For users who use multiple laptops or a desktop, laptop or phone/tablet, it would be great to be able to export and relocate the library and whole configuration (including custom MIDI mappings, FX slot assignments).
The problem:
The Apple Music Library can already be relocated easily with option key pushed during launch of the Music app at least on macOS. However if you want to use Djay Pro on another computer, you will have to migrate the Djay library (including the analysis meta-data/stems) as well as configuration manually.
On phones/tablets, it’s almost impossible to do. You can still export your MIDI mappings and migrate them to the iPad for example but it’s not the easiest task and I am not sure we can move anything else.
The request:
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Ability to set manually a folder where all the Djay Pro meta-data and configuration are located, so that you can use a USB-Key/external media and hence do the same relocation on another computer and be able to move all your library and configuration by just connecting the media to the target computer
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Ability to set manually the folder where Apple Music library source files are located, including on mobile devices such as iPhone/iPad. Relieving us from the process of syncing our music library with mobile devices.
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Ability to export your Library and Configuration on a USB-Key/External media, the way Rekordbox or Engine Prime provide for standalone hardware devices, so that you can have the same environment moved easily to a target computer or tablet
Use cases:
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Someone who uses multiple devices for mixing and doesn’t want to relocate folders manually, risking mistakes and loss of data in the process
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When you want to bring your media to a gig with another DJ’s computer or tablet in order to hand over more smoothly
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In case of emergency where you’re going to switch to another device (main computer failure).
The cloud alternative:
Of course another option would be a comprehensive syncing through the cloud between Macs and iPhone/iPad with library and configuration all synced on all devices (including mobile ones), but this has to be done in conjunction with Apple Music’s library sync function as Djay mainly uses Apple Music as local library.
However in that scenario that would mean relying on the cloud service to work for your gigs, not sure I would. It is also likely that you could end up with a mixed library between your local tracks, the ones from the online service, some even DRMed and unusable on Djay. I have never dared activating Apple Music Library syncing for that exact reason.
So, even if the cloud could be an option, for a professional who doesn’t want to rely on anything cloud, the best remains something offline and fully controllable.
Some challenges and suggested solutions:
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On iOS/iPadOS, the Apple Music Library’s folder is not exposed to the file system and Apple Music acts more as a device than a host. For example you cannot add local files to the Apple Music library
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On any device, Djay will have to locate the Apple Music local library source. That’s why it is requested to decouple Djay library/configuration relocation and Apple Music source library relocation.
Hopefully with a future version of iOS/iPadOS, Apple will also open the folder (re)location of the Music Library so that we could easily relocate it on an external media and use it on multiple devices like we can do with macOS/Windows. I hear that Apple wants to make the iPadOS more macOS like so maybe that will come true who knows.
Still, as mentioned in the request formulation, for now Djay could already make its meta-data and library exportable and maybe let the user also choose their Apple Music library source folder manually (even on iOS/iPadOS) so that we could use the desktop Apple Music Library on iPadOS.
