MusicIP Headless - Windows XP

Note: I'm currently writing a Windows application based on Windows Media Player to play music and use the MusicIP backend without the requirement for Logitech Media Server. (MusicIP Standalone) This is a work in progress and currently being developed under the working title of Spicefly Blender. See section for further details.

Why use Headless mode?

Using Headless mode is primarily used if you use other programs or hardware devices with MusicIP, such as Logitech Media Server.

It allows MusicIP to run in the background as a service without the requirement of having the MusicIP GUI interface open to utilise its functionality.

You only then need to start up the MusicIP GUI interface for advanced functions such as archiving analysis within a music file when adding new music into your library.

How to install MusicIP in Headless mode

Note: I have now written an application which will automate this process check out Spicefly SpyGlass section for further details!


Assumptions

MusicIP Version 1.8.1b or higher

MusicIP installed at default file location;

C:\Program Files\MusicIP\MusicIP Mixer

My Music Collection file location; Note Username is rocky in this example

C:\Documents and Settings\rocky\My Documents\My Music


Download MusicIP Mixer from here


Install with the default settings.

Allow MusicIP to analyse your music collection.

Turn off the Service Settings in the main GUI

File -> Preferences -> Services

Untick all settings and change Services Port to 10003

This now ensures that the GUI side of MusicIP doesn't interfere with the headless mode.

MusicIP Service Settings


Installing the Headless Mode

Bring up a Command Prompt

Go to the directory;
C:\Program Files\MusicIP\MusicIP Mixer

Type; musicmagicserver install

You should receive a response that MusicIP Server is now installed.
MusicIP DOS Installation

Go to the Services (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services -> MusicIP Server)

Start the service and then check that it is working;

http://localhost:10002/

You should get the interface come up.

Note that the Total songs is 0 this is because the caches are not aligned between the GUI and the Headless mode.

MusicIP Headless

How to tie Headless with the GUI

Configuration of the Headless mode is done via a text file named mmm.ini

Held in the directory; C:\Program Files\MusicIP\MusicIP Mixer


Download the mmm.ini file from here

Save this as a text file and put it into the directory;

C:\Program Files\MusicIP\MusicIP Mixer

Now the configuration part

Here is an extract of the mmm.ini file showing the important bits;

[services]

key=

cache=C:\Documents and Settings\rocky\Application Data\MusicIP\MusicIP Mixer\default.m3lib

port=10002

tivo=0

upnp=0

api=1

The Two most important lines;

Check the location and update the cache line as appropriate!

If your login is FRED then the cache line would be;

cache=C:\Documents and Settings\FRED\Application Data\MusicIP\MusicIP Mixer\default.m3lib

cache


PORT= This is the port that the headless will listen on, the default is 10002


You may wish to download my replacement interface for MusicIP from my website which we use for the rest of this tutorial to check functionality.


Replacement MusicIP Interface


Now restart the MusicIP service.

Open a web browser and check again.

http://localhost:10002/

The count of the songs should now match the song count in the MusicIP GUI.

MusicIP Replacement Interface

Scroll down to Test Mix and Click the Test Mix Creation, you should now receive a list of songs.

Congratulations MusicIP is now running in Headless mode and you do not need to have the GUI open to produce mixes!