You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
So ive been using Plex for a few years to share my iTunes library from my desktop to a Samsung TV, Samsung phone, and various laptops.
The desktops pretty expensive to leave on most the time so looking for another solution. Any ideas for free apps? This is just for music as i have Netflix for movies.
Ideally I'd like to make use of an old Macbook that i can leave on most the time to act as a server. The problem is its running OSX 10.6.8 so newer apps like Plex or Emby wont run. I tunes would be great but wont run on Samsung.
Google music and chrome casts? Upload your library and get access to everything else everywhere
Google music costs per month though doesn't it? Plex is free but just over complicated for my needs.
Looking for something free to just share in the house.
Raspberry Pi and Plex
Google music costs per month though doesn’t it?
They charge for you to stream from 'their' music catalogue, but you can upload any tracks you own and store/stream them for free
I'd definitely consider one of the many tiny/low power machines that can run Plex. You could even install Linux on the Macbook and run the Plex server on that...
but you can upload any tracks you own and stream them for free
Google Play Music 100,000 tracks for free apparently... what's the catch? Ads in between songs? They can start charging a sub at anytime and you'll lose access to your tracks? There must be a catch!
Is the desktop actually that expensive to run with all the power saving settings on? Display off, run down the discs whenever possible, go to sleep overnight on a schedule, wake on lan enabled?
Google Play Music 100,000 tracks for free apparently… what’s the catch?
No ads at all, although the app has started giving little nudges to get you to sign up for their monthly streaming service.
Only downside I can think is that you have to use their app rather than your favourite one, although other than the occasional nag to subscribe the app is pretty functional.
They can start charging a sub at anytime and you’ll lose access to your tracks?
I keep a local copy of all my music anyway so not a problem for me. I'd hope if they did bring in that sort of restriction they'd offer a window where you could re-download anything you'd uploaded.
This is a game-changer! Cloud upload from my library for backup if nothing else. Good call, verses 😀
If Google Music is free to store my own library then that might be the best option. No need to run a server either.
Is the desktop actually that expensive to run with all the power saving settings on? Display off, run down the discs whenever possible, go to sleep overnight on a schedule, wake on lan enabled?
Yes, its a 2010 Mac Pro so even with drives set to spin down the cooling fans (8 of them) still run. and the PSU isn't very economical either.
Raspberry Pi and Plex
Looks interesting!
Just so I can continue stealing Mike's glory, I'll recommend these too 😀
https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_audio
Chromecast Audio is PITA - found connecting to it really intermittent from my laptop. And dropped out during playback too. Found a wire to my hi-fi better. However, can see a Google Home thingy might be worth a go..
I'd go with Google music too, setting up your own server running 24/7 seems like a big waste of money if it's solely for music. I've been using it for years entirely free.
Depending on the size of your music collection you could maybe dump it all in a cloud storage folder and set that as the music library source for your device, so you can use the music player of your choice.
Never had any problems with my Chromecast Audios, although I nearly always stream from my phone rather than the laptop.
What laptop app were you streaming from?
Chrome.
It was the bluetooth connection which was most of a pain though. It's been just dangling there unplugged for months now.
Does Google Music actually store your files or just match what you've "uploaded" with what they already have in storage? I'm sure when I used it before some of my music played as radio edits.
Found a vague and old link: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/play/RKq0F5ulPsQ
A bit of both I think but I've not noticed it changing any of mine.
I've got some tracks I've edited silence out of, or chatting off the end. I'll try uploading a few of those, see what I get.
Now I think about it, I've definitely noticed a 'different' version of a song I uploaded before. As kelron says I think it does a bit of both "intelligently"...
Chrome Cast seems a bit pointless. What does it actually offer when Smart TV all have an internet connection.
Both mine are connected via ethernet to a router to theres no loss of signal or low speeds.
I coiuld easily set up a NAS as one router has USB slots for this purpose but accessing NAS from a SMART TV is a pain.
Chrome Cast seems a bit pointless. What does it actually offer when Smart TV all have an internet connection.
I have 2 SMART Samsung Telly's both have started out with loads of apps, but then support gets dropped when a new flavour of SMART comes along. Chromecast support seems to be more reliably updated than manufacturers own SMART apps.
I ain't got a [i]Smart TV[/i], just a dumb old plasma.
Could you partition the drive on the macbook and then install a version of Linux? You could then run Plex or any number of music server type applications.
Install a UPNP server on the mac, then use BubbleUPNP to cast the music to a Chromecast Audio.
You can have any number of CCAs around the house and create groups for multi-room.
EDIT: Looks like you can get MinimServer for Mac which is super lightweight. The mac may already do it with iTunes though..... meaning you won't need to install anything else unless it doesn't have the indexing functionality that you might want.
ITunes would work but Android devices can't access it.
Linux could be the solution if it's free. And if it will install on a 2008 Macbook.
Chrome Cast in each room would be expensive.
What router do you have? As mjsmke says some have USB slots which you can access as shares, some have rudimentary media servers built in also.
ITunes would work but Android devices can’t access it.
If it shows as a DLNA/UPNP server then it should be fine to access on Android. This is a standard protocol.
Otherwise as I said, you can just install one of the many other Mac options.
What is cheaper than a CCA to get multi-room?
If you only need 1 room then it's £30. BubbleUPNP on the phone will cover that side off. The beauty of that is that you can chose to play locally, or cast. You might even be able to cast straight to the TV without a CCA (worth checking it isn;t available as standard or as an app).
Just been trying Google Music but it signs me out after uploading every few tracks.
I have a Belkin router with 2 USB ports. I don't know which one till i get home and check.
Hmm, doesn't bode well for my shitty Sky Broadband 🙁
As a few said above Google Play matches some song with what they think the song is. Mananged to upload about 1700 songs but it re organises it which made me delete it all. I have all my music in artist folders with ablum subfolders and a lot isn't mainstream music so Google Play just dump most into a 'Unknown artist' folder.
Annoying!