[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