OS X 10.11.5 / iTunes 12.4 - Update

We are pretty sure we have homed in on the problem that can cause loops of ~6 seconds duration in playback with this new software update.  It is associated only with iTunes 12.4, and only affects playback in “Minimize iTunes Interaction” mode.  The solution is to avoid using this mode.  However, it appears that additional steps are required to turn this mode off (or on).  First uncheck the “Minimize iTunes Interaction” check box in the iTunes tab of BitPerfect’s Preferences Window.  Next, close the Preferences Window, and select “Disable BitPerfect” from BitPerfect’s menu bar drop-down menu.  Finally, re-enable BitPerfect again by selecting “Enable BitPerfect” from BitPerfect’s menu bar drop-down menu.

I have been using this combination all day yesterday with “Minimize iTunes Mode” disabled, and have encountered no further problems.  I am also getting feedback from some of our users who have been trying out this fix for me, and it seems they are also reporting no further problems.  Therefore I am cautiously recommending to BitPerfect users that you can safely make this update if you choose to do so, provided you follow the measures I described.

For the time being we still don’t know what the specific root cause is, but when we do find out, if a workaround can be found to re-enable “Minimize iTunes Interaction” mode we will include it in our next version update.

OS X 10.11.5 / iTunes 12.4

Apple has released another simultaneous update to both OS X and iTunes.  Early testing has shown some possible compatibility problems with BitPerfect after making this upgrade.  The problem causes BitPerfect to play in a continuous ~6 second loop.  While we believe we have identified a potential workaround for this problem, the combined nature of the problem together with the (simple) fix means that once the fix is in place we are unable to re-create the problem.  This means that testing the fix becomes a little bit challenging.

We are working with a few users to test out our solution and make sure that it does in fact work for everybody.  But in the meantime, we recommend that BitPerfect users avoid this particular upgrade until I am in a position to communicate further on the subject.

Apple Stole My Music. No, Seriously.

I strongly recommend everybody to read this post on the Vellum blog page.  This is what can happen when you blindly agree to Apple's Terms & Conditions.

https://blog.vellumatlanta.com/2016/05/04/apple-stole-my-music-no-seriously/