Author Topic: Dropbox & Musicbee Guide: Play music & sync library/playlist data over Network  (Read 17755 times)

Lukevdw

  • Guest

Hi

I have only been using Musicbee for only three days. and I am loving it! Way better then that other "monkey business" I was using!

I am DJ and got the idea of using the mixing program Traktor from Native Instruments  and Dropbox together on both my main DJ laptop and my spare. So if the main should meet some horrible fate like getting stolen or crash or die on me, I am ready to DJ with my spare right from the bat.

That said I would like the more Pro users to please let me know if they find any fault or issues in this solution. I am not an IT expert with only a fair amount of PC related knowledge so any input is welcome!

I did this from a fresh install. I have been testing, and so far  and it is working. I will try to explain how to do it with already created/updated/standing Library collection of music.

The idea is that all you computers on your home network read your music files and Musicbee data from the same location (Dropbox)  and to retain all playlist and library data across them no matter on what computer you make changes.


My Setup

First of all my computers at home are partitioned with C:\ for Windows and applications and E:\ for all my Windows Folders  (My Music, Pictures etc) (I am not sure if this is compulsory to do but this is my setup so...)

How to move user folder locations to Secondary HDD:

Go to your User folder.
Right click your user folder you want to move (ex. the "My Pictures" folder).
Click "Properties."
Click the "Location" tab.
Change the destination to another location bu clicking "Move..." and selecting the destination (ex. "D:\Pictures").

Note 1: If there are two of the same folder in the User folder after the move (ie. My Documents "A" and My Documents "B") you should delete the empty one located on the C: drive. (May need to go into safe mode to delete it) Do not delete the other User folders, only duplicates that come up after the move within the User folder.
Note 2: If the folder already exists that you are linking it to you may want to merge the folders


My default Dropbox folder on all my computers is on E (not the pills! hehehe) so on all of them the path is E:\Dropbox (I dont know if this is relevant but this is how it is setup on my systems)

Before we start. Just note that it is lengthy but I dumbed it down for dumb asses like me step by step. For the clever dudes, the jist of it is basically that you move your music collection and your library location to Dropbox. Keep Dropbox from syncing and keep the new location empty of data files.

The create new connections to the new library for the second computers by using the Move Library functionality. Then copy over your old data files into the new library location

or you can follow these steps

We are going to work with 2 Types of folders here


1. a New Dropbox Music Folder: This will be the new location of all your music which you want to play over the Network on Dropbox
2. a Library Location folder: This is your library/collection and playlist data folder. Basically your library database. Not your music! (Dont  worry it was a bit confusing in the beginning for me too)

* The above collection (usually) consist 2 folders and the rest datafiles:
   
         * Playlist folder
         * Podcast folder
         * MusicbeeLibrary.bak
         * MusicbeeLibrary.lyrics
         * MusicbeeLibrary.mbl
         * MusicbeeLibrarySettings.bak
         * MusicbeeLibrarySettings
         * NowPlaying.mbp
         * I might be wrong but if there is more then one library an extra data file is created for start up



Note: Install Dropbox if you haven't done so already on all your computers


Steps
Section 01:

1. Choose/make your Dropbox main folder to be located on your E: Drive (E:\Dropbox)
2. On Computer A (The Computer with all your music On):  In Dropbox on Windows create New Dropbox Music Folder where you will store all your music that you would like to play over the Network. (Lets call it "Network Music" as an example)
3. In your Dropbox folder create a New Library Location folder and leave it  empty for now (I called mine Musicbee Network Library Data)
4. On your other computer (Computer B) which you wish  to network with start Dropbox that it sync and create the above 2 folders
5. Now turn of Dropbox of on this computer again so that it doesn't sync.
6. Back on computer A copy over all the music into the New Dropbox Music Folder (I suggest just copy and paste, and not cut & paste just to be safe, you can delete the old duplicate files later)
7. Now search for your current Library Location folder called "Musicbee" (This folder is usually under My Music folder. If you have a secondary drive like me you will find it there)
8. Now COPY these Library Location Files to somewhere safe
9. In Musicbee follow these steps: File > New > New Library
10. On the Add Library screen browse and select your new Library Location folder that was created in step 3 above
11. Name Your Library. It is compulsory or you wont be able to create a new library.
12. Press the choose folder button and browse and select your New Dropbox Music Folder (the one you created in step 2)
13. Tick: "scan the folders for new files on each startup"
14. Press: "Add Library"
15. Close Musicbee
16. Exit Dropbox/or disconnect from the network
17. Now go to your  New Library Location in Dropbox
18. Open the folder that is named the same as in step 3
19. Now Delete those datafiles (make sure dropbox is disconnected and not syncing)


Section 02:

In the next section I decided to do a fresh install of Musicbee on Computer B. This was the quickest and easiest way to do it for me. If anyone else can give a solution how to do this on computer B with the New > New Library function they are welcome to do so.

Remember to exit Dropbox please. Or else you


1. First of I suggest that you copy over the contents of your New Dropbox Music folder onto the same corresponding folder on Computer B. Do this either with an external HDD or over the Network. Its way way quicker then let Dropbox sync it.
2. Right so reinstall Musicbee on Computer B
3. After language selection on the "Scan for Files" Screen, untick whatever file locations Musicbee gives you.
4. Press "Choose Folders Button"
5. Browse and Select your New Drop Box Music Folder in Dropbox folder
6. Press OK
7. Press Scan Now
8. Important make sure there is no data files in your New Library Location Folder on Computer B before you do the next step
9. Go to File > Edit > Preferences > Library
10. Press Move Library
11. Browse and Select your New Library Location in Dropbox folder
12. Press OK (Sometimes it gives an error. Just go to your New Library Location folder and delete the date files again and start from step 9 agian)
13. Go to your New Library Location folder and delete the data file that was just created
14. Do not start dropbox yet
15. Close Musicbee

Section 03

In Musicbee you can only move a library location to an empty folder. What we did up to now was make certain that both copies of Musicbee read to the same Dropbox folder.

Now...


1. Go back to Computer A and look for the ORIGINAL Library Location folder that you saved (Section 01 Step 7)
2. Copy the contents of above folder into your New Library Location on Dropbox
3. Start Musicbee
4. a "Remap Music Folders" window will pop up. With your old Library Location path (Left) and your New Library Location (Right)
5. Press Update
6. Fingers crossed you should be seeing your original playlist on the left panel
7. Start Dropbox and let it Sync
8. Go to Computer B and start Dropbox and let it Sync
9. For some reason I got conflicted copies in my Library Location in Dropbox. Just Leave them. I deleted them and got issues of my second computer not playing
10. Start Musicbee on Computer B

And Viola! You will see your playlists on Computer A and B

A last Couple of  things...

I dont know if it is needed. But under Preferences > Library - Monitor Folders -  I chose to Monitor Folders Continuously. You only have to select it on the one computer the other will update automatically

In the same section under new file action I chose "add to libray" because any and all tunes added to my Dropbox is tagged and read to play

It seems that NEW playlist DO get updated in real time

Lastlty I presume other settings like plug ins and visualization skins etc wont change because they are installation file. Maybe someone else can come up for a solution

Thanks

Remember .... it is all about the music!

UPDATE: Star date... I mean 23:36 22/01/2015 :)

Do not delete any conflicting Dropbox Library Locations, I did and ran into some issues

Had to uninstall en reinstall Musicbee. This time around I did a uninstall and reinstall for both computers.

This is way easier! For my needs as n new user it is fine because I do not have playlist as yet. I just installed. Chose my Dropbox music folder. Moved the library location to my Dropbox one for both computers. Please let me know if you want me to list this step by step. But it is quite easy.

I tested Musicbee Remote from my Android phone and i can play from both computers. Even different songs simultaneously!

Last Edit: January 22, 2015, 09:45:58 PM by Lukevdw

Lukevdw

  • Guest
Ok I just noticed a shorter way to do step 9 to 14 in section 1.  Basically use the " or choose an existing library that no longer apear on the selection list" option  ::)

I will update it soon. Need some sleep