Better Music App Than XBOX?

[hoffdano]

I do not think it was intuitive.

Virtually all music management apps I have used (WMP, iTunes, MediaMonkey, feature genre as a primary filter, not a secondary under albums.

Since the app opens initially with "a to z" I didn't see the selection under "albums". Even Microsoft's past Windows apps defaulted to Album, Artist, and Genre.

It's OK now. But the app is still very slow to update the library when new music is added.

 

[ArnoldC]

<snip>It's OK now. But the app is still very slow to update the library when new music is added.

Now that's the function of the Indexing service...

If you used Junctions, it is faster. If using mounted volumes, it is slower. If the media is on the built-in SSD, I don't find it an issue.

 

[bosamar]

I'm enjoying the music app update right now.

 

[ArnoldC]

I'm enjoying the music app update right now.

The update is just now?

 

[bosamar]

I came home tonight and saw the Music app update. Info said something about better Xbox integration.

 

[ArnoldC]

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[R0bR]

If all you have is the Surface with music on it, not from Zune Pass, then the Xbox Music App is passable. If you came from Zune player, WP7, Windows 7, Zune Pass, multiple devices all sharing this music that is located on a server on your home network, then the App and service is the worst piece of garbage and a total fail on MS's part.

Some of the issues I've come across:

1. 30GB of downloaded Zune Music is not playable on Windows 8 or RT.
2. No easy way to re-download that music, like you could in Zune, has to be done individually. However, I can't do that because music download from Xbox Music Pass is not playable in Win7 or Windows Phone 7.
3. Songs I download from my Surface to my library does not even play on my Windows 8 computer even though it is 1 of the 4 validated devices.
4. The music I downloaded with Surface can no longer be played on my Surface after I reset it.
5. Smart DJ does not work as well as it did under Zune.

Trying to manage everything now is a nightmare and very frustrating, I'm sure it will get worse once I get my Windows 8 Phone upgrade.

 

[K4ot1K]

Here is a small problem I have with the music app, deleting. I don't mind the app, but I am not as picky as some with these things. I would like a better app, but I don't use my Surface for music that much, I use my phone, which I run Winamp Pro on. Anyway, I mostly just use MP3s from my internal collection but the Surface likes to show streaming music and to get rid of it, I have to go and delete these songs or albums individually. How can I delete everything I want to get rid of easily, and stop it from trying to stream? I just want to see what I have on my Surface.

 

[ArnoldC]

Here is a small problem I have with the music app, deleting.<snip>

In the album list, swipe left on an album, when the AppBar appears, touch More, then Delete.

Here's a screenshot for guidance, and apologies for the local language but you'll get what I meant.

 

[Humbs1982]

I also use Media 8, I don't know if it's way better, but at least it's easier to use.

 

[compnovo]

I also use Media 8, I don't know if it's way better, but at least it's easier to use.

Me too. I switched because XBox would play only 30 seconds of a song from my collection and one of the regulars pointed me to Media 8. As far as I'm concerned it's better.

 

[HB_xxx]

i get the xbox music app and how it works fairly well with the touch, but I do wish there was a winamp, foobar 2k, or WMP like mp3 player that worked in desktop mode. Kind of miss the full featured interface.