Is it possible to keep file structure while converting files in bulk?

[boggles]

Hello everyone!

I DJ on both traktor and on pioneer gear, so I maintain two copies of my music library, 1 as FLAC for Traktor, 1 as mp3 for pioneer XDJs.

Usually I acquire my music as FLAC, organize it into my flac library and then folder by folder convert it into mp3 for the mp3 library, but as you can imagine this is extremely tedious.

My question is this: Is it possible to convert from flac to mp3 in bulk while maintaining the file structure such that the the mp3s are all organized into the genre folders, artists, albums, etc, as I originally have them in my flac library?


I've tried searching the forums to see if anyone else has tried to do this, but I didn't turn up much.

[frankz]

Does ticking the "output to the source file folder" not operate in exactly this fashion?  I've not used it, but it sounds like it should.

[psychoadept]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

I would suggest setting your MP3 library up as a virtual device. There is an option to keep the directory structure from the source, and you will have to tell it to convert the files to MP3. MusicBee will copy everything the first time, but after that if you ask it to sync, it will only update files which are updated in the FLAC library.

If you want it to stay synced automatically, set it to sync when the device is connected, and it will updated every time you start MusicBee.

[I assume you're syncing the MP3s to their own directory, but if not then what frankz says should would.]

[Zak]

Does ticking the "output to the source file folder" not operate in exactly this fashion?  I've not used it, but it sounds like it should.

I think OP is trying to duplicate the entire folder tree of the source file elsewhere, not just save the converted file in the original folder.


You can do this by setting a virtual tag that gets the part of the file path to duplicate and appending that to the root of where you want your converted files to go.

e.g.
My music is stored below the folder M:\Music.
I have virtual tag called LossyPath that gets the file path part from a file being converted:

Code

$RxSplit(<URL>,"M:\\Music|.flac|.mp3|.wav|.m4a",2)

So for the file:

M:\Music\D\Dream Theater\2005- Octavarium\01 - The Root of All Evil.flac

the tag value is

D\Dream Theater\2005- Octavarium\01 - The Root of All Evil

For your use, change the code to start with the root folder of your music and include any file extensions you have in your library.
Note the double backslash in the root folder path.
The code also removes the original file extension, otherwise MusicBee will create a file with a name like 'Track_Name.flac.mp3', which is probably not what you want.

In MusicBee's File Converter, set the destination as to a new folder, specify the Root folder for your mp3 library, and add the virtual tag as a sub-folder.



When it all gets put back together you'll end up with something like:

C:\MP3\D\Dream Theater\2005- Octavarium\01 - The Root of All Evil.mp3

[frankz]

Very nice, Zak.

[boggles]

Dang, thanks so much Zak, that is a very well composed explanation!

That said, Psychoadept's post made me realize I will probably have to utilize a similar feature to update folders and his method sounds like it might be easier with that in consideration. However, I'm really new to musicbee and not really sure how to do what he described.  

So far I believe I was able to create a library on my external hard-drive but I am not sure if that's what is meant by

I would suggest setting your MP3 library up as a virtual device.

Could you perhaps explain a little further what you meant and how to do it?

Thank you both! You guys are amazing for helping us n00bs!

**UPDATE**
I was able to figure out how to add a virtual device and am working on figuring out how to utilize it for syncing, etc. Will update further if I meet more complications/confusions. Thanks again for the help!

[boggles]

holy mother of god, it worked!!!!!!

          

this is going to make my life so much easier! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

[boggles]

i forgot how I did it last time, lmao. Gotta refigure it out and make a tutorial video for myself for next time.

[boggles]

So for my own information if i ever forget again:

1. I first got the folder which stores the mp3 version of my library set up as a virtual device:
Edit Preferences -> Devices -> Add Virtual Device (select where the folder you want the destination to be)
Now in the Music tab deselect "all music" and instead select "folders" and specify the source folder
Then in the Setting tab, under "convert to", select mp3, the appropriate quality and other relevant settings
Then click save
2. In the Virtual device's settings (not in preferences), under "storage path" select "preserve folders and filenames" and in "music files" replace the default "Music\*" with just "*"
3. Now select the virtual device and synchronize it!