Organizing Music - From Unorganized/ Inbox to Organized/ Library

[navporky]

I am new with MB, toyed with it for a week and decided to move to MB. Went through forums for guidance and learnt that inbox as a concept is new for many. I played with multiple libraries and virtual and MTP devices and also organizing my music files. Sharing the workflow that I finalized for the community here.

Pre-Workflow - MusicBee preferences:
- On startup check for updated/missing files
- Scan monitored folders on startup only
- Add to inbox
- Auto-organization is pre-configured but not enabled
- mark and send duplicates to the inbox

Finalized Workflow:
- OS: Add new files to a "watched" folder; *this will add files to inbox/ unorganized*
- Inbox: Fix the Artist name & Album name tags for the album/ compilation
- Inbox: For Albums - Auto-Tag by Album (Ctrl + Shift + L)
  OR Inbox: For Compilations - Auto-Tag by Track -> Identify Tracks & update (Ctrl + L)
- Inbox (for both): Auto-Tag by Track -> Missing Artwork
- Inbox (for both): Auto-Tag by Track -> Missing Lyrics
  [If lyrics not found, in Lyrics Tab - Search Google -> copy from browser -> Paste clipboard lyrics into Music File]
- Inbox (for both, *optional*): Convert as per choice (all default) > Archive/ delete originals after conversion
- Inbox (for album/ compilation):  Select the converted files;  File ->  Organize Files (Ctrl + R) (Personalize char mapping, if you must - I replaced space with underscore)
  (check "add converted to Library" and Move); *this will organize the music files and add them to the library*
- Library: Select Album/Compilation set: Analyse Volume (Ctrl + Shift + V).
- DONE!! You may keep updating metadata but avoid changing basic tags like artist, album - used for organizing files.

PS: I like a few also did not like the Media/ music files to be within the library folder and so made necessary changes. Its okay to do so :-). Now my folder structure is something like:
  _MusicBee
        _library
              resources (artist pictures, etc)
              collection (MusicBee database)
        _unorganized (watched folder/ for inbox)
        Music (for organized music)
        Playlists
        Podcasts

[theta_wave]

I admit that I didn't "get" the inbox concept at first and removed it.  Now, however, I really enjoy the fact that I can import new files, fix their tags (I still fix them externally with custom discogs and musicbrainz scripts on MP3Tag) and automatically transfer them to my external HDD all in one setting.

Here's my organization rule as of this moment (I'm not finished with it yet):

$If($Or(<Genre>="Alternative",<Genre>="Rock"),"Alternative and Rock",$If($Or(<Genre>="Anime",<Genre>="Game"),"Soundtrack - "<Genre>,$If(<Genre>="New Wave","80s, New Wave, and Synthpop",$If($Or(<Genre>="House",<Genre>="Acid Jazz"),Dance,$If($Or(<Genre>="Gothic",<Genre>="Post-Punk"),"Gothic or Post-Punk",$If(<Genre>="Rap","Hip Hop",$If(<Genre>="Jungle","Drum & Bass",<Genre>)))))))\$If(<Album Artist>="Various Artists","VA - "<Album>,<Album Artist>)\$If(<Album Artist>="Various Artists",<Track#>". "<Artist>" - "<Title>,$IsNull(<DateCustom>,"("<Year (yyyy)>") "<Album>,"("<Year (yyyy)>.<DateCustom>") "<Album>))\$If(<Album Artist>="Various Artists",,<Track#>". "<Title>)