Here’s my situation: I have no-longer-updated-because-on-Mac versions of Music Collector, Book Collector, and Movie Collector (all desktop apps). I also have a subscription for CLZ Music iOS app.
Because Apple will be deprecating all Intel-based apps within a year or two, the time has finally come that I can no longer just keep using these versions of the desktop apps.
My question is: what is my best choice in terms of retaining all current functionality with currently available apps?
I tried, and did not really care for, CLZ Music Web.
I cannot tell whether the desktop apps are still being updated for Windows (I could buy an inexpensive Windows machine just to run these and a few other items).
Some important features for me: I still scan CDs. I allow albums to have multiple artists (i.e., a collaboration might be listed under albums by both Brian Eno and Robert Fripp on their collaborative albums). I like to include self-assembled playlists of files (it’s how I keep track of random non-album tracks), listing them under “various artist” and entering data manually.
The related question concerning the desktop apps (if they’re still being updated for Windows) is whether current plans are for them to continue to be updated…or whether the likelihood is that everything is moving towards web-based apps all around.
Enormous sunk “costs” here in the form of a very large, detailed database…so I’m hoping for some good advice on my best options.
As twazerty said, the Windows products will not be receiving any more support, except maybe to keep them running on future versions of Windows.
Book and Movie Collector have similar functionality in the Web versions to the Desktop version, so you should have no trouble moving. Indeed there is lots of new functionality, so you may find them even better.
Many of the features you are using in Music Collector, such as CD scanning or having separate info for individual tracks are not supported. Here , the general recommendation is to stick with the Windows version, but if you think that that is no longer going to be possible because you are using a Mac then I am afraid you seem to be slightly stuck. Try the Web version and see how you get on with it. I managed to restructure my (Classical) collection so that the Web version works as well as the Windows version. Good luck.
So, the only reason to switch to the Windows desktop app would be that its deprecation under newer OSs is not already on the calendar? (That is, one might be able to continue using the last version of the Windows desktop app indefinitely…until Windows too announces that it will no longer be functional?)
I’ll probably check out the web version. I don’t buy THAT many CDs…so entering their data manually won’t be the end of the world. The “separate info for individual tracks” thing seems…puzzling. How does it handle, for example, tribute albums or multi-artist compilation albums?
Yes, the Windows version should be fully functional indefinitely, unless changes to Windows make that impracticable. Also, as long as you are on the (old) Update Plan, or have a current subscription, then all the Cloud features, eg adding new albums from Core, will continue to work.
The removal of track-based features from Web Music is a business decision made by Clz. Overall, few people want this feature, but if you read this forum you will find that lots of forum members are unhappy - but then they are in the minority of All users, and can continue using the Windows product.
NB: There is some minimal support at Track level - Title and Artist. But nothing else - no genre, notes, dates. Take a look. This may be all you need.