playlists and duplicate songs

[JWShaw]

Hi Guys,

I have found that MusicBee has tagged some of my songs with the same artist and same song-name (see image): https://imgur.com/gallery/uUN3If4
However these two songs are two completely different songs!

I don't mind the songs being tagged the same artist and same title because I can give them unique filenames: when using the "File Organiser" by and using the naming template: of "<Artist>\<Artist> - <Title> - <Time>"

However, the when I try to add both songs to the same playlist I get a:
"Confirmation: Duplicate track detected - do you want to add the track to this playlist". Musicbee's "add to playlist"  is not using the unique filenames to distinguish that the two songs (with same artist and song name) are actually different songs!

Does anyone have any solutions?
If I change the artist or songname on either song, when I use the "Auto-label" the label will go back to being the original song or artist.

[JWShaw]

I have put this in wishlist area because hopefully a new function could be added to the "is this a dupilcate song" is to determine if the songs have different filenames or not.
aka, so people can have multiple versions of the same song but are slightly different (in my case the two songs sound totally different but have same artist and songname).

Alternatively, is there a way to musicbee assume two songs with same artist and title, but different time's as different songs? 

[frankz]

so people can have multiple versions of the same song but are slightly different (in my case the two songs sound totally different but have same artist and songname).

Alternatively, is there a way to musicbee assume two songs with same artist and title, but different time's as different songs?  

I'm not sure I understand this request.  You can have multiple versions of the same song now.  Just click to say you're sure you want to add the track to the playlist when it asks.

The alternative you propose would miss duplicates that happen to have different file names.  For example, if you organize an album to a folder that already has one song from the album in it, MB will append _1 to the file name to avoid overwriting the first file.  If you were to then try to add this duplicate _1 file to a playlist, MB wouldn't prompt for the (valid) duplicate because of the different file name.

You should tag your files with the correct artist and title.  Having the completely wrong artist and title for your file seems like the actual problem here.

[JWShaw]

I'm not sure I understand this request.  You can have multiple versions of the same song now.

Please tell me how! because I have two different songs with the same artist, same songname, but different filenames; musicbee is classifying them to be the same song and removes the duplicates (which arent actually duplicates) when I move songs onto a playlist.

Just click to say you're sure you want to add the track to the playlist when it asks.

That doesn't work because I am adding many of songs at once to a playlist, some of the songs are actual duplicates (and i don't want duplicates added), and some of the songs are different songs with the same artist+songname but different filenames (and are falsely being categorised as duplicates).

The false duplicates are also being removed from my playlists when I "Playlist (Right-click)"> "List">"Remove Duplicates".

If you were to then try to add this duplicate _1 file to a playlist, MB wouldn't prompt for the (valid) duplicate because of the different file name.

That's fine; I want the "_1" to be classified as a totally different song.


An alternative solution to my problem would be if I could make a list that contains all duplicates within my music library.

Having the completely wrong artist and title for your file seems like the actual problem here.

The artist and title were generated automatically using musicbee; I don't want to manually change song labels, so I am stuck with multiple songs having the same artistname and songname (but aren't actual duplicates). The best way I have found to distinguish them is by song length (Time)

[frankz]

Just click to say you're sure you want to add the track to the playlist when it asks.

That doesn't work because I am adding many of songs at once to a playlist, some of the songs are actual duplicates (and i don't want duplicates added), and some of the songs are different songs with the same artist+songname but different filenames (and are falsely being categorised as duplicates).

The false duplicates are also being removed from my playlists when I "Playlist (Right-click)"> "List">"Remove Duplicates".

This is a problem with your data, not something that MusicBee should be reprogrammed to compensate for.

If you were to then try to add this duplicate _1 file to a playlist, MB wouldn't prompt for the (valid) duplicate because of the different file name.

That's fine; I want the "_1" to be classified as a totally different song.

But it's not one.

The artist and title were generated automatically using musicbee; I don't want to manually change song labels

That's silly.  It's incorrect information.  Correct the incorrect information and you fix your problem.  What is going on here?

[JWShaw]

This is a problem with your data, not something that MusicBee should be reprogrammed to compensate for.

No, it is possible for an artist to record the same song, but the song has a different sound to it. (please see example below).

But it's not one.

Yes they are different

Please check these two links out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxU2PvkPi9M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYMu7f5_8rE

If I download both these songs and run a musicbee rename/relabel, they are both "Steve Void, Strange Fruits Music, Koosen - Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
one of them is 2:00 and the other is 2:12, similar but different.
I am saying/asking; I want these two songs not to be identified as being the same song.
This is just one example of many songs that I have, that are similar but different that musicbee is falsely categorising as a duplicate.

The way I have distinguished these songs is by using the "<Artist>\<Artist> - <Title> - <Time>". I am asking that MusicBee's "Duplicate manager" have options to determine which fields are used to classify a song as a duplicate. (aka I could use fields "Artist", "Title" and "Time" to determine if a song is a duplicate or not, rather than musicbee's default of "Artist" and "Title").

That's silly.  It's incorrect information.  Correct the incorrect information and you fix your problem.  What is going on here?

I have renamed the files of the songs to be "<Artist>\<Artist> - <Title> - <Time>" which makes them unique, they have the same artist and title but are different songs. They have the same artist and the same songname.


I can think of two potential solutions to this:
A) songs are only classified as duplicates if they are "Filename", "Filename_1", "Filename_2", etc
So as long as the filenames are unique, then the songs are also classified as unique.

B) MusicBee's "Duplicate manager" have options to determine which fields are used to classify a song as a duplicate.

C) musicbee generates a list that has all the duplicates within it, so the user can organise them.



My real question I was originally trying to ask is "how does musicbee determine if a song is a duplicate or not?" I had assumed it was based on filename (hence-wise why I renamed files to be  "<Artist>\<Artist> - <Title> - <Time>".) If i know how musicbee determines songs are duplicates, then I might be able to manipulate my duplicated songs in a way that the programs classifies them as different songs.

[frankz]

I can think of two potential solutions to this:
A) songs are only classified as duplicates if they are "Filename", "Filename_1", "Filename_2", etc
So as long as the filenames are unique, then the songs are also classified as unique.

That's a no-go for the reasons I described earlier - it will miss actual duplicates.

B) MusicBee's "Duplicate manager" have options to determine which fields are used to classify a song as a duplicate.

Like this?

C) musicbee generates a list that has all the duplicates within it, so the user can organise them.

Like this?


Neither of those will help you with a playlist problem, though, because the solution to that is as simple as clicking "Yes" on a dialog box.

My real question I was originally trying to ask is "how does musicbee determine if a song is a duplicate or not?" I had assumed it was based on filename (hence-wise why I renamed files to be  "<Artist>\<Artist> - <Title> - <Time>".) If i know how musicbee determines songs are duplicates, then I might be able to manipulate my duplicated songs in a way that the programs classifies them as different songs.

If you want to avoid the duplicate warning for playlists, you either need to disambiguate the title in some way (i.e. [Live], [Remix],[2020 Version],[Original Version], etc.) or turn off the warning.

This is a problem with your data, not something that MusicBee should be reprogrammed to compensate for.

No, it is possible for an artist to record the same song, but the song has a different sound to it. (please see example below).

By the way, this is entirely different than what you said the issue was before.

I have found that MusicBee has tagged some of my songs with the same artist and same song-name (see image): https://imgur.com/gallery/uUN3If4
However these two songs are two completely different songs!

[hiccup]

A possible solution to the problem you are experiencing would be to use MusicBrainz Picard to tag your music.
Each different version of the same song gets a different and unique MusicBrainz recording id.

While MusicBee currently doesn't have native MusicBrainz support (I believe there are outstanding wishes for that), I am guessing you could use a custom tag containing these id tags to manage duplicates.
I haven't tried this myself, but I am guessing it should work.

[frankz]

A possible solution to the problem you are experiencing would be to use MusicBrainz Picard to tag your music.
Each different version of the same song gets a different and unique MusicBrainz recording id.

While MusicBee currently doesn't have native MusicBrainz support (I believe there are outstanding wishes for that), I am guessing you could use a custom tag containing these id tags to manage duplicates.
I haven't tried this myself, but I am guessing it should work.

How would this solve the problem of OP wanting to add tracks with duplicate title/artist combinations to a playlist without getting a warning (but only sometimes, because sometimes OP wants the warning)? Unless OP plans on using the recording ID in place of the track title or artist.

Do the tags set in the duplicate manager dictate which tracks generate the playlist addition duplicate warning?  I was under the impression it was always Artist - Title for the playlist duplicate warning.

[hiccup]

How would this solve the problem of OP wanting to add tracks with duplicate title/artist combinations to a playlist without getting a warning (but only sometimes, because sometimes OP wants the warning)? Unless OP plans on using the recording ID in place of the track title or artist.

I'll admit I haven't read the thread thoroughly, and was assuming the core issue was that you could have e.g. two tracks with the same artist and the same title, but from different recording sessions, or different mixes, or track lengths, And that MusicBee will consider those duplicate songs.
Regarding the duplicate manager, MusicBrainz recording id's would solve that.

But I now see for the OP this is mainly related to playlists.
Perhaps an enhancement regarding the use of custom (MusicBrainz) tags to the playlist duplicates warning system could be implemented. Not sure. Users that feel this would be a possible solution/improvement could create a well-described wish for it.
But reading your comments, I get the impression that the OP is asking for something that has some basic flaw in the thinking process.
I'll refrain from further comments on this topic  ;-)