Syncing libraries and playcounts on multiple computers

[sibilla6]

I've seen some topics on the subject but they were mostly about syncing libraries. I don't really have any issues with that, but what I want to know is if there is the possibility of having something like a cumulative relationship between my devices. In my case I use my main PC for everything and my main library stay there and on the road I use my laptop to listen to music. What I'd like to do to occasionally sync the devices (and not every time I switch between them).

This is a bit confusing let me elaborate. Imagine song A has 1 play in my PC and since the library was synced to my laptop already it is also 1 there. I then listen to the same song in both devices. They each go up to 2. But when I sync the files, the total playcount will still be 2 when it should, in fact, be 3.

Is this possible at all? Maybe treating my laptop as a portable device or something.

[sibilla6]

Bumping this since I haven't been able to solve it yet.

To be honest at this point I'd be satisfied if there was a way to export a file with playcounts / date played after a certain date and then import and synchronize that file with a master library.

[Acoustics]

I have a similar need. I have a master PC where the music files reside and are tagged, and a HTPC which accesses these music files (mounted network shared folder on the LAN) but with reading access only (not the rights given to write on the music files from this HTPC). The MusicBee databases and settings on the two PCs are independent from each other and that's OK like that (I do the settings in each PC manually, and copy from time to time the playlist files from a PC to the other).

The question is about the play counts. I would like to merge from time to time the play counts of the tracks between the two PCs, even manually. If someone see how it can be done...

Storing the play counts in a tag written in the music files is excluded because the HTPC has not the right to write on the files.

[frankz]

Last.fm is the answer to this.  It will always be the answer to this.  It will compile all of your listens from within musicbee, amid multiple instances of musicbee, and outside musicbee, and provide that number to be written to your musicbee library.

[Acoustics]

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't really know Last.fm and I'm not inclined to use it. Will it sync the playcounts for ALL the titles in my database, even home made and very rare music ?

[frankz]

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't really know Last.fm and I'm not inclined to use it. Will it sync the playcounts for ALL the titles in my database, even home made and very rare music ?

Yes.  Musicbee sends the title, artist, and album, and then last.fm will send back this same information even if it is not something that appears in Last.fm's database.  Musicbee will then match it back to that same title, artist and album in your database.

The caveat if you haven't used it in the past is that your listening history will all be reset to zero.

This is the only answer if you do not wish to share the library with write access across your multiple instances of musicbee and insist on keeping two libraries.

[Acoustics]

Thanks, I will look at this solution. The caveat sounds a bit annoying to me indeed.

So I guess an approach like below is not even thinkable?
Export the list of all the tracks in the libraries (and with the Play Count tag) to csv files. Merge manually the Play Count tag values in a unique .csv, and reimport the result in the libraries to update the Play Count tags.

[The Incredible Boom Boom]

Thanks, I will look at this solution. The caveat sounds a bit annoying to me indeed.

So I guess an approach like below is not even thinkable?
Export the list of all the tracks in the libraries (and with the Play Count tag) to csv files. Merge manually the Play Count tag values in a unique .csv, and reimport the result in the libraries to update the Play Count tags.

You could set up "plays" as a Custom Tag, then use the Additional Tagging & Tools plugin to copy all of them and paste them to said CSV.
In my opinion, that's a lot to keep up with. Have you explored ways to keep a single library across both computers?

EDIT: Actually, you don't even need to set up play count as a Custom Tag in order for the AT&T plugin to copy the values.

[Acoustics]

use the Additional Tagging & Tools plugin to copy all of them and paste them to said CSV.

That's interesting. But the other part is about a to re-import (CSV -> tag in the library). It is possible with AT&T or another way?

Have you explored ways to keep a single library across both computers?

Not a lot. But the settings in Preferences and GUI are somewhat different in each computer, so I assumed it wouldn't be an option.

[The Incredible Boom Boom]

That's interesting. But the other part is about a to re-import (CSV -> tag in the library). It is possible with AT&T or another way?

Yes.

Have you explored ways to keep a single library across both computers?
Not a lot. But the settings in Preferences and GUI are somewhat different in each computer, so I assumed it wouldn't be an option.

I use three (portable instances of) MusicBee across three different computers.
The three computers can connect to my server's network drive (where a fourth portable instance - the "source" - of MB resides, which I can access whenever I am on my local network or VPN'd to it.
Currently, I have \Library, \Plugins, \Skins and folders inside \AppData symbolically linked so whenever I open the program on each computer, it uses those shared folders instead of local ones. The reason I do it this way is because each of the three computers have a different resolution and, at this time, MusicBee unfortunately cannot support switching between them without destroying my layout. Anyway, this setup allows me to retain my Layout and View settings, which are contained in \AppData\MusicBee3Settings.ini.

The only headache it creates is remembering to keep my Virtual Tags and Track Information panels consistent, since that information is also contained in the MusicBee3Settings.ini file. It's not a huge deal, since (over many years) my coding in MB is pretty much finished, but I have created a wish that you are welcome to support if you choose to follow this route.

[Acoustics]

Very interesting, thank you. I will study the two approaches, AT&T plugin and single library with symbolic links. I don't really like having to use a cloud solution like Last.fm, I don't want to feed the AIs with my data.

[frankz]

There's this if you want to unify everything (settings, layout, library, etc) across multiple computers.  I didn't suggest it earlier because you said "...but with reading access only (not the rights given to write on the music files from this HTPC). The MusicBee databases and settings on the two PCs are independent from each other and that's OK like that..." but not it seems like you're open to sharing the library.

[Acoustics]

It seems to me there could be two approaches?

- Share the library but leave the reading access only to the music files from the HTPC. In this case the Play Counts are stored in the library.

- Two separate libraries but open the write access to the music files for the HTPC.  In this case the Play Counts could be stored in a custom tag written in the files.

Sharing a library between to or more PCs necessarily implies to not use the program on the two PC simultaneously?

[The Incredible Boom Boom]

Sharing a library between to or more PCs necessarily implies to not use the program on the two PC simultaneously?

That is correct.