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Unable to see playlists on my Sonos after migrating my library between Imac’s

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I bought a new IMac running Monterey and transferred my music library between the networked machines via the migration assistant

i then exported all of my playlists from my old iMac to my new one via the ITunes export and import function

On my Sonos I then added my new music location, indexed and can see my complete library in Sonos, however, it did not bring in imported playlists, which now shows ‘no selections are available’. I have followed all of the related topic in the Sonos community, but so far nothing changes.

I have created new playlists, new smart playlists and reindexed, but nothing comes across in Sonos. So frustrating

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Answer

Hi All

With a combination of ideas from @Corry P and @Ken_Griffiths I have fixed my issue!

I removed all of my current libraries from Sonos and then exported all my playlists as .m3u files and added them to the user > music > music > media folder (which is one level down from where the apple music library file is stored)

I assigned Sonos manually to the user > music level folder and they all came through (but only worked as .m3u files .xml were ignored)

Thanks for the feedback all, really appreciated

Steve

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Ken_Griffiths

I don’t know what the precise capabilities are with iTunes (perhaps others here will chime in) - I tend to use MusicStreamer (iOS App) to export/create my own playlists direct from my NAS library which can be viewed from that App (SMB share). The App is able to read .xml files too and export playlists from it to an .m3u playlist - but you could maybe try exporting your ‘library.xml’ file from iTunes and copying that to the root of your NAS library (that may work, perhaps🤔?), but my thoughts are, you may have to edit the paths in that file too (using a text editor), but see if that may work for you.

Ken_Griffiths

@GaryMF,

In MusicStreamer you can import an .xml file (read each playlist separately from that file) and later export them from the App to an .m3u playlists and set a ‘no path prefix’ - if you see my screenshot the entries in the ‘path prefix’ box for PC would result in the path being removed and it should work if you then go onto place the exported playlists anywhere in the library scanned/indexed by Sonos.

Disclaimer:
I’m not affiliated in anyway to the App, or it’s developer, but simply use the App myself and there is a bit of a learning curve to use it. I think there is a charge for the App too.. but you may find other similar solutions online aswell that may be ‘free’ of charge, work better etc.

So this info. is just to show you an example of the kind of Apps that are available for playlists that can be used with Sonos.

G

GaryMF

@GaryMF,

In MusicStreamer you can import an .xml file (read each playlist separately from that file) and later export them from the App to an .m3u playlists and set a ‘no path prefix’ - if you see my screenshot the entries in the ‘path prefix’ box for PC would result in the path being removed and it should work if you then go onto place the exported playlists anywhere in the library scanned/indexed by Sonos.

Disclaimer:
I’m not affiliated in anyway to the App, or it’s developer, but simply use the App myself and there is a bit of a learning curve to use it. I think there is a charge for the App too.. but you may find other similar solutions online aswell that may be ‘free’ of charge, work better etc.

So this info. is just to show you an example of the kind of Apps that are available for playlists that can be used with Sonos.

Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I can try that but I want to first try to solve it using what I have.

To be clear, it all used to work fine when Apple Macs still had iTunes. I copied some type of library file (It might have been called itunesmusiclibrary.xml?) to the shared music folder on the NAS and my playlists showed up.

But now Macs have “MUSIC” not itunes, even though the music is still kept in an “iTunes Music” folder. I don’t think the playlists are still stored there. When I try to export the “library.xml” file and put it in the shared music folder, Sonos doesn’tt seem to be able to access it.

G

GaryMF

This Sonos page says that you should be able to use the libarary.xml file but it’s not working for me:

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/153?language=en_US

Sonos can import playlists from the Music app on macOS as well as the iTunes app on macOS and Windows by reading the app’s music library XML file. Additionally, Sonos supports M3U, WPL and PLS playlist files created with software like WinAmp and Windows Media Player.

Airgetlam

If I recall correctly, you have to export the .xml files separately in the Music application. Not near a Mac right now, but as I recall, it’s under the ‘Save’ menu. Once that’s done, you then run the Sonos update.

Fair warning, though, I don’t use Apple playlists myself.

Bruce

G

GaryMF

If I recall correctly, you have to export the .xml files separately in the Music application. Not near a Mac right now, but as I recall, it’s under the ‘Save’ menu. Once that’s done, you then run the Sonos update.

Fair warning, though, I don’t use Apple playlists myself.

I did that. It didn’t work.

Ken_Griffiths

Maybe (if it’s possible) point the iTunes/Music App at the NAS library and let it index it and then export the .xml file to the root and see if that sorts it, although personally I would just do a find/replace on the original .xml file to change all the paths in one fell swoop.

G

GaryMF

UPDATE: OK I did the “find and replace” in a M3U file and it seemed to work.

It just sucks that now every time I make a new playlist i have to edit it to put it in my Sonos music folder (vs. how it used to work, i just move the Apple/itunes LIBRARY file over to the shared music folder on the NAS.

Why did Apple bury this functionality??? :(

Airgetlam

Personal opinion (and my ecosystem is 95% Apple, too), is that Apple doesn’t care about 3rd party/other solutions. So they make changes that are for their own purposes, without consideration about how it affects anyone else. YMMV. But I do share your frustration, certainly.

Bruce

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