The Nokia Music PC Client Has Potential
I spent the better part of yesterday fighting with .NET Framework installations, trying to get this Nokia Music PC Client to work. Others haven’t reported the issues that I had, so I’m sure it was my computer being annoying, though I reformatted a few weeks ago and reinstalled Windows XP, so I’m not sure what the deal was. In any case, after sending over some log files to the Music team, I’ve gotten everything worked out and have spent a few hours playing with the new app, and have put together my thoughts on it.
As you know, I’ve been waiting anxiously for this app since I saw it at the Nokia Go Play event last year, and I’m even more excited that I finally have it and can see how well it’s going to work. First, there are a few things that I want to point out that the team has done right thus far. There are also quite a few missing features that will need to be added before the app can go head to head with iTunes (which, for the record, is exactly what it’s up against).
First, the good:
1. Watch Folders - BRAVO, Nokia, Bravo. Watch Folders is a feature that allows you to tell the app where you keep your music, and it will periodically check that folder to see if you added anything, or changed any of the files (renaming, moved to a subfolder, etc). This is CRUCIAL if the user likes to organize his own music, as it avoids broken links.
2. Mini-Mode - Not only does the whole player shrink, but there are two levels of ’shrinkage’, with and without the album art. Great job on this, and there’s also a setting to keep it on top of other windows, should you want that. The mini-mode also still allows full interaction, showing the track title, full playback controls, progress bar, and volume control. Love it.
3. Tag Editing - Nokia Music PC Client allows me to edit the details of an individual track, as well as mass-editing for groups of tracks, at the same time. I can do the same for Album Artwork, though a future update to the client will apparently offer to fetch updated Album Art.
4. Sync - Syncing with my Nokia N82 was a pleasant experience. The software found all of the music currently on my phone, and even offers to add it to my library, which is a big plus if you’re a Symella user (like me). You can setup individual sync properties for each device, and it works with non-S60 devices, if you can put them in Mass Storage mode.
So, if all this is great, what would I change? How can the Nokia Music PC Client improve?
1. Auto Playlists - the app comes with several auto playlists setup, but I want to create my own. With 54GB of music, I’m not going to be able to put all my music on my phone. I’m also normally not going to be able to listen to it all on a regular basis. I want to be able to tell the Nokia Music PC Client that I want to listen to all of the tracks in the Country genre that I haven’t listened to in the past 2 weeks. It needs to be totally customisable, with data caps, too. I.e. this playlist is 100 random tracks that I’ve not listened to in the past 2 weeks, or 6GB of music that I’ve only listened to one time.
2. Podcasts - I have the Nokia Podcasting application on my phone, downloading new podcasts all the time. Why not sync those to my PC, or download them with my PC’s internet connection and then copy to my device only the new ones? The Nokia Music PC Client offers a great potential to better manage the space occupied by podcasts, I hope they use that.
3. Internet Radio - Again, we’ve got the Nokia Internet Radio app, why not bring that as a tab across the top of the Nokia Music PC Client?
4. Syncing - It works, and good, but it needs to be MUCH more robust. In the auto settings, I want to be able to determine how much free space should be left on my memory card. Heaven forbid I sync with the Music Client and then don’t have room for video or pictures on my road trip. User specified data limits should be in place.
5. Pane view - I don’t want to have to choose whether to sort by artist, album, genre, etc. Give me three panes in the top half of my library view, with the lists below. I hate to say, but kinda like iTunes (and Winamp). That way in three clicks I can see all my Country tracks on Alan Jackson’s 3rd album.
6. Go deeper - When I right-click on a track, I want to see 3 more options - Play more from this artist (in my library), Play this album, and Play more from this genre.
Overall, the whole thing should come with defaults, but allow more granular control. How recently added are the tracks in my recently added list? 2 days? A week? last month? The software itself, once installed (heh), runs great, and does exactly what it sets out to do - FINALLY provide the missing link for PC users looking to merge their desktop and mobile music experiences. Take that and run with it, Nokia.
However, be *very* careful as you begin adding features. Remember that most people using this application are going to leave it running in the background, while they do other things on their computer. RAM and processing power is a precious commodity on a PC, and should be regarded as such. When in doubt, choose whatever option results in less overhead resources being used.
Despite these limitations, I can say that the Nokia Music PC Client has pretty much just trumped Winamp on this blogger’s computer, simply for the fact that syncing with my phone is now possible. Winamp is capable of syncing, but the experience is anything but smooth.
Great job, Nokia Music Team, but we’re keeping a close eye, now. Let’s see some new stuff soon! And for goodness’ sake, some support for those on OSX and Linux!
I think the people with OSX already have a syncing posibility with iTunes, so they have had it nice before us. I would definitely like to see Nokia release this for Mac and Linux, but i don’t see it as a NECESSITY for Mac, at least not until the Music Store pane is working
Excellent “preview” and great ideas. I think for Nokia the challenge also is to keep it simple enough for everyone and balancing different “likes”. Not everyone would necessarily want all that control that you would like, or way of organizing the view etc.
But more importantly: PLEASE tell me you used country music just as an illustration and not because you actually listen to that hillibilly red neck stuff..
I agree. I mean, there are 2 things to keep in mind, imo. This app is a direct competitor for my desktop attention to iTunes and, to a smaller degree, Windows Media Player. It’s also in beta, not even with a first full release yet, so they should be cut a bit of slack.
My mom can use iTunes (and does), with simplicity, but then I can get in and really get the granular options that I’ve mentioned above. It’s going to be key for Nokia to figure this out. While doing that, they’re going to HAVE to watch their weight, and make sure this doesn’t get overloaded.
If you’re mired in iTunes already, this app currently isn’t going to make you switch, imo. However, if, like me, you’ve been pandering back and forth, desperately seeking a way to manage the music on your device with something more meaningful than drag and drop, I’m hopeful.
Note, also, in the comments on the Beta Labs, Mark says that Last.FM scrobbling is up on the priority list, which is good.
Yep, I fully agree on all you said. If the PC Client, the phone and the Music Store (and the Ovi more broadly speaking) all link and sync seamlessly, I am sure a significant number would move to using it.
Convergence is finally in music too starting to get to a point where a lot of people will forego buying a dedicated player. Apple has obviously realised that too and is fighting a good fight, but I am not sure they can keep the market share in electronic music they have now.
Ps. I note you ignored my country music question.. oh man, don’t tell me you do.. lol..
Yes, I have nearly 1500 tracks in my ‘Country’ genre, and I love every single cotton-pickin’ one of ‘em! Hehe.
Honestly, Apple’s got a good stronghold on the market, but I think that’s going to start slipping away. Nokia already ships more MP3 players per year than anyone else, and have for a few years. The problem is that with Nokia’s ‘mp3 players’, getting music ON there is a royal pain, and thus no one gets far enough to realize that Nokia’s starting to dominate on the listening options.
Conversely, Apple’s got the PC-to-device thing nailed, and strongly. But that’s really (imo) their only strength right now.
If Nokia makes it just as easy to get music onto their MP3 players as it is to get music onto Apple’s MP3 players, they’re going to give Apple *alot* of trouble. Maybe not topple them altogether, but they’ll make a bigger dent than you’d think.
My iPod died over a year ago, and honestly, my N95 accomplishes the exact same goal, with more flexibility (A2DP, built-in speakers, download Podcasts on the go, etc). The only times I’ve looked back towards my iPod was intelligent management of my music, as outlined above with smart playlists. If Nokia nails that, there’s no more reason for me to look back.
That may sound like I’m drinkin the kool-aid, but that’s the facts, from my personal usage.
“6. Go deeper - When I right-click on a track, I want to see 3 more options - Play more from this artist (in my library), Play this album, and Play more from this genre.”
I found all three of those, in order under the File> menu.
@JonnyBruha - I have those under Show Me More… but the options are greyed out. I was assuming that this would potentially lead you to the Music Store as a recommendation sale. I want the option to have it pull from my existing library.
You are correct, sir.
After playing with it, the one thing I really like is the organization of duplicate files. MediaMonkey and iTunes just gives me a huge list of songs by artist, sorted by album, but if I have the album in two places for whatever reason, they show up mixed in with one another. Nokia Music gives it to separate locations by album, so A)I don’t hear every song in an album play through twice, and B)I can look and delete the second location much easier. I don’t know if I explained that correctly, but I think you get the idea.
How is this an improvement over Windows Media Player 11? Or itunes?
@talhamid - It depends alot on what portable device you’re wanting to use, and your personal preferences. I tried using Windows Media Player 11 for a while, and found the library features to be unusable. Tagging, in particular, is a sore spot here. If you use a 3rd party tagging app, WMP doesn’t update the tags, or reload the information. I also found the playlist features to be a pain, and the interface is much too….showy.
iTunes is the closest competitor, and it actually works great as a desktop music management system. However, if you’ve tried syncing your S60-powered device with iTunes, you’ll know why this app is so attractive. The only way I was able to do it is with iTunes Agent, and that only allows syncing one playlist, from the PC to the device, not the other way around.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that in its current state, the Nokia Music PC Client hands down beats the rest - yet. But I see some serious potential.