iTunes gets criticise a lot . For its interface , for its over - copiousness of features , and even for its name . ( It has n’t just managed “ tunes ” for a long time . ) Since I save the Ask the iTunes Guy pillar here at Macworld , I have opportunity to delve into the intricacies of iTunes , and field questions from throw users .
I generally accept iTunes ’ crotchet , though I do n’t hesitate to repoint out the most gross problems in the app . But I update to every unexampled version , in part because I write about the software system , but also because iTunes is an app I apply a lot , to oversee and listen to my Brobdingnagian music aggregation .
Until now .
iTunes 12.2 is a catastrophe . The Apple Music features are confusing at best;the way iTunes Match and Apple Music work together is problematic ; and , bad of all , many substance abuser are finding that it destroys euphony libraries .
I did update iTunes on my MacBook Pro ; my test computer . It has a pocket-size iTunes depository library , which , together with my iTunes Store purchases , comes to about 9000 tracks . But I wo n’t upgrade my iMac , which is where my big euphony library ( around 65,000 tracks ) is store .
The biggest problem with iTunes 12.2 is the iCloud Music Library feature , which combinesiTunes MatchandApple Music , as well as your purchased tracks , giving you access to music across devices . This is a great idea , in theory , but iTunes Match has been pregnant with problems since its launching , and the iCloud Music Library is merely broken . On my MacBook Pro , iTunesmessed up my record album artwork , changed tags for a lot of my euphony , and convert many of my Matched and Uploaded runway toApple Music files , which , if re - downloaded , carry DRM .
It was spoilt enough whenmusic I synced to my iPhone exhibit unlike record album graphics , and whendifferent tags start up appearing on my medicine after sync . But this is too much .
My medicine program library is sacred . I ’ve ripped a few thousand CDs , tagged them very carefully , and added artwork to every racecourse in my iTunes library . Changing my metadata or changing my artwork is a assault of my euphony library . It ’s as though someone came into my firm and rearranged all my book , substituting soft-cover for some of the hardcover , and replace some books by versions in different languages .
iCloud Music Library has replaced the existing artwork with covers that are untimely and seemingly out of remaining athletic field .
Sure , call me obsessional . Back in the day , I was one of those hombre in the disc store inHigh Fidelity . I bed euphony , it ’s very important to me , and the fourth dimension I ’ve spend maintain my music library should n’t be erased by some defective software package . Especially becausethere is no reason for iTunes to change rag or artwork ; none at all .
I did n’t remember I ’d recommend that users not elevate to a new version of iTunes , but this time I will . If you have a carefully curated euphony depository library , manually chase , with painstakingly chosen or scanned record album artwork , stay away from iTunes 12.2 . specially if you plan to expend iTunes Match , Apple Music , or iCloud Music Library .
If , however , you do n’t have much euphony , it believably wo n’t affect you . You might find oneself that iTunes 12.2 , with Apple Music , is just fine . It ’s believably o.k. for a tidy sum of people , but it ’s toxic for euphony libraries that have been maintained with care .
Apple , you ’ve lease me down .
