Author Topic: Using Filters To Create "Sub" Libraries  (Read 6484 times)

Thalion Korvhas

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Instead of creating separate libraries in MusicBee for specific purposes, you can use filters instead to split up a combined library. I still keep the audio files separated on my PC in different locations. I personally keep my multimedia files rather structured. I have one "multimedia" directory that contains "main sub directories" for audio, video, etc. In my audio directory, I keep lossy & lossless (archive) files separated. I also keep audio books, podcasts, comedy, radio shows separate from my music files.

The challenge is how to keep these separated in a multimedia manager like MusicBee. I could (and have in the past) create a separate library for each purpose. But everytime you move the library, or make major changes, it is a bit of a pain to modify. If you have 5 libraries, you have to modify all 5. Using filters can solve this.

Also, you can specify that a filter or filters can be only apply when using a certain view to increase flexibility of your filters. In the upper right of the popup window when creating a filter is the option to "display using view".

I will just post a couple of examples of filters that I use on one big combined library in MusicBee. Based on my file structure on my PC, I could just add the "multimedia" folder, or add the "main subfolders" instead to create the library. Then I create a few filters.

Music Filters:

[1] Lossy Music Filter (this is a nested filter using "and"):

Kind > is any of > AAC audio file; MPEG audio file; WMA audio file
       and > Genre > is not any of > Audio Book; Podcast; Radio Show

To nest ("and") you have to click [.] on the right side of the first line of the filter.

[2] Lossless Music Filter (this is a nested filter using "and"):

Kind > is any of > ALAC audio file; FLAC audio file; OGG audio file; Wave audio file; WavPack audio file
       and > Genre > is not any of > Audio Book; Podcast; Radio Show

To nest ("and") you have to click [.] on the right side of the first line of the filter.


Other Media Filters:

[3] Podcasts (simple filter):

Genre > is > Podcats

[4] Audio Books (simple filter):

Genre > is > Audio Book

If you have a lot of audio books or podcasts & you use the Genre tag, then you can make a custom tag in MusicBee and call it Podcast, Audio Book, etc. Then you can add that tag in place of Genre. I only have 1 genre of audio books & two of podcasts, so I use the Genre tag differently than most people.

One thing to understand. If you want to create conditions for a filter, you have to nest it using the "and / or" function. For example the following filter will not work. If fact it does nothing.

This filter works (simple filter, no conditions):

Kind > is > MPEG audio file
Kind > is > AAC audio file
Kind > is > WMA audio file

This filter does nothing (by adding "is, is not, etc" breaks it):

Kind > is > MPEG audio file
Kind > is > AAC audio file
Kind > is > WMA audio file
Genre > is not > Audio Book
Genre > is not > Podcast
Genre > is not > Radio Show

Instead use this:

Kind > is any of > AAC audio file; MPEG audio file; WMA audio file
       and > Genre > is not any of > Audio Book; Podcast; Radio Show

To nest ("and") you have to click [.] on the right side of the first line of the filter.
Last Edit: September 10, 2021, 04:36:04 PM by Thalion Korvhas

psychoadept

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Note that you can choose to create and apply specific layout settings for each filter, too. I have a filter for classical music that is very different from my "all" layout
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Thalion Korvhas

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Note that you can choose to create and apply specific layout settings for each filter, too. I have a filter for classical music that is very different from my "all" layout

Thanks for pointing that out. I have added to the post.