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Support => Questions => Topic started by: mm on August 06, 2019, 12:42:11 PM

Title: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: mm on August 06, 2019, 12:42:11 PM
I have built my music collection over the years, and have used the format:

artist-albumname-track#-trackname.wav

and kept everything in the one folder.

I haven't used an interface like Musicbee previously, but found one folder being convenient when accessing in Windows.

I have decided to put embed album cover art into each track (so no folder.jpg or cover.jpg).

Am I going to hit any limitations keeping it like this?
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: SkyZippr on August 06, 2019, 12:46:38 PM
Are all of your music files indeed .wav? Because as far as I remember .wav doesn't support embedded artwork.
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: Freddy Barker on August 06, 2019, 12:59:57 PM
Am I going to hit any limitations keeping it like this?

I no longer use WAV files as tagging them can prove problematic, also the file sizes are a massive overkill. I think you will find that most MB users make FLAC their choice for lossless. I could be wrong, I was once in 1972  ;D
Regards: Freddy
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: sveakul on August 06, 2019, 08:33:57 PM
I haven't used an interface like Musicbee previously, but found one folder being convenient when accessing in Windows.

As far as keeping your files in a single folder, that's fine with MusicBee if that's what you want to do.  Just be sure in that case you don't use any of the "auto-organize" features.  Actually, that's what I do too for all the files I keep in my displayed Library (which all have embedded artwork).  I do have a lot of Playlists composed of files resident OUTSIDE the single "Library" file folder, which is fine too.  The only folder I "monitor" is the one with the "mother lode" of files.  MusicBee lets you do it your way.
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: mm on August 07, 2019, 03:17:59 AM
Am I going to hit any limitations keeping it like this?

I no longer use WAV files as tagging them can prove problematic, also the file sizes are a massive overkill. I think you will find that most MB users make FLAC their choice for lossless. I could be wrong, I was once in 1972  ;D
Regards: Freddy

Looks like converting to .flac is the way to go. When I started, flac was not an option.

A few of the titles have pages from the CD booklet, scans of the CD itself. I am wondering what to do with all these extra items.
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: boroda on August 07, 2019, 08:41:14 AM
you can add images as artworks/covers within mb.
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: Freddy Barker on August 07, 2019, 09:54:35 AM
A few of the titles have pages from the CD booklet, scans of the CD itself. I am wondering what to do with all these extra items.

Facilities to enable other images associated with tracks can be included here..
Highlight Track -
Edit / Artwork Tag /

Freddy
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: captain_paranoia on August 07, 2019, 08:41:13 PM
Am I going to hit any limitations keeping it like this?

Well, eventually, you will hit the limit of how many files you can have in a Windows file system folder...

If you ever need to look in the windows folder, you will be scrolling for a long time...

I can see no benefit to a flat file organisation over a simple, two level, disc-based folder hierarchy of AlbumArtist\Album\track.wav with one folder per album.

That structure allows you to have a folder.jpg image for each album, and store riplogs for each album, and easily find, move, copy or re-rip any album.

If you wanted to adopt a folder hierarchy, MB can do it for you automatically, using the auto-organise function, using a suitable naming template, assuming your files have correct metadata tags. If they're not tagged properly. MB can be instructed to infer tags from your carefully-formed filenames.

Oh, and yes; convert your files to FLAC. Smaller, better tagging, but still bit-perfect reproduction.
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: Zak on August 08, 2019, 05:07:50 AM
Am I going to hit any limitations keeping it like this?

Well, eventually, you will hit the limit of how many files you can have in a Windows file system folder...
Which for an NTFS volume is 4,294,967,295.

If you do have that many music files, you have far more important issues to address than how to tag them.
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: mm on August 08, 2019, 09:31:11 AM
Am I going to hit any limitations keeping it like this?

Well, eventually, you will hit the limit of how many files you can have in a Windows file system folder...


I did look into this, and with NTFS file system, I will never hit the limit (Maximum number of files in a single folder: 4,294,967,295). FAT32 yes (Max files in single folder: 65,534).  


Am I going to hit any limitations keeping it like this?

If you ever need to look in the windows folder, you will be scrolling for a long time...

I can see no benefit to a flat file organisation over a simple, two level, disc-based folder hierarchy of AlbumArtist\Album\track.wav with one folder per album.

That structure allows you to have a folder.jpg image for each album, and store riplogs for each album, and easily find, move, copy or re-rip any album.

If you wanted to adopt a folder hierarchy, MB can do it for you automatically, using the auto-organise function, using a suitable naming template, assuming your files have correct metadata tags. If they're not tagged properly. MB can be instructed to infer tags from your carefully-formed filenames.

Oh, and yes; convert your files to FLAC. Smaller, better tagging, but still bit-perfect reproduction.

You make a good argument for the folders option.
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: mm on August 08, 2019, 12:56:09 PM
A few of the titles have pages from the CD booklet, scans of the CD itself. I am wondering what to do with all these extra items.

Facilities to enable other images associated with tracks can be included here..
Highlight Track -
Edit / Artwork Tag /

Freddy


Keeping in mind that my music files are all stored in the one folder, with tracks stored in the format artist-album-track#-TrackName.flac

The kind off additional artwork I would want to be 'linking in' would be album booklet graphics etc (artwork specific to the album). Therefore I would not want to embed this into every track file.

Is there are way I can do this in MB?

I am thinking CD Booklet maybe in the form of  artist-album-CDBooklet01  artist-album-CDBooklet02_03 artist-album-CdBooklet 04_05 etc.



How would I go about linking this just once?
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: Freddy Barker on August 08, 2019, 02:21:05 PM
Keeping in mind that my music files are all stored in the one folder, with tracks stored in the format artist-album-track#-TrackName.flac
The kind off additional artwork I would want to be 'linking in' would be album booklet graphics etc (artwork specific to the album). Therefore I would not want to embed this into every track file.
Is there are way I can do this in MB?

I am thinking CD Booklet maybe in the form of  artist-album-CDBooklet01  artist-album-CDBooklet02_03 artist-album-CdBooklet 04_05 etc.

How would I go about linking this just once?

If you check the lower half of the Artwork tag you can add..

•  Album Cover
•  Cover Back
•  Leaflet Page
•  Media Label
•  Lead Artist
•  Conductor
•  Recording Location

...and a host of others, hitting the ADD button gives you the option of selecting your preferred image.

You need to check it out and experiment with some of the multitude of options available in MB

Freddy
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: captain_paranoia on August 08, 2019, 05:28:16 PM
> Which for an NTFS volume is 4,294,967,295.

Media is commonly stored on an external HDD. These are commonly formatted to FAT32, for compatibility with multiple devices and operating systems; FAT32 support is more widespread than NTFS.

The other arguments for a hierarchical file structure are much stronger...
Title: Re: Single folder for all music files - will this result in limitations?
Post by: mm on August 08, 2019, 10:02:09 PM
Keeping in mind that my music files are all stored in the one folder, with tracks stored in the format artist-album-track#-TrackName.flac
The kind off additional artwork I would want to be 'linking in' would be album booklet graphics etc (artwork specific to the album). Therefore I would not want to embed this into every track file.
Is there are way I can do this in MB?

I am thinking CD Booklet maybe in the form of  artist-album-CDBooklet01  artist-album-CDBooklet02_03 artist-album-CdBooklet 04_05 etc.

How would I go about linking this just once?

If you check the lower half of the Artwork tag you can add..

•  Album Cover
•  Cover Back
•  Leaflet Page
•  Media Label
•  Lead Artist
•  Conductor
•  Recording Location

...and a host of others, hitting the ADD button gives you the option of selecting your preferred image.

You need to check it out and experiment with some of the multitude of options available in MB

Freddy

So in my case, I have an album with 10 tracks. The album cover is embedded in each of those 10 tracks.

Therefore if for example I wanted to add Leaflet Page, would I have to embed that into each of the 10 tracks, or is there a way to link this once without embedding (using some Musicbee database facility?

Also with leaflet page (and I will have a closer look), does this support say the 10 or so pages you may find in a CD booklet?