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Play Count and signed-in devices
mdy8893PostAugust 12, 2019, 13:20
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July 26, 2019, 11:26
Normal topicPlay Count and signed-in devices

My library is on my Mac at home, and I've used Yate to import all play count data. However, this data doesn't appear to be syncing itself online. When I access my library from my Macbook at work, the play counts of all songs still show as zero. Is there a fix for this?

Thanks a lot.
2MR2PostAugust 12, 2019, 13:26
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August 23, 2012, 19:27
Normal topicRe: Play Count and signed-in devices

When you say 'library' do you mean the iTunes library or your collection of audio files?

When you import play counts into Yate they are saved to the audio files and do not modify the iTunes library.

If you are not accessing the same physical files remotely, the play counts will not be in the files. If you are accessing the same physical files but are not using the same iTunes library, the play counts in the iTunes library may not be correct unless you export them from the files to the iTunes library.
mdy8893PostAugust 12, 2019, 13:31
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July 26, 2019, 11:26
Normal topicRe: Play Count and signed-in devices

So, I load a file into Yate, set the play count as 5, link it to iTunes, compare the values, and upload the plays. So iTunes shows the value as 5.

When I log into the same library remotely, the play count shows as zero.

I've actually just noticed something else: 'Redbone' by Childish Gambino has a play count of 22 on the file. The value in iTunes was also 22. I played it on my phone today, and the value on iTunes now shows as 1...
2MR2PostAugust 12, 2019, 13:46
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Normal topicRe: Play Count and signed-in devices

iTunes does strange things with what it feels is not essential data. If you export the play counts from Yate to iTunes and it shows correctly in iTunes then the value was set correctly. At that point Yate does not touch the play count in iTunes until you tell it to do so again or it is auto exported when the files are next saved.

When you remotely look at your iTunes library you're seeing whatever Apple thinks is the representative image of the library. Why Apple shows incorrect play counts is beyond our control. The value was either set or not. If it appears correctly in iTunes after exporting, it was set correctly.

Actually saving the play counts to the file is only a means of retaining the values. iTunes never reads play counts from the files. They are directly imported from the library or exported to the library via Apple's AppleScript interface.

As far as the phone goes, again it's outside our control. Certainly Yate has nothing to do with the play count updating in iTunes correctly or incorrectly. There are lots of issues with iPhones not updating content advisories, ratings, etc. when they are modified in iTunes and then synched to a phone.

I wish there was more help which could be provided. Perhaps iTunes is only updating its flat file library for play counts when it is closed. If iTunes is always open on a given Mac that is another possibility.
mdy8893PostAugust 12, 2019, 14:02
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July 26, 2019, 11:26
Normal topicRe: Play Count and signed-in devices

Thanks for the reply.

When I updated my library, I deleted all the old MP3s and then added the ALACs. What I should have done was linked the ALACs to the files already in iTunes. I'm guessing the iTunes server is seeing all these files at zero until they're played by one of the devices linked to the account.

I guess I'd have to skip each song to the end for iTunes to recognise it as a play. Argh!
2MR2PostAugust 12, 2019, 14:08
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Normal topicRe: Play Count and signed-in devices

If the locations in iTunes now point to the ALAC files, you should only have to sync the ’new’ files to your phone. That should work as when you linked the ALAC files the iTunes PIDs were not modified. I would imagine that there is a disparity as to what the phone thinks it has and what is currently in iTunes.

Re-synching should also preserve the play counts currently in iTunes.
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