Syncing Music with iTunes, Maintain Playlist Song Order, Avoid Duplicate Files (Mac)

[MattBianco]

Fairly straight forward for a non-techie like me, but pursue at your own risk.

I struggled for a few hours to get my music to show up correctly, and then I discovered a nifty app in the Mac App Store (also available for Windows and downloadable from the developer's site, mentioned below) that helped me get my music into the car, with playlist and playlist song order in tact, and without duplicating files.

Needed: Playlist Export App ($5) from the App Store; USB thumb drive; USB hub (so you can still plug your phone into the USB port in the center arm rest)


Step 1: Go to the App Store and buy this $5 app (https://macappsto.re/us/kpn5z.m)


Step 2: Launch the app. It will scan your iTunes and recognize all your playlists.


Step 3: Click "New". This creates an export profile/template. You can use your template in place to reexport songs in the future, in case you change songs in your playlist.



Step 4:
After "New" this screen pops up, with your playlists already there.



Step 5:
Change Export Format to "M3U Extended". You can see I have already named this template Bimmerpost Demo.



Step 6:
Change Copy Settings. You have a choice, I went with Artist>Album>song (playlists still work)


Step 7:
Choose the playlists you have maintained in iTunes. It has a limitation, in that if you subdirectory playlists. In my example, I could not select playlist "A - Artist Playlists", but instead I chose "11 - Moby", and "15 - Police", etc.

Step 8:
Select Export Directory (your USB thumb drive)

Step 9:
Click "Save"



Step 10:
Then this screen pops up. Click "Export", and depending on the number of music files in the playlist, you may want grab a coffee, a beer, or go for 3-5 mile run.

The app stops when all the music is loaded. And, it places MU3 playlist files in the root directory of the thumb drive. They have to be in the root. The artist>album>song directories are read from the MU3 files.



Step 11 (optional):
Optional: add a USB hub so that you can have more than one port in your arm rest. It allows your phone to be charged, and connected, and the USB drive to supply music at the same time. Note my F15 manual says do not use the USB port for charging phones. I ignored this, as has everyone who uses it in lieu of the BMW cradle.

Step 11 (mandatory):
Plug your USB drive into the car's port. I chose a 64GB USB 3.0 (faster) drive.

Your car WILL NOT read the files and playlists at first. It will take it a good 5 minutes from the first time you plug in, until it is fully functional. Subsequent engine restart don't matter and music become available instantaneously.



I will post in-car photos later, using the bimmeropst iPhone app, where I can take pictures on the spot. My next post will NOT Have any description, but you will see where I plugged in, and how it connects and how the files and playlists are displayed.

Also downloadable at:
http://www.ericdaugherty.com/dev/itunesexport/ for both windows and mac.

[MattBianco]

Playlist song order maintained.

Close to 6,000 songs in USB drive.

[Propofoln]

Good post. I just hook up my iPod to the USB port, but helpful post for their that would like to use just a USB stick

[Baunton]

Great post!

Does this work with Windows 8.1 and iTunes do you know?

I have the Snap In Adaptor and you seem to show it in your photos. I assume it works ok with the IPhone 'snapped in'.

PS Great artist selection...Man after my own heart. I only hope the elton john is the early good stuff from Captain Fantasic.......

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by Baunton

Great post!

Does this work with Windows 8.1 and iTunes do you know?

....I assume it works ok with the IPhone 'snapped in'.

PS Great artist selection...Man after my own heart. I only hope the elton john is the early good stuff from Captain Fantasic.......

Windows needs a different app...I came across one in my search but skipped...wish I had bookmarked it for you.

Works alongside adapter. It shows up as another media source, as does any phone connected to the usb (using a splitter hub).

Yes...capitain fantastic is there...look at Step 3.. Over, 50000 songs in the home drive, which is why I needed a 64gb USB, which is cheap and holds 1/4 of the music library.

[Baunton]

Originally Posted by MattBianco

Windows needs a different app...I came across one in my search but skipped...wish I had bookmarked it for you.

Works alongside adapter. It shows up as another media source, as does any phone connected to the usb (using a splitter hub).

Yes...capitain fantastic is there...look at Step 3.. Over, 50000 songs in the home drive, which is why I needed a 64gb USB, which is cheap and holds 1/4 of the music library.

Thanks 'matt' will give it go.

[stewy604]

Great write up man, thanks!

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by Baunton

Does this work with Windows 8.1 and iTunes do you know?.....

This is from the developer's website: "Both versions are supported in Windows and Mac OS X". Download directly from the developer as the one in Apple's App Store is not accessible from Windows.
http://www.ericdaugherty.com/dev/itunesexport/

There is also this app for Windows, which in description does the same as what mine did in OS. I've not tried this one.
http://itunes-export.en.softonic.com

[Baunton]

Originally Posted by MattBianco

This is from the developer's website: "Both versions are supported in Windows and Mac OS X". Download directly from the developer as the one in Apple's App Store is not accessible from Windows.
http://www.ericdaugherty.com/dev/itunesexport/

There is also this app for Windows, which in description does the same as what mine did in OS. I've not tried this one.
http://itunes-export.en.softonic.com

Top man! Will try it out and revert.

[buckeyewalt]

Hope I didn't miss something, but is there a way to modify the playlist for different profiles(drivers)?

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by buckeyewalt

Hope I didn't miss something, but is there a way to modify the playlist for different profiles(drivers)?

Your USB can have as many playlist is you want. Because of this clever playlist export software music files are not copied over and over again, and just like in iTunes playlists one song can appear in multiple playlists.

The best way to address your need is to name the playlist differently. For instance if the car is share by Henry and Olivia, they would make playlist as follows:

H - My exercise tunes
H - Beatles
H - Shastokovich
H - Jazz Mix
O - Beatles
O - Jazz Mix
O - Mozart collection

Each driver would use their own lists. Ideally you have genre based, and artist specific lists.

And, you can always just use the standard features of iDrive and search by artist, album, genre.

hope this has clarified it for you.

[buckeyewalt]

Originally Posted by MattBianco

Your USB can have as many playlist is you want. Because of this clever playlist export software music files are not copied over and over again, and just like in iTunes playlists one song can appear in multiple playlists.

The best way to address your need is to name the playlist differently. For instance if the car is share by Henry and Olivia, they would make playlist as follows:

H - My exercise tunes
H - Beatles
H - Shastokovich
H - Jazz Mix
O - Beatles
O - Jazz Mix
O - Mozart collection

Each driver would use their own lists. Ideally you have genre based, and artist specific lists.

And, you can always just use the standard features of iDrive and search by artist, album, genre.

hope this has clarified it for you.

Matt: It seems like you have a good eye on this, however, is there a way to have lets 100 songs that are miscellaneous in a single profile for each driver?

I know that you can have 2 separate song directories but you can't play the directories, it's just for song removal and transfer. In other words, I want to have 2 playlists one for myself and one for my wife with all songs grouped as one in each list.

[MattBianco]

You can have as many playlist as you want. Song number is limited by size of USB or iDrive limit, it it has one. I have over 6000 songs on mine.

The software stores all music in its own directories with my description recommending Artist>Album>song, which is the most common format.

So, if you look at my lists carefully, if you were to play my Elton John list, it would play the list according to my order. Or I can use I drive and go to Artist sort, find Elton and play only the Cap Fantastic album. There can be another Elton John list with different songs and different sequence/order.

Or you can do one playlist that has all your library in it, and force every song to appear in the USB, but you would never select that playlist to play. You would see those songs when you chose to play albums or genre sorts in iDrive.

The investment to lean this is a cheap software, and from 30-180 minutes to completion, depending on the number of songs you are loading.

I even connected a USB hub (Amazon brand in picture) and can still connect my phone for play, for connected drive and charging whilst also playing the USB songs.

[buckeyewalt]

I probably didn't make myself very clear, bad habit of doing so.

What I'm talking about is to down load X amount of random songs from a USB drive onto the BMW HD drive and call it a certain playlist.

I have tried many ways to do this, but can seem to do it. I can get the songs onto the car HD no problem, but they are all scattered and not in a specified playlist.

For instance, there is not way you can download songs from a USB to the HD and give it a name and save it to your playlist.

[MattBianco]

No worries @buckeyewalt. Because of your exact problem, I have used the above solution, which uses a USB that is permanently attached to the USB port in the armrest storage instead of the BMW HDD.

There may be a way to transfer playlist files (.M3U format), but I don't have another F15 for four more weeks, so I cannot try that.

[buckeyewalt]

Originally Posted by MattBianco

No worries @buckeyewalt. Because of your exact problem, I have used the above solution, which uses a USB that is permanently attached to the USB port in the armrest storage instead of the BMW HDD.

There may be a way to transfer playlist files (.M3U format), but I don't have another F15 for four more weeks, so I cannot try that.

Never thought of the USB hub, I will try that. In the mean time, when (if?) you have a chance to look at things, see if there is anything that can be done to name and download a playlist per driver!

Thanks

[lbaronio]

I use this one... and after trying for hours (im not a computer smart) i just download it, copy my music to the usb, then create a usb playlist inside the USB...easy...done...
http://oddgravity.de/app-opc.php

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by lbaronio

I use this one... and after trying for hours (im not a computer smart) i just download it, copy my music to the usb, then create a usb playlist inside the USB...easy...done...
http://oddgravity.de/app-opc.php

This is very similar to the app I used. Nice find! The app I use basically does the same. Yours has the drag/drop feature which is cool. Mine reads off of iTunes playlists you already have, and unlocks DRM (password protected purchased music) files that you have already unlocked -otherwise those files only play in iTunes.

Yours looks simpler. Nice post.

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by buckeyewalt

Never thought of the USB hub, I will try that. In the mean time, when (if?) you have a chance to look at things, see if there is anything that can be done to name and download a playlist per driver!

Thanks

So....I have thought and researched this. The answer is: no. Since playlists files are named and stored in a storage device that is shared by all the drivers, you cannot have a certain set of playlists available to one drive, and a different one to another.

The best you can do is manipulate your naming convention. I name mine with a number preceding the list. You may want, for instance, have some playlists starting H (husband), and W (wife), such as: H - Top 40, H - Baroque, H - Beebop Jazz, W - Top 20, W - Techno, W - 90s, W - 40s. This way all the Hs and Ws are close and sequentially presented, although the music in the lists will be in any order you created them.

Hope this helps.

[kennynevermind]

Would really appreciate some help on a few questions...

This looks like the perfect solution for not having to replicate copies of songs and I know this is about playlists but can the tool copy your entire library as well?

I'd like to be able to use a thumb drive instead of my iPod and retain all of it's functionality such as playlist and album, artist and genre search etc - I tend to leave my iPod in the car which which is now dying because of the numerous winters its been left in a cold car.

Plus as you add to your iTunes library is there an easy way to update your USB drive without having to know which songs to copy over or having to copy the entire library again?

Thanks

Kenny

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by kennynevermind

Would really appreciate some help on a few questions...

.... but can the tool copy your entire library as well? ...

I'd like to be able to use a thumb drive instead of my iPod ....

....is there an easy way to update your USB drive without having to know which songs to copy over or having to copy the entire library again?

Thanks
Kenny

Yes, yes and yes!

The first playlist that shows up (cut off from the top of my pictures) on the left is "entire library" you can highlight that along with playlist. The app creates a "music" directory in which you can manual add/copy/transfer additional music. All of those songs that are not in playlists, will always be accessible in iDrive.

Essentially, this is what this solution does: it turns a USB into an iPod.

Save your profile transfer name, if you will NOT copy the entire library. If you are transferring everything, just boot up the app. Export the library again or in the app modify what you exported using the profile name you created, and modify. My profile is shown in the steps above as "Bimmerpost demo". It can always add songs, but unlike an iPod this sync does not remove songs. Subsequent amendments to libraries and playlists are easy as only the new songs are transferred to the USB.

Other hidden benefits:

• You can change a playlist name in the USB as you would change a file name in your computer. No app needed. Just look at your file browser / finder / file explorer

• You can add more music to the library without using the app. They won't be in playlists, but will be in your iDrive for album/artist/composer/genre sorts.

• You can change the song order in playlists without the app. Just open the M3U files with a text editor and move the songs around, or delete a song from playlist, and save the file with the text editor you are using.

[buckeyewalt]

Matt, just to let you know, I renamed all of the genres to me and my wife's name, so that way she just plays all of her songs on her name and I play all of mine on mine. That way we can both scroll down to the specific name and play those songs in that name!