The new macOS Catalina 10.15 software that released Monday breaks compatibility with apps for DJs that rely on the ability of iTunes to export XML playlists in real time.
Developers have used the XML format in iTunes which permits it to share music libraries with other apps. Since Catalina splits up iTunes into separate Music, TV and Podcasts apps, there’s currently no support for sharing music libraries with other apps via XML.
The Verge says Apple is aware of the situation. Furthermore, Apple recommends people avoid the new macOS Catalina software until developers update their affected apps.
According to Apple, if a customer is reliant on XML files for DJing, they should avoid updating and continue using their preferred software on macOS Mojave until developers push out fixes (some, like Serato, are already trying out new beta versions tailored for Catalina). iTunes on Windows has not changed, so apps on Microsoft’s platform should function as normal.
It should be noted that even though the new Music app takes advantage of a new library format that isn’t compatible with XML, it still includes the ability to export your music library manually as an XML file. Some folks have suggested a workaround involving manually exporting XML files in the Music app, but that won’t do much, according to Apple.
“Essentially, if you’re a DJ and you have put tons of time into sorting music in your iTunes playlists for whatever software you use, upgrading to Catalina will likely erase all your hard work,” notes The Verge article.
And this from MacRumors:
We spoke with Michael Simmons of Algoriddim, the developer behind the djay Pro apps, and he provided us with more insight into the issue, pointing to a previous report outlining how Apple launched an official SDK for delivering programmatic access to users’ music libraries with the launch of iTunes 11 a number of years ago. Apps like djay Pro that previously transitioned to the SDK will have no problems continuing to integrate with Music libraries in macOS Catalina.
This will hopefully prompt makers of other DJ apps to adopt Apple’s official APIs for accessing people’s music libraries rather than rely on an undocumented solution that depends on XML.
Have you noticed this problem yet on your Mac?
If so, sound off in the comments down below!