Proper iTunes playlist integration

Traktor DJ Studio 3 would allow iTunes playlists to be imported and 'synced'.

In the iTunes import dialogue you could check any playlists that you wanted to import and Traktor would only import tracks that were new in those playlists

This approach made it very easy to have selected iTunes playlists mirrored in Traktor

With Traktor Pro and Traktor Pro 2 however, there is no easy or elegant way to sync your Traktor playlists with your iTunes playlists

I personally like to organize all my music in iTunes. I use playlists in iTunes as 'crates' reflecting different genres and styles. This means that I can easily listen to my 'crates' on my ipod or just in iTunes. This is essential for me to get to know my tracks and how they all fit together

When importing tracks from iTunes playlists to Traktor Pro or Traktor Pro 2, there is no way of showing whether the track you are importing is already in the corresponding playlist in Traktor (it is possible to tell whether the track has been imported into your Traktor collection, but not if it already exists in that playlist).

To make matters worse, if you re-import tracks from iTunes, Traktor does not assign the stripes from the version previously imported

Some people have suggested that you can just select tracks from the iTunes tree in the browser. This works for playing tracks, but not for any edits you make to the track with beatgrids, cues etc, so this is not a proper solution.

This is a serious setback for me since upgrading to Traktor Pro 2
I do not want to have to manage two separate collections of tracks

NI: Please can you bring back a true iTunes playlist import feature which allows syncing with iTunes playlists

OR

Enable full functionality ( meta, beatgrids, cues, BPM etc ) of tracks when played directly from the iTunes tree in the browser

 

On the point of "Import From iTunes"

I have made this request on the forum and within the Beta Team list many many many many many times... Ive kinda given up.

This was hugely important to my workflow at one time. After this feature was removed I had to completely change my gig preparation workflow.

Also the feature "Export To iTunes" was very useful as well. Instead now I have to Export the playlist as M3U then Import it to iTunes. Its bad work flow.

I have to agree that iTunes integration got worse with TPRO than with T3.

I dont agree with editing tracks within iTunes in the Traktor browser though.

I dont really understand this point. All tracks imported to the Traktor Collection and analysed will have a stripe and beatgrids etc if applied.

You must have a Traktor collection. The Traktor collection is the heart of Traktor. I know some people do not use Traktor playlist or play from the collection but the collection is the most important part of Traktor.

If you import iTunes playlists you arent reimporting the tracks to the Traktor collection. You are just importing a playlist of paths to the tracks. If all your tracks are imported to the Traktor collection the tracks should have all the metadata that you have previously applied.

 

Do you know what their reason is for doing this?

The integration in TDS3 worked perfectly, so it surely isn't a difficult thing for them to implement.
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It is possible to load and play tracks just by dragging them from the iTunes tree, thus using the playlists that you have created in iTunes.

Traktor indicates which tracks in the iTunes tree already exists in your collection with an icon. Loading a track into a deck from the iTunes tree will then add it to your collection if it wasn't already there.

You can navigate using your iTunes playlists, but even if those tracks already exist in your collection, you don't get the same options when you 'right-click', such as detect BPM or analyse.

You would have to right-click 'show in collection' and then edit the track there.
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it seems strange that iTunes integration is cited as an important feature in Traktor Pro - the icon is prominently displayed in the browser window - but it is so fiddly to sync playlists properly

 

i have kinda given up requesting proper itunes integration as well.

my effort has now switched towards requesting smart playlists in traktor. that is the only feature i need from itunes in traktor, and it would be useful for anybody, either using itunes as library manager or not.

that way i would only need to add one playlist from itunes, containing my songs for use in traktor, and those would auto fill my crates based on my own criteria.

what if..
i replace a file? no problem, as long as same tags are applied to the new one, it would go where the previous was. consistency check would help deleting the lost link.

i delete a file? it is taken out by the consistency check.

i add a file? it would be added and sorted according to tags.

however... ita appears it is going to take even longer before we see a serious update like this, isn't it karlos?

 

I keep pushing for Browser improvements. Its my biggest issue with Traktor.
I've got all the Decks/FX bells and whistles i need for my DJing. What I need is a browser that has more features.

I think the browser will get an overhaul, soon hopefully but I guess people aren't gonna buy Traktor in their 100s of 1000s cus its got a great iTunes import function. They will buy it if it has 400 FX and 25 sample decks (just kidding, kinda).

I also think Smart Playlists should be a big priority.

 

word!

may the force be with you in that pushing effort. i feel covered having you on our side in this big issue.

thanks!

 

+1

 

Definately a must have!

 

a big plus 1

i spend more time in agony futzing about with itunes integration and updating than with music..

the ability to simply have one dumbass playlist of everything i want in traktor from itunes then sorting with smart playlists in traktor would be a real bonus!..

 

Huge +1

 

many people are taking about bringing Smart Playlists to Traktor which would definitely be a good option

personally, I organize all my playlists in iTunes - with multiple crates and playlists for different styles and genres. Organising them in this way allows me to listen to music from my crates at work or on my iPod/iPhone. Doing this is a key way for me to familiarize myself with my music

it's this link between the music listening side (iTunes / iPod) and the actual playing of music in Traktor that is so important

it means that throughout the week I can be constantly listening to tracks and making ideas for mixes and playlists, giving me much more 'preparation' time

 

again, i think we all should put the pressure on the smart playlist feature within traktor, since that would be 'library manager independent', meaning that it would cover and/or benefit all the user base, not just those using itunes -which is probably a small part of the userbase.

you can easily replicate some or all itunes smart playlists within traktor, that would definitely mean less effort on music sorting in traktor.

that is becoming each and everytime more and more necessary.

 

d***it d***it d***it d***it!

finally bought a new macbook pro and upgraded to traktor pro2 after using 3 for forever. bought a 1tb external drive so i can copy my full library over and use all of it, including playlists... spent an afternoon syncing itunes between my desktop and my laptop and... look! no itunes playlists in traktor pro! holy f***ing ch**st on a stick!

you've got to be kidding me. i play and organize all my music on my desktop mac, where i sit every day and have time to do that.

I DJ WEDDINGS, which needs an INCREDIBLE amount of organizing. rock playlists, pop playlists, 80s pop playlists, 80's rap playlists, 80's funk playlists, 60's playlists, 90's playlists, disco playlists, classical playlists, jazz playlists (old school and new kenny g-type sh*t, one playlist for each) chesseball grease megamix and the electric slide playlists, a playlist for the wedding on wednesday, a playlist for the wedding on friday, a playlist for april 8th that i just got via email and dont want to forget. i show up at a wedding and, oh, who knew, they love 80's alternative to death! i don't have that in my wedding's section, but hey, i've got my own 80's alternative playlist, great, bring it up! i have miles of playlists, and i use them to dj ALL THE TIME. itunes playlist integration is INCREDIBLY CONVENIENT, and not having it will be A RIDICULOUS PAIN-IN-THE-A**.

you've got to be kidding if they think i want to reproduce all that work all over again in their own playlists section EVERY TIME I HAVE A NEW GIG!

oh, look:

http://serato.com/articles/scratchlive/4773/how-to-show-your-itunes-playlists

that'll teach me to not do my research before paying $$$ for updates i guess.

 

^^^ go away and switch to serato. nobody wants to hear your whining. this is the traktor user forum.

 

i may do that, even though i've been a traktor user for about what, 6 years now, and just paid for the traktor pro 2 update - i'm demoing serato's free dj intro right now.

btw, i'm "whining" on the "feature suggestion > Proper iTunes playlist integration" thread - adding my +1 to the list of people requesting this, elaborating on why this feature is important to many users, and reminding them that their competitors have integrated it already.

what exactly are *you* contributing to this thread?

i am kinda curious to see if the mods will remove this post - i can't remember if there was a "never ever mention our competitors existence EVER" clause in the terms of use contract i agreed to. i suppose if they do that would be one more reason to switch!

 

there's random whining, and justified whining. in the case of karstenschroeer is more than justified since he has just made a huge jump in versions just to find one of the most basic, necessary and useful functionality, crucial for music management has vanished from traktor.

many of us felt that anger when it happened, as we found it in the update from traktor 3 to traktor pro. and some of us are still angry seeing that some YEARS after, we still have to be updating playlist by playlist manually, everytime we make a small change in our itunes library.

yes, many other features and enhancements have been introduced since then, but meanwhile, other essential issues are simply being ignored. in my opinion, it is not fair to focus on catching new users with flashy new features while leaving your existing userbase unattended by not replying to their requests.

this clearly ilustrates that people that people driving priorities list and people that is programming for traktor, are not daily traktor users, not even often. which makes the whole development erratic, at least, marketing driven, the most.

how many long term open issues are we still suffering? how many of them will be resolved in 2.5?

i would like to be hopeful but NI traktor release history tells me it will be pointless.

same issues will still be there in 2.5: itunes integration, unfriendly midi mapping interface, beatslicer not working at 96khz, alac support, illogical sorting of stuff in the preferences... i could continue with the list but that's not the place at all.

come on, NI please... focus! Make real and necessary improvements on existing functionalities before adding new features...

 

seriously, how could they take itunes playlists OUT of traktor? it just doesn't make any sense. <insert crying-tears-of-rage-and-frustration emoticon here>

 

No, im not gonna delete your post.
Firstly, saying things like 'i might go to Serato' will ALWAYS make the natives on this forum angry. It doesn't help your cause at all. Comparing a cool Serato feature to one that might be lacking in Traktor is fine. Its just the jumping ship stuff that gets people worked up and I don't blame them.

Secondly (and in reference to you long post about using many many iTunes playlists etc), im in 100% agreement with you. My iTunes playlist folders are and huge and I NEED them.

Not sure what you mean here. iTunes playlists are available in Traktor. Are you referring to the removal of the iTunes Import/Export Feature..?

As ive already stated, i loved that feature. I've never had an answer as to why it was removed.

My hunch is that NI may think that iTunes does a great job so why try and emulate it. Thats my hunch as a member, this has never been communicated to me.

Anyhoo, ladies, lets keep this discussion friendly and I won't have to start throwing Apples at people (geddit, iTunes, Apple meh forget it)

 

ok, to restate my position without resorting to all caps:

example: today, i'm watching a ben folds interview on avclub. he's talking about his song "the luckiest", and mentions people come up to him all the time saying "we played that song at our wedding, props!" i think, "hey, that dude's from my hometown, and he lives in australia now, and i understand he's kinda popular there. i dj weddings in bali and like 90% of my clients are australian - that song should be in my 'wedding - dinner' playlist!" <goes to itunes, types "luckiest" into the search window, yes i have the song already (dude's from my hometown after all), listen to it, seems perfect for the right wedding dj situation, so i drag and drop it into the appropriate playlist. done.>

now, i don't want to have to go through all 57 of my itunes weddingdj playlists and drag and drop them into traktor before i go dj my next wedding, i just want to back up itunes, and when i get to the gig "the luckiest" is right there, in the appropriate playlist, ready to play if it seems like a ben folds kinda crowd. see what i mean?

for the record, i'm not trolling! just keeping it real yo - the competition exists.

they are? ...thinks about it...

ok, wait, traktor *should* show your itunes playlists? i have to admit i saw this thread and assumed that wasn't the case, but full disclosure, i'm actually having similar problems with serato's software, so maybe it's something i can fix?

i've got my itunes everything on an external hard drive so i can back it up using cccloner, then see the exact same itunes on my laptop as my desktop. i've got itunes[laptop] set so it looks for the itunes library on my external hard drive, works like a charm when i open itunes, all playlists are there and my whole library plays at the click of an, erm, touchpad? however traktor, now that i'm thinking about it, is perhaps by default looking at the itunes library.xml that's in home/music/itunes, that i've never updated (thus no playlists showing when i open traktor)

my true, itunes preferenced music folder is in external_hard_drive/custom_itunes_folder. traktor, perhaps, isn't seeing it. can i/how can i fix this?

i won't jump ship if i can work this out! all i need is for my itunes playlists to be available to traktor so i can organize my music on my desktop, in itunes, then find it automagically via traktor, organized into itunes playlists, on my laptop.

i started to call the dude "captain save-a-traktor" but deleted/didn't post it lol "keep it friendly" WAS in the terms of agreement after all!

ps. props for responding - good customer support WILL keep me on board.

 

if that is the case, you should go to preferences and specify where your itunes library is. by default, traktor points to your local disk, you have to make it look for it in the external.

for the record too, what we were requesting in that post is that itunes playlists should have the same way of interaction as the traktor collection, since it is mainly a mirror of what you see in itunes (app) but you can't edit, you can't see traktor tags there (important mainly because of the bpm). or, have a kind of 'watch itunes playlists' to automatically add and update those that you want into traktor's track collection.