[coopersito]

Can anyone recommend a video with super clear instructions on putting a music library onto a home network?

 

[dunring]

The simple way is if your router supports USB drives, plug one into it and share it across everything. It's just so easy that way. A USB thumb drive can work for one person accessing it at a time, but USB external SSD drives are so inexpensive and lightning fast they're worth it. Just have to check your router, but if you have a PC that's on all the time you can share a folder or drive that way too.

 

[Doug2507]

Can anyone recommend a video with super clear instructions on putting a music library onto a home network?

Roon...

 

[coopersito]

Roon...

Thanks, Doug2507. My only concern about Roon is capacity...I have about 7TB of music files. Am leaning towards Audirvana Origin instead.

 

[coopersito]

The simple way is if your router supports USB drives, plug one into it and share it across everything. It's just so easy that way. A USB thumb drive can work for one person accessing it at a time, but USB external SSD drives are so inexpensive and lightning fast they're worth it. Just have to check your router, but if you have a PC that's on all the time you can share a folder or drive that way too.

Thanks, dunring, I can (and will) try that. I could also connect my iMac to an Ethernet port...but am not sure how to isolate just the music files if I do that.

 

[Doug2507]

Thanks, Doug2507. My only concern about Roon is capacity...I have about 7TB of music files. Am leaning towards Audirvana Origin instead.

Don't think that would be an issue? Good thing with Roon for someone new to it is they've got step by step guides for OS install / setup and you can't really go wrong. Downside is cost though...

I used Audirvana on my main rig for years with a mac mini, again good software but that was straight to my DAC rather than network.

Pretty sure there'll be plenty of good YT dummies guide videos on setup, even if it's just adding folders to network.

 

[coopersito]

Don't think that would be an issue? Good thing with Roon for someone new to it is they've got step by step guides for OS install / setup and you can't really go wrong. Downside is cost though...

I used Audirvana on my main rig for years with a mac mini, again good software but that was straight to my DAC rather than network.

Pretty sure there'll be plenty of good YT dummies guide videos on setup, even if it's just adding folders to network.

 

[tomb]

Thanks, Doug2507. My only concern about Roon is capacity...I have about 7TB of music files. Am leaning towards Audirvana Origin instead.

With 7TB (I have close to 5TB), the only realistic solution is a NAS (Network Attached Storage). Look up NAS and you'll find many options. They're usually easy enough to connect and setup file sharing. Once you share your music to your home network, every device will be able to see your entire library.

Here's an 8TB NAS on Amazon for a few hundred dollars:
https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Ultra-...NAS&qid=1708262315&sprefix=nas,aps,223&sr=8-4

I have a couple of SEAGATE NAS servers that have lasted over 10 years now, without failure. They cost more than the one above, though. I regularly use my phone connected to the MUSIC file share, combined with a couple of Sony bluetooth speakers while I cook in the kitchen. I can also use any PC for high-resolution audio listening (FLAC files) or smart TV, or even Apple TV, which I recently converted to for every TV in the house (streaming). I use the same NAS for downloaded movies as well.

 

[coopersito]

Big thanks for the insights, tomb. I found a few of the My Cloud EX2 Ultras on eBay for under $250! In the meantime, I've been using Mac File Sharing, which is pretty good, but not perfect.