How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

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QNAPIvan
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How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

Post by QNAPIvan »

Here is the summary of our findings on iTunes Server:

iTunes Server is one of the useful feature of Multimedia Station on QNAP NAS. Once you copy your music files to the Qmultimedia folder on QNAP NAS and enable this feature, the NAS will share these music files to your LAN network. Run the iTunes program on your PC or laptop, you will find the NAS in the iTunes program and can play the music by iTunes streaming.

A. How to enable the iTunes Server feature on QNAP NAS?
Please refer to step-by-step below or the application notes on QNAP website: http://www.qnap.com/images/products/App ... 09AP03.htm

(1) Copy (Store) your music files to the folder, "Qmultimedia" on your QNAP NAS. You can copy via SMB, or FTP.
(2) Go to admin page, Network Settings> Multimedia Station
(3) Enable Multimedia Station & Enable iTunes Server, then click "Apply".
(4) Run your iTunes program on your laptop or PC. You will find the NAS appear on the iTunes program. In the left tool bar you will find your NAS is listed in the "SHARED".
Image

B. Create m3u playlist for your iTunes Server
1. Download the tool first. (Notepad++)
Before edit your m3u playlist, please donwload the tool. "notepad++"
You may download HERE. (binary file), the link of "Download Notepad++ executable files".
At the time of writing the latest version is 4.3. Please download, unzip, and install it.

2. Edit the m3u file by using Notepad ++
(1) Copy the file names of your music, and create a file with these file names.
(2) With a line break for each music file name. (It is allowed to use the # sign, and you can write the description after the # sign).
(3) After you create all the wish list for this playlist, leave the last line as blank. and then save the files as *.m3u .

Example of the correct m3u file content
===========Example======
AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
Craig David - All The Way.mp3
Crystal Kay x CHEMISTRY - Two As One.mp3
M2M - Don't Say You Love Me.mp3
Wham - Club Tropicana.mp3

===========End of File=======


Image

(4) Copy the *.m3u file to the same folder of your music on QNAP NAS.
ex: QMultimedia or Qmultimedia/itunes on your NAS.

Image

Sample file of the m3u playlist.
Please download HERE, and use your Notepad++ to edit it)

After you create and copy the m3u to the Qmultimedia folder on your NAS, you may go to admin page of your QNAP NAS. Go to Network Settings> Qmultimedia Station. Diable iTunes Server, and turn it on again.
You will find there is an "arrow" sign appear on in front of your NAS name. You can click the arrow sign, then the playlist name will be shown on your iTunes Program.
Image
Image


Please note:
If you put the wrong m3u file on your Qmultimedia Folder,
it will cause the iTunes Program stop displaying the shared music from QNAP NAS.
The music files are still existing on the NAS, but all the music in the SHARED on iTunes Program will disappear.
(The issue seems that iTunes Program will drop the connection as long as there is one file format is incorrect.)
Image

Here are some incorrect sample files.
If you put one of these issue files on your QNAP NAS then you cannot see any shared music on your iTunes Program.

Example 1 (click to download HERE) (Wrong format: two contineous # sign)
If you use Wimamp to create the playlist, you may get the similar format. Please be sure to edit it in a correct format
========== Exmaple 1 =======
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,M4a(AAC)_file.m4a
M4a(AAC)_file.m4a

#EXTINF:0,WAV 02 TAKE IT ALL.wav
WAV 02 TAKE IT ALL.wav

#EXTINF:0,mp3-HK-premonition.mp3
mp3-HK-premonition.mp3
==========================

Image


Example 2 (click to download HERE) (Wrong format: the music file name need to be written one-by-one, with only one linebreak for each file)
==========Example 2=========
M2M - Don't Say You Love Me.mp3



Wham - Club Tropicana.mp3


Crystal Kay x CHEMISTRY - Two As One.mp3

=======================

Image
Last edited by QNAPIvan on Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
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stuart0417
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How to modify m3u file if songs in different folder

Post by stuart0417 »

Dear QNAPIvan,

Example of the correct m3u file content
===========Example======
AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
Craig David - All The Way.mp3
===========End of File=======

if "AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3" in "\\NAS\Qmultimedia\Test1\" folder
"Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3" in "\\NAS\Qmultimedia\Test2\" folder
"Craig David - All The Way.mp3" in "\\NAS\Qmultimedia\Test3\" folder
How to modify m3u file if songs in different folder?

Thanks!
Stuart
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Post by Eraser-EMC2- »

Try this for your example :

===========Example======
Test1/AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
Test2/Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
Test3/Craig David - All The Way.mp3
===========End of File=======

like this:

Folder1/Subfolder1/MySong1.mp3
Folder1/Subfolder2/MySong2.mp3

The m3u file should be in the root of your itunes folder (Qmultimedia),
otherwise it will not work.
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stuart0417
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Post by stuart0417 »

Eraser-EMC2-,

Thanks for your reply.
I have try those sample but it still not working.
===========Example======
Test1/AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
Test2/Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
Test3/Craig David - All The Way.mp3
===========End of File=======
or
===========Example======
Test1\AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
Test2\Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
Test3\Craig David - All The Way.mp3
===========End of File=======
or
===========Example======
..\Test1\AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
..\Test2\Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
..\Test3\Craig David - All The Way.mp3
===========End of File=======

Do you ever success to load m3u in different folder?

Thanks!
Stuart
Eraser-EMC2-
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Post by Eraser-EMC2- »

Hi,

i got it to work with my example.

You m3u file and the folder Test1 are direct in your Qmultimedia folder ?
And the files and folders are readable for everyone ?

MySongs.m3u

Test1/AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
Test2/Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
Test3/Craig David - All The Way.mp3

my folder tree shows then like that:

/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia
/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia/MySongs.m3u
/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia/Test1
/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia/Test1/AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia/Test2
/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia/Test2/Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia/Test3
/share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia/Test3/Craig David - All The Way.mp3

a m3u in a subfolder did not work on my test

i restart it with "/etc/init.d/init_iTune.sh restart" on a ssh connection.
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Windows 7 32/64bit, German
TS-439 , 1x 512GB SSD/1x 512GB Samsung ; SAMBA as NT4 PDC, DHCP/DNS-Server
TS-431+, 1x 1TB WD green, 2x 3TB WD red , 1x 2TB Samsung
TS-220 , 2x 2TB Samsung, for Backup
stuart0417
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Post by stuart0417 »

Hi Eraser-EMC2-,

I find it is workable if the "Folder Name" and "File Name" are not Unicode string. Most of my folder and file name have Japanese and Chinese string, maybe itunes server not support Unicode playlist(but my Unicode shared music are correctly shown in iTunes library).
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QNAPIvan
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Post by QNAPIvan »

Hi Stuart
I just answered your question via pm.
For user read Chinese and want to have BIG5 file name. Please follow:

1. Top menu in Notepad++, select ??(M)
2. Select the last item. UTF8?(UTF8???BOM)

Please let me know if it works.
Cheers,
Last edited by QNAPIvan on Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Support email: q_supportus@qnap.com
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stuart0417
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Post by stuart0417 »

Hi QNAPIvan,

It's workable!!!
Thanks for your great help!

Stuart
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Grgrc
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Post by Grgrc »

Hi

What programs can i use on mac to make this kind of stuff ??

Thks

Hi again

after trying a lot of things

it seems that just create a list($) in textedit

($) like your example :

AHA - Take 0n Me.mp3
Brittney Spears-Everytime.mp3
Craig David - All The Way.mp3
Crystal Kay x CHEMISTRY - Two As One.mp3
M2M - Don't Say You Love Me.mp3
Wham - Club Tropicana.mp3

and just save it in unicode utf - 8 with the .m3u at the end and Copy the *.m3u file to the same folder of your music on QNAP NAS.
ex: QMultimedia or Qmultimedia/itunes on your NAS.

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Re: How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

Post by ezervoud »

I currently have around 1500 songs, am I being asked to manually create this list? did I get this correctly?
Just got my TS-209 with 1.1.4 firmware
Eugenios
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QNAP TS-453D w/ 4 * WDC Red 2TB (RAID5+ HS) - FW: QTS 5.0 build 2055
ezervoud
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Re: How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

Post by ezervoud »

Am I posting my questions/worries in the wrong section?
Where do I need to post, or how can I get an answer?
Eugenios
Athens, Greece
QNAP TS-453D w/ 4 * WDC Red 2TB (RAID5+ HS) - FW: QTS 5.0 build 2055
Eraser-EMC2-
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Location: Germany

Re: How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

Post by Eraser-EMC2- »

You can create a list of your audio files with a shell command.

example for TS-109:

Code: Select all

cd /share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia
find . -name *.mp3 > mymusic.m3u
But i got problems with more as 329 file entries.
_________________
Windows 7 32/64bit, German
TS-439 , 1x 512GB SSD/1x 512GB Samsung ; SAMBA as NT4 PDC, DHCP/DNS-Server
TS-431+, 1x 1TB WD green, 2x 3TB WD red , 1x 2TB Samsung
TS-220 , 2x 2TB Samsung, for Backup
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QNAPIvan
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Re: How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

Post by QNAPIvan »

ezervoud wrote:Am I posting my questions/worries in the wrong section?
Where do I need to post, or how can I get an answer?
There is a new function introduced in FW 2.0 beta. You can create your own list on the GUI.
I will try to spend time to update the how-to.

Cheers,
________________________________________
Product Marketing Director
USA Online Support: http://www.qnap.com/i/useng/before_buy/ ... wone&cid=2
Support email: q_supportus@qnap.com
USA Technical Support: +1 909 595 2782
ezervoud
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Re: How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

Post by ezervoud »

I'm trying to telnet into it but I get an error?
Eugenios
Athens, Greece
QNAP TS-453D w/ 4 * WDC Red 2TB (RAID5+ HS) - FW: QTS 5.0 build 2055
Eraser-EMC2-
Been there, done that
Posts: 711
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:26 pm
Location: Germany

Re: How to: (1) iTunes Server on QNAP NAS (2) m3u Playlist

Post by Eraser-EMC2- »

You got an error with "cd /share/HDA_DATA/Qmultimedia" ?

I think for TS-209 is "cd /share/MD0_DATA/Qmultimedia", is that right ?
_________________
Windows 7 32/64bit, German
TS-439 , 1x 512GB SSD/1x 512GB Samsung ; SAMBA as NT4 PDC, DHCP/DNS-Server
TS-431+, 1x 1TB WD green, 2x 3TB WD red , 1x 2TB Samsung
TS-220 , 2x 2TB Samsung, for Backup
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