[scarface74]

The filesystem is strictly hierarchal. How do you have one song in multiple playlists without duplicating the songs? How do you propose to make that usable for the average person. History kind of proves that Apple took the right approach in the iPod era. The simple drag files to an attached device MP3 players failed to become successful.

[asveikau]

Putting aside what has been mentioned elsewhere on the thread (m3u playlists, hardlinks) or similar technical solutions...

You really think the iTunes filesystem layout is what made iPod successful?

Not, say, the fact that it was solid hardware, good UI, etc., from a desirable brand?

The comment was saying, my read of it anyway, is they didn't appreciate that it would slurp up and rename the files you give it.

[scarface74]

You want normal people to use hard links?

But iTunes didn’t “slurp up and rename files” unless you enabled the option for it to manage your underlying file.

[asveikau]

> You want normal people to use hard links?

You miss the point with this question. A media player managing playlists certainly can. Or it can manage m3u files. Or it can put them in an sqlite db. Or ...

You posed as an intractable problem unless we adopt iTunes thinking.

[scarface74]

What magical thing do you think iTunes is doing besides managing playlists and syncing?

[asveikau]

When you hand it a file, it copies it according to its naming scheme and hierarchy.

[scarface74]

As I posted above - only if you tell it to when you install iTunes.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1845699

[benj111]

Just have the playlist be a list of links to files?

A la M3u files.