Option to skip copying files, if they already exists

[Babydoll32]

I would like to have the option, while reorganizing files. When an older file with same name already exists, that copying of newer file skips. I.e. there‘s a file „Alice Cooper - Poison“ in my library. Now I rip a CD and there‘s also „Alice Cooper - Poison“ included, but I don’t notice. Now I want to copy it organized into my library. Option 1: I‘ll check overwrite existing older file. But I don’t want to overwrite, cause old file is ok and already tagged. Option 2: Overwrite is unchecked, but now I get a duplicate, which I don’t want. So it would be better, when there’s an option „Skip existing files“, which leaves older files with same name untouched.

[frankz]

The copy with the _1 added is the fail safe method that already manages this problem.  It prevents you from making the mistake of overwriting a file that's already in your library.

Some parts of managing a music library are manual, and checking to see whether you have a song in your library before adding a new copy is one.  This is why the Inbox exists and right click searching an artist or album from within the Inbox merges what's there with your library so you can see if you have existing copies.

IMO

[Babydoll32]

Hi, frankz.
Thx for reply. Your method is ok for album and single titles so far.
But on the other hand... I hope I can explain it understandable, cause English is not my native language...
When I import new songs with a before created playlist and reorganize files into my library, without overwrite, it results in a file i.e.
"Alice Cooper - Poison_1.flac" and also the older file "Alice Cooper - Poison.flac". Musicbee will link to "Alice Cooper - Poison_1.flac", what's technically correct.
Now, I check for duplicates and Musicbee shows both files. Original and the new "Alice Cooper - Poison_1.flac". I delete the duplicate "Alice Cooper - Poison_1.flac", cause the older is already tagged, same version and no need to replace. Duplicate is eleminated and old file still exists fully tagged. So far, so good. But the playlist doesn't automatically recognize, that the clone was deleted and has still link on "Alice Cooper - Poison_1.flac". The only solution in this case, is editing playlist and link to the file "Alice Cooper - Poison.flac" manually. That's ok for one title, but when there are 10 or more it's irritating. The other solution, could be *.asx files. But that could result in dozens of *.asx files, when a song is more often affected. When there's a skip function, the filename is correctly in playlist and old file won't be overwritten and no unneeded *.asx file will be created.
Or do you have another idea to solve it??    In foobar2k is a skip funktion included, when moving files. I can solve this also with using TotalCommander or similar. But an including in Musicbee could make it mouch easier.

[frankz]

When I import new songs with a before created playlist and reorganize files into my library...

Your workflow seems as if you want to manage your music files in another program, create playlists in that program, and then import those playlists into MusicBee where you also want to manage and organize your files.  This is a backwards workflow, and not a process that MusicBee should have to be adjusted to accommodate.  You are creating duplicate files by duplicating the process of managing them.

The easier way would be to pick one program to manage your library and then use it as your library manager.  If you want to use another player from time to time, export playlists created in your dedicated library manager program and import them into the chosen player program without adjusting or messing with the underlying files.

For example, you have new files somewhere.  You import them to your inbox in MusicBee for review, decide you want to add them to your library, organize them the way you want, add them to playlists, etc.  Then you export those playlists (this can be done automatically) and point Foobar to them for playback.  You don't need to further manage them in Foobar.  They're already managed.  You just want to play them.

Of course, managing them in Foobar, making playlists there, exporting those playlists and importing them into MB for playback without further adjustments to the files or their locations is also possible.  Files don't even need to be in your MB library to be played from a playlist in MB and, if you do choose to add them to your MB library, there's no requirement that you also organize them and change their location. You can just use them as is from where they are.

This assumes I understand what it is you're doing.  It seems the main mistake is in the line "reorganize files into my library." You don't need to reorganize to add files to your library.

[Babydoll32]

First of all, I use Musicbee for all: managing/organizing, playing, creating playlists or tagging, cause it's the best musicmanager I know (and I tried a lot). But now, let me explain my problem more accurate. I got a mate, a professional DJ. He creates playlist and runs a homeserver, where I can download music with his created playlists. But this songs aren't organized like songs in my library. I want to import those songs completely with his playlists (cause I'm mostly to lazy, create my own  ). And here's my problem, that songs can appear, which are already in my library. And when I'm importing those playlists and organize the contained songs, the new songs will be organized and renamed in my wanted format and the already existing files will be doubled with *_1.* Now I delete the *_1.* doubles. The result: the imported playlist exists in Musicbee and the new songs are fine in playlist. But the songs, I had doubles and deleted the *_1.* files, I have to relink to the older files without *_1.*, cause playlist/MB don't automatically update to those files.
My actually workflow looks now: 1. downloading playlist and musicfiles / 2. using foobar renaming songs like they are organized in MB library and saving playlist with actual filenames /3. copying musicfiles and playlist into my musicfolder and let existing files skip / 4. Scan my musicfolder with MB, so new songs and playlists are imported fine in MB library, existing songs and tags are untouched and playing fine, without relinking.

[frankz]

LOL OK.  Well, ultimately it's Steven decision if he wants to work for free rewriting code and put other requests on the back burner so that you can avoid checking whether something is already in your library before you download it from your friend.   

[Babydoll32]

Yes, I know and Steven does a great job, I already donated and will do so in future.
It's not a claim by me, and I can solve with 3rd party apps. But it would be better in one prog.
I think there are other users which need this function. Found an older post in musicbee forum by google search,
where another user asked for it. However, also if Steven won't implement, I stay with MB 

[sveakul]

Babydoll32:  part of the problem IMO with what you are wanting MusicBee to do (not copy an identically named file into your existing Library), is that how do you know that the "external" song isn't a better quality encode or tag job than the one you already have, even if the format is the same?  Then you would prefer to have that version, I would think.  As asking MusicBee to do an auto-analysis and options report would be a bit much, it seems to me that the current behavior IS the best behavior.  Whenever you end up with a duplicate "_1", you can manually check both and decide which one to delete--you may even wish to keep BOTH for esoteric reasons even I have been known to embrace

[redwing]

and reorganize files into my library

File organizer dialog tells you which files will become duplicates with the given template before you execute the command and if you go ahead, they will end up having "_1" in their filename. You could untick those duplicates from the dialog, run for the rest and manage only those files later.

[Babydoll32]

First, thx for all your answers.
Ok, I'll try to explain my problem a little bit better cause I think sense of my whish to skip is misunderstood.
A friend creates chartsplaylists which are very dynamic and change permanently. I.e. a playlist, called "UK Charts 03/25/18". This list contains 50 songs. He gives me an USB-stick with this 50 songs and playlistfile in one folder. Playlist directly link to the files, without folder specification, cause it's in the same folder. Files are named like: Artist - Title.ext. I'll import that playlist, with this 50 songs renamed to Artist\Album\Artist - Title.ext and moved to folder F:\music\ and into my library. That works so far, cause files not exist until yet. Imported playlist linked all songs to new library path correctly. And now, my first world problems begin. Two weeks later he release a new updated playlist called "UK Charts 04/10/18". 5 songs of the previous playlist are not longer contained, 5 new songs get's entry at different chart/playlist positions and other chart/playlist positions will change also. I also get those 50 song files (45 exactly same as 2 weeks ago) and playlist file. Now I want to import this new (updated) playlist, same way, including the 5 new songs.

Now my options are:
Method A: Import the 5 new songs and rebuild the complete playlist manually. Let me think about...no    Want to waste time listening to music, not building chart playlists, which are already done.

Method B: Import/organize new folder including all songs into my music-folder and library, also the 45, which already exist in my library/folder. Check overwrite and overwrite the old files. Results in correct linked path in imported playlist, but not nice, cause all tags of old files, I edited, will be killed. Ok, could backup all tags first and restore them  

Method C:
Import/organize new folder including all songs, also the 45, which already exist in my library without overwriting.
Results in duplicates Artist\Album\Artist - Title_1.ext. I can kill all the dups, but playlist still link to the *_1.ext files  
I can leave the dups, paths are correctly, but waste disk space. Ok, could relink to the older files. But if there must be 20 titles or more has to relink, it's irritating.

Method D:
Import/organize new folder including all songs, and uncheck the existing. Moves new songs renamed into library and link path correct in playlist, but path of the unchecked (older ones) won't link to the existing files in library/music folder. They keep path of the USB-stick.

Method E:
Only importing the 5 new songs, leave the old untouched and change chart/playlist positions manually... see method A  

Method F (the one I actually use):
I use foobar and open the playlist, move all songs to \Music\Artist\Album\Artist - Title.ext on USB-stick and save playlist with updated path/filenames in folder \Music\. Now I move everything including playlist to my music folder, by skipping existing files. So, 5 new songs and playlist will be copied, the other 45 songs will be skipped. Let Musicbee rescan my music and... updated playlist appears and all songs linked correctly and nothings overwritten.

I agree that the current method with duplicating is best for proofing, but I think there should be a fast skip option (like nearly every copy app has) for users, who know what they do (like overwrite option) and want to prevent overwriting of older files, without creating dups. Don't know if I'm the only one, who imports dynamic changing playlists with same songs?!  

Best regards

[frankz]

Don't know if I'm the only one, who imports dynamic changing playlists with same songs?!  

Best regards

I'm willing to bet that you are.

Method G:
Listen to the playlist from the USB stick (or some temporary location) as is without adding anything from it to your library.  The day before the next playlist comes, add the 5 new songs from the current playlist to your library. The next day, when the new playlist comes, repeat.

If you knew the time, effort and thought that some (most?) of the rest of us here put into curating our music libraries, you'd understand how odd your resistance to putting any small effort into it sounds to some (most?) of us.  You already have someone else literally handing your your music files, which is half my battle over here! No offense.  Just saying, it's a very different viewpoint.

[Babydoll32]

I'm willing to bet that you are.

Maybe  

But it seems to be not  
COPY FILES TO ORGANIZED FOLDER: SKIP EXISTING FILES

Method G:
Listen to the playlist from the USB stick (or some temporary location) as is without adding anything from it to your library.  The day before the next playlist comes, add the 5 new songs from the current playlist to your library. The next day, when the new playlist comes, repeat.

It's not the point, adding new songs. It's the point keeping playlist up-to-date, cause nearly every song has to be rearranged to it's right chart position. And just importing a pre-created playlist makes it much easier, than rebuilding.

If you knew the time, effort and thought that some (most?) of the rest of us here put into curating our music libraries, you'd understand how odd your resistance to putting any small effort into it sounds to some (most?) of us.  You already have someone else literally handing your your music files, which is half my battle over here! No offense.  Just saying, it's a very different viewpoint.

I understand your viewpoint. I also invest much time tagging songs and curating my library, so my wife get's mad    That's why an easier import would be better. Cause saved time I didn't spend in recreating an already existing playlist, I could spend in curating my library. If I backup files (whether audio or other) I let the copy prog skip existing files I didn't changed, to not waste my time, with unneeded copying of unchanged files. That's my viewpoint.

However... It is like it is and I found a method how I solve, but I think reorganizing function for importing new files could be better with a skip function.