is fine until the music I want to hear is not available for streaming, or no longer available for streaming. So I've found it's necessary to supplement spotify with a small digital library. The other streaming services I've tried - Qobuz (not hires) and Tidal - are hopeless for my requirements because their database of available recordings is too lacking.
I can't hear a SQ difference between the streaming services, at least not one which matters to me. I don't much care about artwork - but I do care slightly about booklets, which are occasionally accessible through Qobuz on my LMS interface even though I don't subscribe to them any more.
mandryka
pfm Member
Keep it really simple and flexible. Use an open source and well maintained media server like LMS; put your own music on a simple replaceable reliable device like an external hard drive. Keep backups. That approach has served me well for about 15 years.
mandryka
pfm Member
No. I use Backblaze for a cloud backup but I can't stream from it. I believe there are ways you can stream from your hard drive across the web, I've tried a couple of times - but it has always been unsatisfactory.
Whaleblue
Southbound
I’d be genuinely, and open-mindedly, interested in another digital bake-off. I don’t have the speakers to do it myself (I had active ATC 50s back at the time), but would love to participate/organise/help if you’re up for it.
Roon's new cheap(ish) server (out in a couple of months, I think) + Quboz.
les24preludes
pfm Member
I'm a Mac user and I transferred all my CDs to a 2Tb external disc in AIFF which is the Mac lossless format, with a second 2Tb for backup. I play them in iTunes. So you already have everything to do that.
AIFF isn't compatible with FLAC which is a common format on PCs. So for downloads you may need a converter to AIFF.
I don't use any streaming service because I find YouTube good enough for all my needs - it has a ginormous library and I have no problem with the sound quality through my system.
AIFF isn't compatible with FLAC which is a common format on PCs. So for downloads you may need a converter to AIFF.
I don't use any streaming service because I find YouTube good enough for all my needs - it has a ginormous library and I have no problem with the sound quality through my system.
tuga
Legal Alien
Around 10 years ago I ripped over 1k CDs over a couple of years. More recently I have been buying more downloads than CDs (from Qobuz, Presto, eClassical, Juno, 7digital and Bandcamp).
I keep my library in 3 different drives, two of them back ups of the main drive.
In my experience ripping is very hard on optical drives. I’ve had a couple break down.
I keep my library in 3 different drives, two of them back ups of the main drive.
In my experience ripping is very hard on optical drives. I’ve had a couple break down.
No need to convert FLAC to AIFF for the Mac - VLC plays FLAC fine but doesn't do meta data.
TheFlash
Reiki Audio
I like to use Apple Music/iTunes to rip music and tweak the metadata but I have no interest in using the same software for playback. I find BluOS and now Sense, installed on my iPad, just fabulous for controlling playback and I can do so from the comfort of my listening position. Across streamed (Qobuz) and stored music files.
I do have some FLAC files I’ve bought/downloaded and these are stored on the same NAS as the ALAC files. iTunes doesn’t even acknowledge the existence of the FLAC files but both Sense and BluOS are agnostic so playback has never been restricted by format.
I do have some FLAC files I’ve bought/downloaded and these are stored on the same NAS as the ALAC files. iTunes doesn’t even acknowledge the existence of the FLAC files but both Sense and BluOS are agnostic so playback has never been restricted by format.
You can enable SMB on the Melco server so that you can see it on the network and access music files (I use SMB to transfer newly ripped music from a PC to the server). So, for example, I can run VLC on my iPhone or PC and stream (or download) the music from the Melco server rather than using any native Melco app. Infact the Melco server comes with a nifty piece of software (SongKong) which allows you to easily edit the metadata associated with music files. I use this on the Melco server (via PC) to correct metadata and then use those corrected files elsewhere. You can either copy files off the Melco server with SMB or it has a handy backup feature (incremental as well as full) to copy files onto a USB drive. The music files are in standard formats and not encrypted in anyway to make them specific to Melco servers. Possibly this is an oversight by the manufacturer because if they did 'mangle' the files then you would indeed be locked in to their solution...
I can't comment on other proprietary server implementations but it is easier to manage then my previous solution based upon a QNAP server not least because of the direct USB connection to a DAC (saving UPNP network traffic).
Hi,
I have used JRiver for many years. Every year they release a new version. You can get the new version or keep using the last one you’ve purchased as all versions they carry on being fully functional.
It’s a media system so you can use it for music, for video, tv etc.
You can use JRiver to rip your CDs or a different software.
You run JRiver on a Windows, Mac or Linux machine and you connect this machine to a DAC and this to your amp. You control JRiver from any mobile, IPAD via app or the computer itself.
Ideally once ripped, you should store your digital copies on a NAS system not on the computer.
You can also buy and download digital copies of any song or cd from the online shops and store then in the NAS. JRiver will add them to your library with your ripped CDs. You can tag all your albums individually which I find handy with Classical music.
I have been doing this on and off for many years having managed to create a library with more than 11000 albums.
However, for some time now I’ve been using an Innuos server to play my music and Qobuz to stream new music.
Still I rip some CDs now and then.
Innuos see my library on my NAS system and I control it via the app.
Sorry for the long post. What I’m trying to say is although it looks daunting, you need to physically store your music on an NAS system either buying online or ripping your collection. I think it’s the best way to be future proof.
Then you can stream for convenience or to find new music.
Regards,
Oscar
I have used JRiver for many years. Every year they release a new version. You can get the new version or keep using the last one you’ve purchased as all versions they carry on being fully functional.
It’s a media system so you can use it for music, for video, tv etc.
You can use JRiver to rip your CDs or a different software.
You run JRiver on a Windows, Mac or Linux machine and you connect this machine to a DAC and this to your amp. You control JRiver from any mobile, IPAD via app or the computer itself.
Ideally once ripped, you should store your digital copies on a NAS system not on the computer.
You can also buy and download digital copies of any song or cd from the online shops and store then in the NAS. JRiver will add them to your library with your ripped CDs. You can tag all your albums individually which I find handy with Classical music.
I have been doing this on and off for many years having managed to create a library with more than 11000 albums.
However, for some time now I’ve been using an Innuos server to play my music and Qobuz to stream new music.
Still I rip some CDs now and then.
Innuos see my library on my NAS system and I control it via the app.
Sorry for the long post. What I’m trying to say is although it looks daunting, you need to physically store your music on an NAS system either buying online or ripping your collection. I think it’s the best way to be future proof.
Then you can stream for convenience or to find new music.
Regards,
Oscar
Not quite.
I prefer the flexibility that a computer can provide with all digital sources in one interface.
I've tried the Naim's streamer but didn't hear enough of a difference to switch to a different interface.
I bought the Naim to explicitly be a DAC for the computer.
I find the Naim app quite naff.
Sorry, got quite mixed up earlier.
when I said Qobuz was proprietary, I was thinking of interface and specifically Roon which is not future proof.
All downloads are future proof no matter where you get them from.
As an interface (if that’s the right word) I use Squeeze which is non-proprietary and sounds better than MPD which sounds better than Roon.
The music player/server software makes a big difference.
And music streamed from a local SSD sounds better than streamed from the Internet but can be very close especially if you invest in an optimised network infrastructure
when I said Qobuz was proprietary, I was thinking of interface and specifically Roon which is not future proof.
All downloads are future proof no matter where you get them from.
As an interface (if that’s the right word) I use Squeeze which is non-proprietary and sounds better than MPD which sounds better than Roon.
The music player/server software makes a big difference.
And music streamed from a local SSD sounds better than streamed from the Internet but can be very close especially if you invest in an optimised network infrastructure
I liked the Roon interface but didn't need it so ditched it.
I find the Qobuz much more basic.
Reading the responses here regarding the different "interfaces" (which I would agree is the correct term) I'd guess the OP will be overwhelmed with choice.
I worked in IT for 40 years as a Tech Architect but I try and stick to the main players.
Finding the best "interface" and sound quality - open or closed source - seems to be quite a difficult path to take.
I find the Qobuz much more basic.
Reading the responses here regarding the different "interfaces" (which I would agree is the correct term) I'd guess the OP will be overwhelmed with choice.
I worked in IT for 40 years as a Tech Architect but I try and stick to the main players.
Finding the best "interface" and sound quality - open or closed source - seems to be quite a difficult path to take.
TheFlash
Reiki Audio
For avoidance of doubt and all that, the interface and sound quality are not usually related - the interface (and the device it runs on) is normally not in the playback chain if one uses say a phone or tablet running Qobuz, BluOS, Sense or similar.
gustav_errata
pfm Member
You can stream from OneDrive, GDrive and dropBox to uPnP renderers with BubbleUPnP on Android.
gustav_errata
pfm Member
It seems I've gone in the opposite direction from most here. I abandoned CDs back around 2007 by necessity: I moved from the US with naught but a suitcase of clothes, a laptop and some headphones. I was all-in on Spotify as soon as it was available.
By 2020 I was fed up with Spotify, not because of audio quality (I did not have a hi-fi system yet) but because I lost the feeling of curating a collection. Spotify's interface is very weak for curation of full albums as I would prefer. No playlists for me. The impact of this was that I never stuck with any album for long as I was always onto the next thing. After one too many times rediscovering a previously loved album that I completely forgot about because it went down the streaming memory black hole, I resolved to change my approach.
I grant that I have not used Qobuz or Roon so I don't know how they might improve the situation.
I buy CDs when I can now, otherwise I buy the download. I listen to my own collection 99% of the time and I feel that, relative to my struggles with curation on Spotify, I'm back to where I want to be.
For me, a major advantage to ripping my CDs is the convenience of listening to my collection on both my main system and my office system. But, in the evenings, especially when the kids are around and I want to avoid my phone, I prefer putting on CDs.
My current server is a RPi4 running a UPnP server called Gerbera, which has the advantage of being programmable, so I can customise how it displays my library. This is not without its ball aches though, so I am planning to get an Innuos Zen at some point.
By 2020 I was fed up with Spotify, not because of audio quality (I did not have a hi-fi system yet) but because I lost the feeling of curating a collection. Spotify's interface is very weak for curation of full albums as I would prefer. No playlists for me. The impact of this was that I never stuck with any album for long as I was always onto the next thing. After one too many times rediscovering a previously loved album that I completely forgot about because it went down the streaming memory black hole, I resolved to change my approach.
I grant that I have not used Qobuz or Roon so I don't know how they might improve the situation.
I buy CDs when I can now, otherwise I buy the download. I listen to my own collection 99% of the time and I feel that, relative to my struggles with curation on Spotify, I'm back to where I want to be.
For me, a major advantage to ripping my CDs is the convenience of listening to my collection on both my main system and my office system. But, in the evenings, especially when the kids are around and I want to avoid my phone, I prefer putting on CDs.
My current server is a RPi4 running a UPnP server called Gerbera, which has the advantage of being programmable, so I can customise how it displays my library. This is not without its ball aches though, so I am planning to get an Innuos Zen at some point.