The ITunes experience on NAS

[sariawedascar]

Hi all,
I'm looking at getting a QNAP (439-Pro II) or Synology (410J) NAS and keep finding myself running into the same crucial question: What exactly is the ITunes experience like when you're running a NAS?

Specifically, I'm interested in being able to edit, delete, and rate content that I have on over 3TB of music. Basically, a few times a week, I'll find some albums that I decide I don't really need anymore. Or I'll find some classical music that I never got the cover art for and want to update the album art image.

From reading here and on the QNAP and Synology forums, it seems like the ITunes libraries are not meant to be manipulated once they're on the NAS.

Could someone clarify for me how one goes about manipulating files from your ITunes library that are stored on a NAS (specifically ones by QNAP and Synology)? And as a big ITunes user, if there are other types of NAS's I should be checking out?

A big thank you for your time and for running a wonderful forum and site!

 

[thiggins]

Using iTunes with its files and libraries sitting in a NAS is just like having them on a local drive.

Moving iTunes files from a local drive to a NAS is where things get tricky. See this thread:iTunes library transfer issues..help please!

 

[sariawedascar]

Moving iTunes files from a local drive to a NAS is where things get tricky. See this thread:iTunes library transfer issues..help please!

Thanks for the reply, Thiggins. I did see that post already - thx. But I'm only talking about editing/deleting files that are already on the NAS.

Are you saying that in order to edit a file (rate a song, edit its cover art), that I would need to transfer it from my NAS to my local drive? That's really what I'm asking.

 

[thiggins]

Are you saying that in order to edit a file (rate a song, edit its cover art), that I would need to transfer it from my NAS to my local drive? That's really what I'm asking.

Not at all. I said

Using iTunes with its files and libraries sitting in a NAS is just like having them on a local drive.

 

[futonpimp]

sariawedascar,


What thiggins said is true and you can totally manage your music as if it were local..

however my personal experience with itunes and nas's has been less than desirable because of network latency..and my lack of a good connection to my nas. What i did was attacked my 1tb or so of music in sections.. once i considered it basicaly final..and that i've made all edits..I then moved it from my local system to the nas. I had issues with Itunes locking up alot when loading even several hundred gigs of music into it.

Again this is my personal experience consider it a review of many that exist out there..on the performance.


That said..serving music off the QNAP using its built in itunes server (mt-daapd) has been absolutely wonderful to my ps3/other itunes clients. The QNAP product is great and I recommend it to everyone.


The last thing..I wish i could get the nas to talk directly to my airport express next to my home theatre and manage it the same way I do with iremote on the iphone to my laptop.

 

[sariawedascar]

however my personal experience with itunes and nas's has been less than desirable because of network latency..and my lack of a good connection to my nas. What i did was attacked my 1tb or so of music in sections.. once i considered it basicaly final..and that i've made all edits..I then moved it from my local system to the nas. I had issues with Itunes locking up alot when loading even several hundred gigs of music into it.

That's super helpful info, futompimp! Thank you! I've got a few followups for you:
It sounds like you're saying the initial transfer of data onto the NAS was the hardest part. I've already got everything on an external USB drive (Drobo) so I'm hoping it won't be as hard.

But what is the experience like adding additional files to the main library and editing them? Do you edit everything on a local ITunes library before you transfer them over, just because the latency is so bad?

Also, how do you ensure that you have that "good connection to the NAS," that you referred to?

The last thing..I wish i could get the nas to talk directly to my airport express next to my home theatre and manage it the same way I do with iremote on the iphone to my laptop.

That does suck! I definitely want to use my airport express routers like you. Do you have to have your local computer running in order for the NAS ITunes server to broadcast to the Airport express?