Will WiiM Home see m3u playlists on my Synology NAS? (pre-purchase question)

[bobster26]

I've used Synology NAS to host my iTunes library for over a decade (currently on DS218+). I use a mac app called Playlist Export to export iTunes playlists to m3u format in a Playlists folder on the NAS. Synology's Audio Station and DS Audio read the playlists without issue (as long as I use the correct export settings).

I'm considering getting a WiiM Pro Plus and wondering: will the WiiM Home app see these exported m3u playlists, or the iTunes playlists, or does it require some other format? Or does it use a proprietary format? (Playlist Export can also export to m3u extended, wpl, zpl, and mpl.)

Thanks!

(BTW, I'm running Synology's Media Server package, and my ancient Marantz pre-pro can see the NAS files and playlists via UpnP.)

 

[Brantome]

If the Synology Media Server sees the playlists, then the WiiM Home app will se them too under Home Music Share. Try using an app like BubbleUPNP on Android or mConnect on iOS, and if they can play them via the Synology Media Server, then so will the WiiM app.

 

[bobster26]

If the Synology Media Server sees the playlists, then the WiiM Home app will se them too under Home Music Share. Try using an app like BubbleUPNP on Android or mConnect on iOS, and if they can play them via the Synology Media Server, then so will the WiiM app.

Thanks very much! I tried mConnect Lite on my iPad, and it works- it sees and plays the playlists.

I noticed that Minim music server is available as a Synology Package. Is there any advantage to using that instead of Synology's own Media Server?

Thanks again, @Brantome !

 

[Brantome]

I noticed that Minim music server is available as a Synology Package. Is there any advantage to using that instead of Synology's own Media Server?

I'll let @simbun sing MinimServer's praises - it's an all round excellent highly configurable UPNPServer, much better than the relatively simple Synology Media Server package. AssetUPNP is also a really good alternative

 

[simbun]

I've never used the Synology Media Server (I've tried most) so I can't directly compare the two, but I can tell you that I've been using MinimServer for nearly a decade now and it's the most robust, compatible and light-weight server I've ever used. It just gets everything right, and when coupled with the excellent support provided by the developer there really is no comparison, unless of course you have a specific requirement that it can't meet e.g. you want it to scrape artist images.

I'd imagine the free version will cover most peoples needs, but the licensed version allows you to add huge customisation taking it into another league alongside AssetUPnP and Jriver, all of which are paid offerings.

Given it's free, try it

 

[d6jg]

I was going to post a reply to your question yesterday to say that "seeking" works using a WiiM Pro's Squeezelite client, Material on an iPad and LMS but I realised that I am only 99% sure of that as I have no ALACs in my library at all. FLAC does work 100%. LMS will run directly on a Synology NAS if it is capable of running Docker.

LMS is not a UPnP/DLNA server as it uses a different protocol. It is more Roon like than a UPnP/DLNA server and will provide lots of additional info about whatever you are playing through a number of choice plugins.

 

[bobster26]

WiiM Pro's Squeezelite client, Material on an iPad

Not sure I understand this (I'm a beginner).

I did some searches and couldn't find Material. Can you post a link?

I did load Docker on my NAS, though I don't remember why.

will provide lots of additional info about whatever you are playing through a number of choice plugins

What kinds of info? If it's artist bios, narratives about the music style, suggestions of related music, etc, I don't need or want that. All I want beyond the basics (title, artist, album, album art) are file type and resolution, I think.

And re: plugins - they're for LMS?

Thanks, @d6jg !

 

[d6jg]

Not sure I understand this (I'm a beginner).

I did some searches and couldn't find Material. Can you post a link?

I did load Docker on my NAS, though I don't remember why.



What kinds of info? If it's artist bios, narratives about the music style, suggestions of related music, etc, I don't need or want that. All I want beyond the basics (title, artist, album, album art) are file type and resolution, I think.

And re: plugins - they're for LMS?

Thanks, @d6jg !

Material is an LMS plugin that provides an HTML5 control gui which can be opened in Safari on iOS and then made to work like an app with "Add to Home Screen"

If you don't want bios, reviews, lyrics etc then stick with a UPnP/DLNA server on the NAS. Minimserver is the best of the bunch apart from possibly AssetUPnP (which has a cost attached).

 

[bobster26]

Material is an LMS plugin that provides an HTML5 control gui which can be opened in Safari on iOS and then made to work like an app with "Add to Home Screen"

If you don't want bios, reviews, lyrics etc then stick with a UPnP/DLNA server on the NAS. Minimserver is the best of the bunch apart from possibly AssetUPnP (which has a cost attached).

Thanks, @d6jg

I'd consider paying for server software, if needed to get the features I want, as long as it's not a subscription. I need to do more homework, as I'm still not completely clear on what differentiates the various server apps.

Also: I'd like to know how the WiiM Home app displays playlists on an tablet in landscape orientation, which is my most common usage case. After a dozen years using Synology's DS Audio on iPads, I'm pretty attached to its layout: a list of playlists in the left column, and the tracks in the selected playlist in the main area along with album art and the transport, as in the attached screen grab.

If someone could post an analogous screenshot from the WiiM Home app, or a good DLNA app, i'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Brantome]

If you are used to that interface, then you should be able to select your WiiM as a upnp renderer/ player

 

[bobster26]

Yes, but the WiiM Home app has other features I'd like that DS Audio lacks, like EQ, display of file format and resolution, display of signal path, ability to select output resolution, and alarms. And I'm told that scrubbing works with ALAC files (it has never worked with them in DS Audio, and neither has gapless playback). I don't need playlist view to look exactly like DS Audio, but I do want the same general info.

 

[d6jg]

This is Material in landscape mode on my PC. It looks 99.9% the same on an iPad in landscape mode.
1. The Browse area
2. The Queue is the right hand side but can be unpinned
3. Now Playing - can be expanded to full screen

 

[bobster26]

Thanks, @d6jg! Does the browse area offer a list view instead of thumbnail view?

Wondering if that's what the icon on the left above the Zappa album does - hides the grid view (?).

 

[d6jg]

Thanks, @d6jg! Does the browse area offer a list view instead of thumbnail view?

Wondering if that's what the icon on the left above the Zappa album does - hides the grid view (?).

That icon toggles between list and grid views.

 

[d6jg]

You can also see in my screenshot how Qobuz integrates. Those items with a Qobuz icon at top right are from Qobuz and the others are local FLACs. They are merged together seamlessly

 

[bobster26]

You can also see in my screenshot how Qobuz integrates. Those items with a Qobuz icon at top right are from Qobuz and the others are local FLACs. They are merged together seamlessly

Is that merging of local files with streaming services unique to LMS, or is it common in other servers?

 

[d6jg]

Roon does it. Plex does Tidal but otherwise I don’t know

 

[simbun]

And I'm told that scrubbing works with ALAC files (it has never worked with them in DS Audio, and neither has gapless playback).

@d6jg Given "LMS" (squeezelite) on the WiiM doesn't support ALAC, will the transcoding to FLAC/PCM affect scrubbing? From - my bad - memory it did, because I remember being surprised.

 

[d6jg]

@d6jg Given "LMS" (squeezelite) on the WiiM doesn't support ALAC, will the transcoding to FLAC/PCM affect scrubbing? From - my bad - memory it did, because I remember being surprised.

I honestly am not sure and have no ALAC to test with.
Whenever you get involved in transcoding there is always something that isn’t quite perfect.
ALAC seems to me to be troublesome and perhaps an afterthought by Apple. They clearly aren’t that keen and would prefer everyone used AAC.
Fortunately it’s easy to convert to FLAC.