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Possibilities of iTunes over IP?
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Senior User
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Istanbul
Status:
Offline
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Having setup and used the now defunct-iCommune plugin for iTunes I'm awakened to the possibilities inherent in remote music browsing via the iTunes interface. The concept of being able to browse through and play all music on a server halfway across the globe as if it was right on the local machine is incredibly enticing and, IMHO, creates an entirely new market for a wealth of thin-client/network-based media systems running Mac OS 10.
There's allusions that this *may* be what we'll see in iTunes 4 with Rendezvous functionality, but given the positioning of Rendezvous as an ad hoc networking for small networks I'm doubtful if a future version of iTunes will support iTunes library browsing across the internet (ie: direct input of a specific WAN IP address/login).
My question is this:
How hard would it be to do what iCommune has done without the access to the proprietary hardware plugin and drag-and-drop copyright infringement? FWIW, iCommune appears to simply parse a remote web directory structure into the iTunes GUI.
Is any savvy developer out there aware of a method of parsing the contents of a remote "iTunes Library.xml" into the iTunes GUI without actually mounting the entire remote iTunes Library directory? Perhaps a combination of using QuickTime Streaming Server alongside the iTunes Library file? This XML file appears to already list the relative directory location of each file, so how hard would it be to combine the copyright-friendly streaming in iTunes Radio with the actual browsing functionality inherent in iTunes' library?
Network-based iTunes media clients. Think about the possibilities. Could a future Rendezvous-enabled iTunes do this?
Speed
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Offline
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Soon... VERY soon...
(
Last edited by 3R1C; Mar 4, 2003 at 08:51 AM.
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Oct 2001
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BTW:
iCommune "spoofed" an iPod. That is, it took a remote users iTunes library and tricked iTunes into thinking it was an iPod.
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Senior User
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Istanbul
Status:
Offline
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3R1C -
Bit hard to tell from those SS, but it looks like you're talking about a file sharing utility, whereas I'm talking about just the opposite - a method of accessing all of the files on a streaming server specifically from within the iTunes browser window (as opposed to a continuous stream like iTunes radio).
The idea being that if you can browse a streaming server via a top-notch GUI like iTunes then you stand to position OS 10 into a variety of thin-client environments - ie: media kiosks, listening booths - that are just not possible now with the need to access a local library directory to access and browse media files.
The inclusion of file download capabilities is what concerns me. The RIAA just seems like far too draconian an organization to allow any technology which permits file copies from server to client (as iCommune did).
Speed
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Oct 2001
Status:
Offline
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Look closely at the GUI. Notice the "Preview" button as well as the "Download" button.
I myself am an artist. I have two albums to my credit and a third in the works. The RIAA will have no say in my allowing users to download my music. There is lots of music that is legal to download. The liability is on the user. Dont steal music.
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