Author Topic: How do you backup your audio-files and keep tags in sync?  (Read 20805 times)

Gary Young

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Hello  everyone....

Most recently here (http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=9271.0) I came in touch with that issue and I wonder how other users backup their music-files and keep tags in sync if they've changed in the working copy.

The problem described in the thread is that sometimes only metadata need to be updated (without the whole audio-file having to be uploaded to the backup-drive).

I'm really interested in your solutions...

Maybe even someone can explain MusicBee's "Synchronize Tags" feature a bit for me - I'm still not shure what it does exactly :(

lnminente

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An old wish i posted was related to that, in case you like it, it's here: Unique song ID thoughts http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=6100.0
By now i also use Super Flexible Synchronizer, a very powerful tool :)

Gary Young

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@lnminente:

An old wish i posted was related to that, in case you like it, it's here: Unique song ID thoughts http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=6100.0
That sounds interesting and absolutely possible. Especially as each file already uses a unique ID for MB-internal organisation. I think I'll "reanimate" that thread :)

By now i also use Super Flexible Synchronizer, a very powerful tool :)
I absolutely agree. As mentioned in the initial thread the only annoying thing is that a file will be completely uploaded again to the backup, even if only the playcount has changed for example. When I'd change tags in thousands of files in the working copy and then would sync them to the backup... you know what I mean... :(

But of course that tool was not made to just sync metadata.
Last Edit: April 17, 2013, 09:40:45 PM by Gary Young

lnminente

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If that unique id exist it isn't stored in the file, so changing path\name and last modified date makes understand it as a new file :/
Hopefully playcount, last played, date added, etc are stored in the library, not in the file, but still there are a lot of small changes like rating, adding BPM, replay gain, fixing a typo in embedded lyrics, etc which would obligate us synching a full file instead of only the metatags :/

Thanks for reanimating that thread :)

mtone

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I think you're creating a problem where there isn't one.

I don't see the big problem with copying entire files over once in a while. A software attempting to synchronizes tags only would be prone to a host of new bugs that would never occur in a simple backup system. It's just not worth it. You could use differential/incremental backups tools, but IMO even that is overkill for this purpose (no need for file versioning)

My proposed solution is to save ratings and playcount in the MusicBee library instead of the files to prevent frequent file change, then backup/mirror the musicbee database AND the music files to an external HDD. Most backup operations take under a minute. You don't constantly change your tags, do you?
Last Edit: April 18, 2013, 10:24:50 PM by mtone

lnminente

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Well, clearly you don't have a need where i have it.  And want to rate all my music files, doing something from time to time and not necessary being in mb in my home computer, so that's why i had the need.

A mp3 file is like a zip container, i prefer writing two txt files of 50-300kb instead of a full file of 3-150mb. The benefits are a big increase in speed and higher lifetime of the drive. This should be optional as it is for intensive uses
Last Edit: April 18, 2013, 11:34:19 PM by lnminente

redwing

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1. You don't need persistent id for backup purpose. It could help only when filename and path changed but file itself remained the same. But as long as any file-saved tags or audio data have been changed, it would only add an unnecessary step for finding and comparing ids which would increase backup time. Besides if you think of highly manipulative quality of audio files, verifying persistent id won't add much functionality except what Apple's been using it for.

2. Thus if you want to minimize unnecessary overwriting in regular backup, the best way would be using "don't save tags in music files" feature under Preferences> Tags (1). Change save settings for artwork and lyrics too not to embed them to files. Do not auto-organize your files. Never attempt to rename your files. Don't do anything that can update those files' modified date.

3. Regularly backup everything with MB's native backup feature. This will only add new files to the backup while preserving old tracks as is. A good option would be to keep storing different versions of MB library files in another folder so that you can choose a certain time frame you want to go back for the state of tags.

4. Then how do you restore when something's go wrong? Copy backup files to the new drive with the same path, and replace MB's new library file with a backup library file. Just launch MB and you'll see everything is back. Don't even need to synchronize tags.

5. This is not necessary, but you could use "synchronize tags" feature once in a while to keep up-to-date file-saved tags. This will entail whole overwriting of existing files and backup files.

lnminente

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Sorry Gary, i don't want to own your post, so i will simply describe what was my problem one year ago:
-Using Nokia phone for listening and rating music. So rate has to be stored in the file and wanted to sync these ratings to the files in the pc
-N95 with 8gb of internal memory, without microsd slot, and with a really slow speed limit in the different connections (wifi, bluetooth, usb)
-More reasons for unique-id for files in the other post. Explaining it would be calculated as a MD5 of the audio stream. So it would be valid for searching for audio duplicate songs also when they have different tags. Audio stream shouldn't have to change, but if the audio stream size changes a new checksum should be calculated

BTW: Happy 1300 posts Redwing  :o
Last Edit: April 19, 2013, 02:58:18 PM by lnminente

Gary Young

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@lnminente:
No problem - it's not meant to be "my" post anyway. Just wanted to know how other people backup and sync, what tools they use and which workflows. And here we go...

I think it's always good to discuss the pros and contras. That usually results in the most informative threads.

By the way I'm going on vacation for three weeks now anyway, so feel free to take control here :)


Before I leave, just a few words about my setup:
All audiofiles, MB portable and the library are stored on a 64GB USB-stick - and this "Music-Stick" is my working copy.
I've got a copy of all audiofiles (with identical folder structure) on my home PC and this is my backup.
When I add new tracks or edit tags, this always happens on the stick. And when I'm back on the home PC I update the local backup, currently using "Super Flexible File Synchronizer".

However, I'd be happy if I could find a solution which only updates ID3 tags if the file already exits in the backup.
I found only one tool which claims to be able to sync ID3 tags only: SuperSync
http://supersync.com/docs/sync_meta.php

But didn't test it yet.

So, I'm curious what will be happened in this thread when I'm back again...

 


lnminente

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I hope you don't have to wait a year for a comment like i did hehehe  ;D
Have great vacations (Y)


Alsweider

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Old thread but still a relevant topic.
The problem described in the thread is that sometimes only metadata need to be updated (without the whole audio-file having to be uploaded to the backup-drive).

I'm really interested in your solutions...
I'm using Acronis True Image to create automatic incremental backups (1 full version and then incremental versions containing only the changes since the last version) which saves time & space and gives you the option to go back to a specific backup day. I don't know if it only syncs the changed metadata or the whole changed files, but that's no big deal for me. At least it only needs to copy the changes and does it automatically.
Last Edit: August 30, 2017, 07:15:51 AM by Alsweider

Freddy Barker

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[UPDATED]
#After advice, discussions, experimenting, testing and with the invaluable assistance of the guys on MB forums, a successful INCREMENTAL BACKUP of MusicBee files and settings and music files can be achieved thus...
Using https://www.freefilesync.org/ or similar, to COPY the C: DRIVE folders from MusicBee (on your Media Server PC) to DROPBOX, and the D: DRIVE (all of the music files) to a USB HDD, (or another PC)..

* C:\Users\[User]\AppData\Roaming\MusicBee
* C:\Users\[User]\Music\MusicBee
* C:\Program Files (x86)\MusicBee
* D:\Music

Setting FreeFileSync to 'MIRROR' will make an INCREMENTAL BACKUP.
(To make an incremental backup is one in which successive copies of the data contain only that portion that has changed since the preceding backup copy was made).
ATTENTION: FreeFileSync updates sometimes contain ADWARE (Google Chrome etc.), just untick the checkbox to skip..
I'm now getting 200Gb on BT Cloud for FREE with Broadband, also all music files backup up to Google Music, also FREE  :D

Regards: Fred
Last Edit: November 06, 2017, 10:33:10 AM by Fred Barker [DIVERSITY FM]

sveakul

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ATTENTION: FreeFileSync updates sometimes contain ADWARE (Google Chrome etc.), just untick the checkbox to skip..

Hi Fred, just resurrecting the thread to let people know that FreeFileSync dropped the installer-offered adware since version 10.  I would also recommend SyncBackFree (https://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/index.html), can personally attest to no adware in the portable version (or the installer version acc. to website) and can either be run simply or eminently tweakable.

Freddy Barker

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ATTENTION: FreeFileSync updates sometimes contain ADWARE (Google Chrome etc.), just untick the checkbox to skip..

Hi Fred, just resurrecting the thread to let people know that FreeFileSync dropped the installer-offered adware since version 10.  I would also recommend SyncBackFree (https://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/index.html), can personally attest to no adware in the portable version (or the installer version acc. to website) and can either be run simply or eminently tweakable.

Hi and thanks for the update @sveakul, and yes I can confirm junk mail and ads are absent In the latest version.
I've made the backup process even more simple buy running MusicBee portable version, so I only need to copy my D:\MB folder that contains everything, including the music files..

Not tried SyncBackFree before, but may give it a tryout!
Regards: Freddy
Last Edit: February 19, 2019, 09:13:23 AM by Freddy Barker