Working on a new software for DJs - would love to hear your thoughts

Hey :)

tldr: I would love to hear your feedback on your current solution for music library management.

I'm working on a software that lets you
- organize your playlists and music metadata independently of the location of the files
- make those files available locally for when you need them, on any device,
- while keeping the rest of your music collection safely stored in the cloud.

If I'm running out of disk space locally, there's no way I will want to keep a copy of my whole music collection on my computer. But that's fine, because it's all in the cloud, right?

Well, most cloud storage providers offer selective sync, which means they let you sync a subset of your data to your hard drive, while leaving the rest in the cloud.

But selective sync works using folders.

My music is stored in a flat folder. And if I partition my music collection in multiple folders for the purpose of selective sync, then my playlists all break, because they were referring to the file's original path, in the flat folder.

Wouldn't it be cool if I could simply organize my playlists and music metadata independently of the location of the files, and simply ask my software to make those files available locally for when I need them, on any device, while keeping the rest of my music collection safely stored in the cloud?

That's what got me working on this new software. I think there's an opportunity to really streamline our workflow in a way that let's us think more about the music, less about the files.

What is your current experience like in organizing your music library, while making sure it's properly backed up? Are there frustrations you're dealing with on a regular basis? I'd love to hear some of your thoughts :)

Organization is done through iTunes. Everything that matters can already read it.

Backups are done manually to a local NAS as soon as the files are bought (along with most other media) and everything gets backed up automatically via a combination of time machine and rsnapshot to the NAS and then off site.

I gave up and used Dropbox for some things because it's convenient, but I'm a firm believer that there is no such thing as "the cloud", just other people's computers. If I got off my butt and set up OwnCloud or something, I'd probably use it more.


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D’you know what I would love???

To be able to scrutinise Traktor Collection information in iTunes.

Among other things, I want iTunes to be able to record/read Traktors playcount, so that I can generate iTunes smart playlists based on plays in Traktor.

Traktor stores all this great information, but gives you no way to scrutinise it. iTunes allows you to scrutinise info, but there’s no way to get the Traktor info into iTunes.

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I gave up and used Dropbox for some things because it's convenient,

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What do you use Dropbox for?

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there is no such thing as "the cloud", just other people's computers.

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Totally. I feel like a lot of service providers have been taking advantage of people's understanding of what "the cloud" is by storing their files and then locking them out.

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Among other things, I want iTunes to be able to record/read Traktors playcount, so that I can generate iTunes smart playlists based on plays in Traktor.

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Ooh, that's a good idea. I didn't know Traktor saved this info. It would definitely be possible to read from it, then possibly aggregate it with data from other apps. I'd have a similar use case, but with information on when the track was last played.

Exactly. I’d also have a smart playlist for “last played >1 month ago”.

It’s a case of linking Traktors Collevtion xml with iTunes library xml, and having the Traktor info available in iTunes.

Do you think it could be done?

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Originally Posted by kareniel

What do you use Dropbox for?

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What it was made for...sharing things with other people via a link, files/folders I want to be the same on a variety of computers (because I can't use just one), versioned history of those files (in addition to my other backups), access to those files on my smart(sic) phone.

I don't use it for DJing, but if it ever becomes more than a hobby, I'll probably have things like software settings, music, and dB files in a separate dropbox to keep my music desktop and music laptop as close together as possible. A couple online music stores also can deliver purchases to dropbox automatically (as opposed to you downloading them), which seems really cool. But I don't want to expose any part of my personal dropbox to them.

I also consider switching to OwnCloud at least every week, but that would mean exposing more of my home network to the internet or paying for hosting involving a lot of storage that's more expensive.

Anything involving computers is about balancing risk, and anything involving the cloud adds the complexity of figuring out how other people's computers affect your risk profile.

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Originally Posted by kareniel

Totally. I feel like a lot of service providers have been taking advantage of people's understanding of what "the cloud" is by storing their files and then locking them out.

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I'm not nearly as worried about that as I am about them getting security wrong. Dropbox is old enough, open enough, and trusted in enough contexts that I'm really only worried about governments and specific types of organized crime...which isn't that big of a threat to me personally.

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Originally Posted by Patch

Exactly. I’d also have a smart playlist for “last played >1 month ago”.

It’s a case of linking Traktors Collevtion xml with iTunes library xml, and having the Traktor info available in iTunes.

Do you think it could be done?

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Definitely. I'm just not sure if it would update automatically inside iTunes, or if you would have to restart everytime. I don't think iTune is gonna expect the collection file to be changed from the outside. Also, I'm wondering if the collection files get locked by their respective software when they are in use.

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I'm not nearly as worried about that as I am about them getting security wrong. Dropbox is old enough, open enough, and trusted in enough contexts that I'm really only worried about governments and specific types of organized crime...which isn't that big of a threat to me personally.

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Oh yeah, that's a tough one. In my case, I was thinking of working with companies like HackerOne and BugCrowd to cover as many attack vectors as possible. But I think your worry is justified; security's tough.

My thought is that if you use a cloud service provider to host your music files, it shouldn't be the only place you backup up to, and definitely not the main place you store it.