Setting up a music streamer - advice needed!

Nansen

Member
Feb 2, 2021
3
0
20
Visit site
Hello everyone,

1. I trained as a classical musician, but then went into finance! I have a large digital collection of music (almost 8tb in size, 99% FLAC file format, 1% MP3, 340,000 files in 33,000 folders). The collection is stored on a Seagate external hard drive (8tb). I use an opensource media player called “FooBar” to access, manage and play the music.


2. If I wish to play music, I connect a USB cable from the external hard drive to my laptop, start FooBar and then beam the music from the external hard drive via Bluetooth to a sound bar.


3. I find this awkward – I want to eliminate the cable from the external hard drive and also eliminate the external hard drive. I want to continue using FooBar – this is a pre-requisite.

In essence, I want a simple network-based solution.


4. What I want to do is to buy a very small desktop / mini pc and install a 10tb drive into this small desktop / mini pc – I’ll store the music collection on the drive and use the external hard drive as an onsite backup.

I’d then like to access this small desktop via my laptop over a network, start FooBar on my laptop and beam music to the soundbar.

Essentially, I’ll be using the desktop pc as a music server.


5. This is where I need help:

a. I don’t know if the above is possible or if it is the most efficient solution: maybe someone can suggest something better? I don’t really want a NAS drive solution – I think that would be overkill and I am happy with the sound quality I am currently getting. I want to continue using FooBar.

b. I don’t know what small desktop / mini pc to buy? Would it accommodate a 10tb hard drive? I would not be able to fit the new hard drive.

c. I would not be able to setup the network linking the laptop to the music server.


Any help or suggestions would be more than appreciated.

Thank You.
 

johnfryett

Well-known member
Feb 2, 2013
13
9
18,525
Visit site
I don't think a NAS is "overkill" compared to a desktop computer - I'd suggest the reverse is true. Look at a QNAP or Synology model - you won't have to spend a fortune to get something that will do what you want. Since you want to continue to use your USB drive as a backup, you would only need a single drive model. It will not need to be "top of the range". Fitting the drive is easy. It will make the job of accessing music via your laptop much easier than using a Windows PC or a Mac.

If you then map the appropriate NAS folder as a network drive on your laptop, Foobar will then be able to index the tracks and play them back via Bluetooth.
 

Nansen

Member
Feb 2, 2021
3
0
20
Visit site
Hello John,

Many thanks for your reply - much appreciated.

I'll look closely into this over the next few days and will post back here with what I "may" buy!

A single drive NAS and 10tb drive.

Thanks again.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts