getmusicbee.com
Support => Tips and Tricks => Topic started by: redwing on July 30, 2014, 09:14:17 AM
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A big fan of movies? Then do you know while you're listening to soundtrack music MusicBee can retrieve and show movie backdrops for you? This is a short guide to the feature.
(http://i.imgur.com/IR9lYhV.jpg)
- How does it work?
MB detects soundtrack files from the track's "genre" field, gets the movie title from "album" field, and searches in the user's specified local folder and then the web for pictures associated with the movie.
- Where do the pictures show up?
You can see movie backdrops in modern compact player, playing track panel, and some theater mode views that use gallery element and "MovieOrAlbum" field (instead of "Album" field).
(http://i.imgur.com/KuIYUBi.jpg) (http://imgur.com/KuIYUBi)
- What genre should a track be tagged with to be detected as a soundtrack file?
The genre should contain any of "Soundtrack", "Musical", or "OST".
- Many of my soundtrack albums have a different album name from the original movie title like "Top Gun - Motion Picture Soundtrack" instead of "Top Gun". Can MB find web pictures with that kind of album name?
No, it can't. You have two choices. Rename the album to "Top Gun" (if this is not working, consult "compilation album" guide below) or tell MB the exact movie title of the album using Artwork Downloader tool (Tool> Download Artwork). Tick "movie backdrops for soundtracks" and tick the file, then you will be prompted to enter the movie name to associate with the file. Such mapping is saved to SavedSountrackMappings.dat file in AppData folder (the file is uneditable).
- What happens if MB can't find any pictures with the movie from the user's folder and the web?
Then it reverts to the usual artist picture slide show. So if you see artist pictures instead of movie pictures with soundtrack files, then it means either that the movie title was incorrectly mapped (you can fix this using Artwork Downloader tool as mentioned above) or that there's no picture available with that movie if the title is correct.
- I have "The Godfather Part II" soundtrack album, but MB can't find any pictures for the legendary work. What's going on?
MB retrieves movie pictures from The Movie Database site (www.themoviedb.org/movie), so the movie title you're using needs to be completely identical to theirs. Go to the site, search the title, then you will see they use "The Godfather: Part II" instead for the movie (note the colon between the words).
- Tell me about the user's soundtrack picture folder. What's the use of it?
Go to Edit> Preferences> Tags(1)> artwork storage and set up soundtrack picture folder location. There you can store your own movie pictures you want to see while listening to soundtrack music. The image files need to be named as or start with the movie title. MB will show them along with web pictures if retrievable.
- Does MB save web pictures in the folder as well?
No, they are only cached for future use (one picture for each movie). So the folder will be always empty unless you store some yourself.
(This is no longer the case from v3.1.6375 or later versions of MB as it now saves one picture per movie and one per track for compilation album into the user's local folder. To avoid this, you need to edit MusicBee3Settings.ini file in AppData folder: <DisableMovieArtworkDownload>true</DisableMovieArtworkDownload>. Then artwork downloader tool will complain with "No match found" for already mapped tracks. Just ignore it.)
- I have several soundtrack compilation albums. How would they work?
Basically you need to make sure each track is correctly mapped to the right movie for such compilation albums, using Artwork Downloader tool. You will be prompted "album--title" template with the tool to save you entering entire movie title for each track. MB detects such a soundtrack compilation track by checking if its "artist" is different from "album artist" value. Note that, if no movie is mapped to such a track, MB is first looking for "album--title.jpg" (or .png) files and then "album.jpg" files in the user's folder. If no such image files are found, it will revert to artist picture slide show.
- I'd like to see certain local pictures while listening to an album. But they are not soundtrack files. Is it possible?
Yes, name those image files as starting with the album name and store in the user's soundtrack picture folder. Then MB will show those images while the album is playing instead of the usual artist pictures.
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Splendid!
Also, can you post some screenshots how it looks so people can see how great this is!! ;D
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Splendid!
Also, can you post some screenshots how it looks so people can see how great this is!! ;D
I added some (recycled what I posted on the screenshot board). Thanks for your interest!
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Does only one picture show up for you as well? Or do they rotate? I seem to be gettign only one picture even for famous movies (Braveheart, Inception, etc..)
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Does only one picture show up for you as well? Or do they rotate? I seem to be gettign only one picture even for famous movies (Braveheart, Inception, etc..)
It rotates multiple pictures. What panel (mode) are you using to see them?
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Will this work for TV shows/anime as well?
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Will this work for TV shows/anime as well?
The support for TV shows (www.themoviedb.org/tv) was already requested, but not implemented yet. For animes, no differences from other movies, meaning an anime will show web pictures if it's in The Movie Database site (www.themoviedb.org/movie).
(http://i.imgur.com/JAjSvnT.png)
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It rotates multiple pictures. What panel (mode) are you using to see them?
It does. I just wasn't patient enough. :)
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This is great!
btw if you want to save your artwork pictures remember that you can't save the character : in a windows file
so something like Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope would be ILLEGAL (and pictures are not found)
remove the : char from both file name and tag
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btw if you want to save your artwork pictures remember that you can't save the character : in a windows file
so something like Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope would be ILLEGAL (and pictures are not found)
remove the : char from both file name and tag
Of course you cannot use a colon in filename. But you can use it for a tag, and in this case you should use it either for album tag or for soundtrack mapping to retrieve web pictures because that's how the site titled the movie.
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Of course you cannot use a colon in filename. But you can use it for a tag, and in this case you should use it either for album tag or for soundtrack mapping to retrieve web pictures because that's how the site titled the movie.
The folder pictures works very well.
The web search still has its problems. With some movies it works well, with others it doesn't. "crimson tide" is good, but "the rock" is not for example.
it would be useful to have the "search code" that it uses in order to do some debug
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Working fine for me. Check with Artwork Downloader tool how your file is mapped.
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Ok I understood the problem. It was related to "Album Artist" tag
With this tag
-- Album: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
-- Album Artist: Star Wars
it doesn't work because the request is translated to this:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lmxvkjnrn3pn06o/tool1.JPG?dl=0
BUT If I remove the Album Artist tag and make it
With this tag
-- Album: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
-- Album Artist:
Then the search string is correct:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i41w9bsfh1cikad/tool2.JPG?dl=0
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Would you please take time and read the guide carefully?
- I have several soundtrack compilation albums. How would they work?
Basically you need to make sure each track is correctly mapped to the right movie for such compilation albums, using Artwork Downloader tool. You will be prompted "album--title" template with the tool to save you entering each title. MB detects such a soundtrack compilation track by checking if its "artist" is different from "album artist" value.
I would appreciate if you use General board for your further questions.
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geez.. ok. maybe you can't see it because you've written it yourself but the guide is not as clear as you think.
Rename the album to "Top Gun", then it would instantly work
Wrong, It does not instantly work. It only works if "Album Artist" tag is Empty or equals the "Artist" tag. And this was my problem
- I have several soundtrack compilation albums. How would they work?
MB detects such a soundtrack compilation track by checking if its "artist" is different from "album artist" value. Note that, for such a track, MB is first looking for "album--title.jpg" (or .png) files in the user's folder, and if no match then it searches for the usual album name, if no movies are mapped to with each track.
"searches for usual album name" ---> "It'll show the default artist slide show" might be a much better explanation.
ps: I'm trying to help others who may have the same problems and will read this thread.
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Rename the album to "Top Gun", then it would instantly work
Wrong, It does not instantly work. It only works if "Album Artist" tag is Empty or equals the "Artist" tag. And this was my problem
OK, I'll remove the word "instantly", but I'm not gonna repeat the artist tag part in every paragraph as most people won't instantly report it as bug before reading through the guide. You're the first one.
- I have several soundtrack compilation albums. How would they work?
MB detects such a soundtrack compilation track by checking if its "artist" is different from "album artist" value. Note that, for such a track, MB is first looking for "album--title.jpg" (or .png) files in the user's folder, and if no match then it searches for the usual album name, if no movies are mapped to with each track.
"searches for usual album name" ---> "It'll show the default artist slide show" might be a much better explanation.
Wrong. What's meant is MB is looking for such image files in the folder. Again I'm going to make it clearer.
ps: I'm trying to help others who may have the same problems and will read this thread.
OK, but I would appreciate if you do so after you got a clear understanding yourself. I'm afraid some of your comments here could cause unnecessary confusions.
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Done now.
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I have a question about this
The genre should contain any of "Soundtrack", "Musical", or "OST".
I love mainly movie scores, although I do have some soundtracks as well. I have the scores tagged as scores and not soundtracks since there is a difference. For some movies I have the soundtrack and the score, for instance. So this genre tag will not work to get images from the web because of that, correct?
I'm a new Musicbee user so a bit noobish with it so far.
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I have a question about this
The genre should contain any of "Soundtrack", "Musical", or "OST".
I love mainly movie scores, although I do have some soundtracks as well. I have the scores tagged as scores and not soundtracks since there is a difference. For some movies I have the soundtrack and the score, for instance. So this genre tag will not work to get images from the web because of that, correct?
Yes, the genre tag should contain any of the three to retrieve and display web pictures. If you want to include "score" in the genre tag, you could use multiple genres like "Soundtrack; Score".
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Thank you - got it to work with one of my soundtracks and messing with the folder
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x463/ThePaperbackStash/watchmenscore_zpsd08b13fb.png)
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Hi Guys,
I have a question re this feature.... i have it working for some movie soundtracks but for most I do not. For example 'The Lost World' ...
I have set to the same title as here https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/46999-the-lost-world
but still no joy as it is still just rotating pics of John Williams?
another example is 'Walk the Line' - I have 'Soundtrack set as one of the Genres too (although 'Country' as well, but that should not matter right?)?
Any help appreciated ...it's a great feature , be great to get it working more consistently... thank you
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TV shows are not supported. "Walk the Line" works fine for me. Check if your mapping is properly set using artwork downloader tool.
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Made a correction to the first post:
- Does MB save web pictures in the folder as well?
No, they are only cached for future use (one picture for each movie). So the folder will be always empty unless you store some yourself.
This is no longer the case from v3.1.6375 or later versions of MB as it now saves one picture per movie and one per track for compilation album into the user's local folder. To avoid this, you need to edit MusicBee3Settings.ini file in AppData folder: <DisableMovieArtworkDownload>true</DisableMovieArtworkDownload>. Then artwork downloader tool will complain with "No match found" for already mapped tracks. Just ignore it.
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If soundtrack pictures retrieving feature is not working, you need to update to the latest v3.1 of MB:
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V3_1/MusicBee31_Patched.zip
(unzip and overwrite to your MB program folder)
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There are many movies that have the exactly same title and if MB shows pictures of a different movie with the same title, there's no official way to correct the movie mapping.
This is how to correct it, but do it at your own risk as it's not officially supported.
- Find SavedSountrackMappings.dat file in AppData folder, and open it with a text editor.
- Search the movie title and you will see it's mapped with an IMDb ID.
- Go to IMDb site and find the right movie's ID (it's in its URL).
- Replace the ID and save it. Then MB will show the right movie's pictures.
- If you can't find the movie title in the file, that means the movie is not mapped. Then you need to map it first using artwork downloader tool.
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Two things about this feature...
First, I don't know how to tag users, but @Steven - is there a way to have the Artwork Downloader reference the MOVIEORALBUM tag to pull soundtrack backdrops? I want to avoid cluttering up "Soundtrack Pictures" with the same picture from the same movie in the case of ALBUMARTIST holding "Various Artists." For example, when I play "The Avengers" film score, the "Artist Picture" panel is filled properly with pictures from the movie, because ALBUM=The Avengers, MOVIEORALBUM=The Avengers, ALBUMARTIST=Alan Silvestri.
However, when I play a soundtrack like "The Fighting Temptations," although MOVIEORALBUM is filled with the proper title and even after I edit the "movie" field for each track in the Artwork Downloader, my Soundtrack Pictures directory loads up the same picture for each track in the album.
- Find SavedSountrackMappings.dat file in AppData folder, and open it with a text editor.
- Search the movie title and you will see it's mapped with an IMDb ID.
- Go to IMDb site and find the right movie's ID (it's in its URL).
- Replace the ID and save it. Then MB will show the right movie's pictures.
- If you can't find the movie title in the file, that means the movie is not mapped. Then you need to map it first using artwork downloader tool.
The text inside my .dat file is gibberish and no IMDb ID is available. Any other suggestions for fixing this, so I don't get backdrops from the "Aladdin" remake when I play music from the original?