Author Topic: linking erroneous playlist files  (Read 1324 times)

toonz

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Hi all,

Just getting started with MB.  Cleaned up, sorted, and moved my iTunes music folder; exported extensive playlists to m3u files; imported to MB but since file location has changed (and possibly folders, in some cases) I now face the task of having to locate each and every file in the new library.  Is there no way to automate a batch search for the missing files in the playlists?

Thanks for any advice.

psychoadept

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Hi, welcome to the forum!

If the overall file structure is the same, you can use the Remap Music Folders command in File > Library.
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toonz

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Hi and thanks for the reply.

Here's where I'm at:  
Put the MB music folder back into the iTunes directory so that the path is as per original when first installing MB.  Then reinstalled MB and scanned the iTunes\iTunes Media\Music directory.  Now if I import m3u playlists, MB should be able to locate everything (or whatever didn't get shuffled to new organized folders).  I'm not clear on what the remapping function does.  Does it perform the same function as a manual cut and paste i.e. the files are not physically moved?

Essentially, what I would like to do is get my music folder away from an iTunes directory.  (It seems iTunes when launched will reorganize behind the scenes so that any changes to the library are restored to correspond to the iTunes library--for better or worse.  And I still need iTunes for iPad sync.)  Initiating a "move" in MB seems like more work than necessary.  Part of the reason I got into this mess the first time round was by manually cutting, pasting, and renaming folders.

Here is an example of the directory structure that is keeping files associated to playlists from playing after I "put" the Music folder in MB and rescanned:

MB is looking here for the file associated with a particular playlist:
D:\Toonz\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Leon Redbone\On The Track\09 Big Time Woman.mp3

But the entire music folder was move to here:
D:\Toonz\MusicBee\Music\Leon Redbone\On The Track\09 Big Time Woman.mp3

I'll re-read whatever I can find on remapping to try and get a better handle on what is taking place.

cheers for any further suggestions,

redwing

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Whatever you're doing with folders for MB, they will be reorganized as soon as you open iTunes because you have turned on iTunes auto-organization feature (Edit> Preferences> Advanced> Keep iTunes Media organized).
If you want MB rather than iTunes auto-organize your music files folders, then turn off the setting from iTunes and turn it on for MB in library settings. MB has much more powerful organization feature than iTunes in that you can customize folder structure: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=10980.0

Or you can organize folders manually as well without turning on the setting.

toonz

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Redwing, thanks very much.  I appreciate the information provided and have now bookmarked that link.

I suspected iTunes was switched for auto-organize but was reluctant to fire it up unless certain it can't mess with anything before I was able to throw the switch.  I thought I might just temporarily rename the "music" folder but if it scans the parent folder as I suspect, renaming won't help--I'll have to move it far, far, away;).

Also started playing with MusicBranz Picard for tagging and am now wondering how this impacts MB.  New filenames will end up in MB inbox but I'm guessing minor update of tags won't affect anything.  Good fun in any event.

Thanks again.