Best way to store/play/access music.

Detroit_Waves · 1 May 2012 at 01:17

Hey guys,

Looking for some help! I recently upgraded to a Macbook Pro at the start of the year to get rid of my old windows desktop. All of my music was stored on this desktop, which amount to about 75GB worth of music. I buy around 7-8 CDs or vinyl a month so its constantly growing. Everything is played via iTunes.

What is the best way to store this. Will having it stored all on my Macbook slow it down at all? There is 500GB built in. I want to keep the machine running as smoothly and as quickly as possible, so I don't want to store it on there if its going to be a problem. If I won't notice any difference in the speed of the machine, or any problems, then I will obviously just keep it all on there?

Failing this, I will obviously look to keep the music off the laptop, whether on an external drive, or via iTunes Match.

Can anyone offer advice on the best route to take. Thanks!

Detroit_Waves · 2 May 2012 at 12:01

Thanks guys.

It seems the way forward is to keep it on my Macbook then. At least then I always have it wherever I take my laptop without having to worry about bringing anything extra. I don't really store much else directly on my laptop so I don't have any concerns about filling it up. Luckily, everything is backed up on an external drive, and I bunch of DVDs!

Detroit_Waves · 2 May 2012 at 23:57

mrbell1984 said:
Don't do this. Especially how you have 75 GB's worth, if the laptop breaks that's it you have had it.

I would look into some central server based device like the HP ProLiant server (Home Based Kit) with a raid storage solution or some sort of automatic sync app on the server to ensure everything gets backed up on another drive. A little bit more of a cost to you but at least it will be safe.

Are you saying this however, just to avoid losing everything in case of the worst? No other reason?

To be honest, every couple of months I make a back up of my music onto an external drive, and just do it by hand. Its a bit a hassle, but nothing that kills me you know. All of my music is physical anyway, so if I were to lose anything I could just take the last back up from my external hard drive, and rip the most recent CDs again.

Detroit_Waves · 4 May 2012 at 23:10

It definitely looks like the way forward is to keep all the music on my mac, as even with growth, there will still be plenty of space as everything else important I usually keep off my mac anyway on an external hard drive.

Then aside form this, making my usual backups, one directly for music only on an external hard drive, and then once a year, I will back it all up onto a bunch of DVDs!

Detroit_Waves · 6 May 2012 at 02:44

mrbell1984 said:
Last person said that to me lost 400GB's worth of data. Good luck. Drive failure.

As I have said though, if I was to suffer a drive failure, will at any point in time, have a minimum of 98% of my music backed up on an external hard drive. The 2%, would be around in its physical form anyway, so it would take me no more than an hour to put that 2% back on. Not enough to deter me I don't think.

Detroit_Waves · 7 May 2012 at 01:39

Well, it was others here who were able to answer the question for me. Fortunately, it wasn't the back up of my music I was concerned about, but the best way to store and access it. Luckily, it seems on my laptop is the easiest and most convenient way