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Fixing up missing filenames, metadata, etc in music collection


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Wasn't real sure what section to put this in.   

 

Once again,  I am struggling with finding any better way to organise my digital music files, than just keeping them in appropriately named folder structure and filename.  Usually I use   root/genre/artist/album/file.    

 

However, many players prefer to use metadata.  Unfortunately, this is so hit and miss in my collection.     I have been trying (once again) to fix them up using Musicbrainz Picard, but even that can't identify them all, even with fingerprinting.   I have tried this route before, but was hoping things may have improved.    It also gets it very wrong when it encounters tracks from compilation albums.  I don't want thousands of individual albums in my database, each with only one or two tracks in them, because  I got those tracks in a compilation album originally.

 

I'd be generally interested in your thoughts and knowing what you do.

 

 

 

 

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19 minutes ago, mitchlim said:

I use iTunes (now called Music) to import all my music files ... then recheck the metadata with an app called "Yate" 

 

How does it deal with compilation albums?    Also, how many "misses" do you get?  Picard's fingerprinting fails on a small (but too large) percentage of my files.

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18 minutes ago, aussievintage said:

 

How does it deal with compilation albums?    Also, how many "misses" do you get?  Picard's fingerprinting fails on a small (but too large) percentage of my files.

iTunes handles compilation album as "Various artists" and of course you can uncheck the compilation box ... Missing album less than 5% ... that's why I need Yate to complete it ... you can try .. iTunes (Music) is free. .. make sure you click "keep Music Media Folder organised"

Screen Shot 2021-04-09 at 11.18.31 am.png

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23 minutes ago, mitchlim said:

iTunes handles compilation album as "Various artists" and of course you can uncheck the compilation box ... Missing album less than 5% ... that's why I need Yate to complete it ... you can try .. iTunes (Music) is free. .. make sure you click "keep Music Media Folder organised"

 

 

I wonder how it does that?  Is it using the folder under which the songs are stored as a clue as to whether they are parts of the original album or not?

 

I am wondering if those types of options exist in Picard?   OK, thanks,  I have some researching to do, and I can try your suggestions too.

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4 hours ago, aussievintage said:

Wasn't real sure what section to put this in.   

 

Once again,  I am struggling with finding any better way to organise my digital music files, than just keeping them in appropriately named folder structure and filename.  Usually I use   root/genre/artist/album/file.    

 

However, many players prefer to use metadata.  Unfortunately, this is so hit and miss in my collection.     I have been trying (once again) to fix them up using Musicbrainz Picard, but even that can't identify them all, even with fingerprinting.   I have tried this route before, but was hoping things may have improved.    It also gets it very wrong when it encounters tracks from compilation albums.  I don't want thousands of individual albums in my database, each with only one or two tracks in them, because  I got those tracks in a compilation album originally.

 

I'd be generally interested in your thoughts and knowing what you do.

 

 

 

 

I use a program called tag&rename to fix metadata in flac files, alternatively you may use foobar to adjust the metadata.

 

One way to fix having multiple same albums due to being compilation is to make sure you fill in the field of "Album artist", if it's a compilation you may put something like "Various Artists".

 

When it comes to sorting I sometimes organise it manually -_-''.

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23 minutes ago, Zekestah said:

I use a program called tag&rename to fix metadata in flac files, alternatively you may use foobar to adjust the metadata.

 

One way to fix having multiple same albums due to being compilation is to make sure you fill in the field of "Album artist", if it's a compilation you may put something like "Various Artists".

 

When it comes to sorting I sometimes organise it manually -_-''.

 

I am not interested in doing it manually.  It would take years.

 

Thanks to @mitchlim   s comments,  I have found similar options in Music Brainz Picard, to control what is happening.  I am now having some success getting them sorted out.

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I know of a number of people who went to Roon because their meta data was a mess.  I did try Music Brainz Picard and found that it could wreck my reasonable meta data, more than it could help. 

 

Regarding compilations, I keep the Artist field as is, and put in Various in Album Artist field.  I prefer using Album Artist as my lookup.

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3 minutes ago, Snoopy8 said:

I know of a number of people who went to Roon because their meta data was a mess.  I did try Music Brainz Picard and found that it could wreck my reasonable meta data, more than it could help. 

 

I was quite wary at first, until I found the options that prevented things getting out of hand.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Snoopy8 said:

Regarding compilations, I keep the Artist field as is, and put in Various in Album Artist field.  I prefer using Album Artist as my lookup.

 

 

Yes, but that's a manual action.  I have heaps of compilation albums from old CDs.  It would take ages.    I found you can bias Picard towards one or the other.  Helps a lot.

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Question about using metadata editors like this.  They rewrite the entire music file, yes?   Then if I was to decide to set replay gain on the collection, it would rewrite all the files again, yes?

 

Apart from the time it takes, the chance of some errors creeping in must start to get significant.     Is there an alternative way of doing things?  Like when I edit my big photo files from my camera,  the main file never gets rewritten.  The editor just maintains a "sidecar" xml file.  Fast, and non-destructive.

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23 minutes ago, deepthought said:

Songkong by Jthink is good - I own it: http://www.jthink.net/songkong/

Also this might be worth trying - https://www.blisshq.com/organise-music-files.html   ??

 

I took a quick look.  Downloaded Bliss. Need to look closer, but I notice they nearly all use the same data from Musicbrainz and Acoustid, as does Picard.

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Ze blurb 

" Acoustid to listen to your songs and find matches even when they have no information at all, but also takes advantage of existing file information to ensure you get the best album match. SongKong uses our own dedicated JThink Music Server regularly updated from the MusicBrainz and Discogs databases giving you more accurate matches, faster."

It took me SOngkong 12hours to go through my entire collection (lots of tracks) but it certainly improved my experience.

Edited by deepthought
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45 minutes ago, deepthought said:

Ze blurb 

" Acoustid to listen to your songs and find matches even when they have no information at all, but also takes advantage of existing file information to ensure you get the best album match. SongKong uses our own dedicated JThink Music Server regularly updated from the MusicBrainz and Discogs databases giving you more accurate matches, faster."

It took me SOngkong 12hours to go through my entire collection (lots of tracks) but it certainly improved my experience.

 

I have a feeling that Picard is doing exactly this for me as I type.  My current setup is working well.  Yes it will take a while :) 

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Just now, Eggmeister said:

 

No one likes doing it manually @Luc

That's why you've been called. Impart your knowledge on this dark art.

As you know I have no clue on it and just buy records.

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It's going quite well.  I am processing a bunch of mixed rock genre - nearly 4000 tracks, and only have one (by Feargal Sharkey) that it didn't handle.  Probably  a damaged file.

 

I am doing it in batches. As I gain confidence, the batches are getting bigger.

 

 

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