iOS Client to play music from the source MinimServer

[henning65]

Good afternoon

I read this: https://forum.minimserver.com/showthread...hlight=ios

and I somehow had the impression: MinimServer can't serve as home for my music?! So - to be cristal clear on this - I like to reopen the question.

Is there a good iOS / MacOS software to use the MinimServer as source for music?

In my configuration I like to play my music a) at home (LAN-Network) over appleTV linked audio and / or to wifi speakers (Bowers & Wilkens A5 and MonitorAudio S300) and b) remote on my iOS devices (with / without headset). I do not own a upnp / openhome compatible hardware nor do I actually intend to buy one. I'm searching for an application which can take advantage of the music source MinimServer and can play on my devices.

In addition - I would be happy, if MinimServer / the contralpoint application could take advantage on artwork for artists and could deliver background information - but first things first: which is your recommendation?

Thanks for helping!

Yours
Henning

[stefano_mbp]

(04-06-2020 15:39)henning65 Wrote:  Good afternoon

I read this: https://forum.minimserver.com/showthread...hlight=ios

and I somehow had the impression: MinimServer can't serve as home for my music?! So - to be cristal clear on this - I like to reopen the question.

Is there a good iOS / MacOS software to use the MinimServer as source for music?

In my configuration I like to play my music a) at home (LAN-Network) over appleTV linked audio and / or to wifi speakers (Bowers & Wilkens A5 and MonitorAudio S300) and b) remote on my iOS devices (with / without headset). I do not own a upnp / openhome compatible hardware nor do I actually intend to buy one. I'm searching for an application which can take advantage of the music source MinimServer and can play on my devices.

In addition - I would be happy, if MinimServer / the contralpoint application could take advantage on artwork for artists and could deliver background information - but first things first: which is your recommendation?

Thanks for helping!

Yours
Henning

You could try MConnect Player. It can play on your iOS device or, using AirPlay, to any AirPlay compatible device using MinimServer as media server. The Lite version is free, the Player version, payed, has portrait orientation and the HD version,payed, has landscape orientation. No artists artwork and/or background informations, just albums artwork.
Of course you are limited to 16/44.1 (CD quality) due to AirPlay protocol constraint

[paultaylor]

(04-06-2020 15:39)henning65 Wrote:  In addition - I would be happy, if MinimServer / the contralpoint application could take advantage on artwork for artists and could deliver background information - but first things first: which is your recommendation?

Although MinimServer doesn't currently support Artist Artwork, when browsing by folder it can show artwork for that folder so if you organize your music by AlbumArtist/Album you can at least see artist artwork when browing the AlbumArtist folders. MinimServer can use artist artwork added by SongKong, see https://community.jthink.net/t/artist-pe...gkong/9072

[stefano_mbp]

(04-06-2020 16:10)paultaylor Wrote:  

(04-06-2020 15:39)henning65 Wrote:  In addition - I would be happy, if MinimServer / the contralpoint application could take advantage on artwork for artists and could deliver background information - but first things first: which is your recommendation?

Although MinimServer doesn't currently support Artist Artwork, when browsing by folder it can show artwork for that folder so if you organize your music by AlbumArtist/Album you can at least see artist artwork when browing the AlbumArtist folders. MinimServer can use artist artwork added by SongKong, see https://community.jthink.net/t/artist-pe...gkong/9072

.... does this work with MConnect Player?

[henning65]

Good evening

@stefano_mbp

(04-06-2020 16:02)stefano_mbp Wrote:  You could try MConnect Player.

I tried mconnetlite - which is - to be polite - ugly. Another user offert some feedback on mconnet (see: https://community.jthink.net/t/music-cli...g/9141/2). "is very slow, you can make and drink a cup of coffee before using the library. Besides the app always looses the connection to the library and crashes on routing songs to a renderer ." This ist actually not a product I want to buy. If you personally have experiences with the iOS app? Please let me know.

@paultaylor

(04-06-2020 16:10)paultaylor Wrote:  Although MinimServer doesn't currently support Artist Artwork, when browsing by folder

Browsing by folder?!? I'm setting up all this to be able to see artwork by browsing my music by folder? Sorry, I know it's not your product and you simply try to help. But this is not helping.

The way music is presented by MinimServer is so Windows 1990's. Non of the clients showed any background information about any artist (performer / composer ...). Most of them followed a very strict hierarchical approach - which is actually not really helping to enjoy the complexity of the interaction between performers, choirs, orchestras, conductors, band members and so on.

As you may guess: I'm not convinced to buy the product.

Please let me know your setup.
Please let me know it it would help to use BubbleUPnP.

And please any announcements on the roadmap for the upcoming features of MinimServer are more than welcome.

Yours
Henning

[stefano_mbp]

(04-06-2020 20:27)henning65 Wrote:  Good evening

@stefano_mbp

(04-06-2020 16:02)stefano_mbp Wrote:  You could try MConnect Player.

I tried mconnetlite - which is - to be polite - ugly. Another user offert some feedback on mconnet (see: https://community.jthink.net/t/music-cli...g/9141/2). "is very slow, you can make and drink a cup of coffee before using the library. Besides the app always looses the connection to the library and crashes on routing songs to a renderer ." This ist actually not a product I want to buy. If you personally have experiences with the iOS app? Please let me know.

@paultaylor

(04-06-2020 16:10)paultaylor Wrote:  Although MinimServer doesn't currently support Artist Artwork, when browsing by folder

Browsing by folder?!? I'm setting up all this to be able to see artwork by browsing my music by folder? Sorry, I know it's not your product and you simply try to help. But this is not helping.

The way music is presented by MinimServer is so Windows 1990's. Non of the clients showed any background information about any artist (performer / composer ...). Most of them followed a very strict hierarchical approach - which is actually not really helping to enjoy the complexity of the interaction between performers, choirs, orchestras, conductors, band members and so on.

As you may guess: I'm not convinced to buy the product.

Please let me know your setup.
Please let me know it it would help to use BubbleUPnP.

And please any announcements on the roadmap for the upcoming features of MinimServer are more than welcome.

Yours
Henning

Maybe it’s ugly but with your constraint (no upnp/openhome renderer) I think you don’t have any other choices.
If you are on iOS devices, as you stated before, Bubbleupnp is Android only ... and not so different.
In my opinion there are two much better apps, Lumin and Linn, but they are excluded by your same constraint

[stefano_mbp]

[Most of them followed a very strict hierarchical approach] ... it seems you need to better understand MinimServer functionality as there is no hierarchical approach at all. Take some time to understand what is MinimServer “Intelligent Browsing” and you could be surprised...

[Alandbush]

As Stefano_mbp has noted, your choices are limited.

I'll mention an old iOS app called Glider Music player. Prettier than mconnect, IMO, but no longer being developed.

As a left field suggestion, Amazon music streaming app also accesses your local library and because it is online, information about artists etc is available. However, it requires a monthly subscription.

Otherwise, other offerings (Roon, Audirvana etc.) providing artist information etc. require a pc and a subscription will also be required.

[henning65]

@ Stefano_mbp
@Alandbush

Maybe I just didn't understand your answers correctly?!

@stefano_mbp "In my opinion there are two much better apps, Lumin and Linn, but they are excluded by your same constraint"
I don't understand your answer - how could I use Lumin / Linn? - How should I setup my NAS?

@Alandbush: "because it is online, information about artists etc is available"
The minimserver has connection to the internet. I simply don't understand your reply. Do you suggest to open some sort of port for the minimserver to collect artist-information (on it's own) from the internet?
Till now I thought the minimserver software is not capable to collect artist-information (and to deliver to clients) - isn't that the problem?

Thanks for your passions.

Yours

[stefano_mbp]

(01-07-2020 11:48)henning65 Wrote:  @ Stefano_mbp
@Alandbush

Maybe I just didn't understand your answers correctly?!

@stefano_mbp "In my opinion there are two much better apps, Lumin and Linn, but they are excluded by your same constraint"
I don't understand your answer - how could I use Lumin / Linn? - How should I setup my NAS?

@Alandbush: "because it is online, information about artists etc is available"
The minimserver has connection to the internet. I simply don't understand your reply. Do you suggest to open some sort of port for the minimserver to collect artist-information (on it's own) from the internet?
Till now I thought the minimserver software is not capable to collect artist-information (and to deliver to clients) - isn't that the problem?

Thanks for your passions.

Yours

You can use them only if you have an upnp/openhome renderer. They don’t work with AirPlay. It’s not a nas matter, the problem is that both B&W A5 and Monitor Audio S300 are not upnp/dlna compliant and they work with AirPlay.
For this reason I suggested to try MConnect Player Lite (free) but you reported a bad feedback from someone else instead of trying it ....
Should be better to experiment by yourself (it’s free) ... I never had any of the issues reported by the unknown “tester”. It could be not the best control point but it works with your system.