Don't Back Down

While I really like that iTunes allows you to "share" music with other computers, I really don't like two things about iTunes as a "server". First, that the sharing is limited to the local network (at least, I think it is) and second, that the iTunes application has to run on the other system - that is, the user needs to be signed on and iTunes has to be loaded. This may be different on Macs, but it is definitely the case under Windows.

No longer. While it's been out for a while, and I've even known about it for a while, the ultra-cool Slim Server software from Slim Devices resolves both problems in one fell swoop. Now, my music is on a true server - that is, a system that doesn't require a user to be signed on - and I even have remote access to create all the playlists I'd like, be it from a single artist or all of them.

Using Slim Server (a free download no less), I have a service running on that other PC, and to connect to it I can use my web browser to configure the playlists, and I just connect to the stream using my player of choice. I'm using iTunes at the moment, but there's little reason for that - I just happen to have it up and running.

What's more is that this network-centric model means I can access the music simply by using the IP address, making my music available anywhere I choose to get at it. Dunno if I'll do this or not - but I can. Sweet!