Copying Playlists and Tracks Onlly

[CatDaddy]

I think I must be having a senior moment.......all I want to do is create a USB stick with selected playlists from my library to put in the car. I've done this previously by plugging a stick in, unchecking the 'Sync Music' box in Settings, and then selecting the playlists I want to copy. I then get a stick with an empty Music folder and a Playlists folder containing the artists, the tracks, and playlist files.

I followed this process yesterday and no matter what I do, when I hit Synchronise the Music folder on the USB stick starts to fill up with tracks. The upshot being that later on I get a warning that the stick is out of space, which isn't surprising.

Can someone tell me what I'm missing or have forgotten to do?

Thanks

[ma_t14]

Are you sure that you are changing the sync settings for the connected usb stick and not another device?

[phred]

A screenshot of your device settings might be helpful here.

[CatDaddy]

As sure as I can be. When I pop the USB stick into the PC, it shows up under Devices as drive 'J' and the correct Windows name of the stick. The 'Synchronise Music' box is not ticked but when I hit Synchronise, the files start copying to the Music folder on that stick - I can see it happening in Explorer.

Hopefully, I've followed the instructions correctly and a screenshot should be here - https://www.mediafire.com/view/wlrkbf4l3m1q05d/MBee1.JPG/file

[CatDaddy]

Also, in Edit/Preferences/Devices it shows up there and I've attached a screenshot of the Sync settings shown there - https://www.mediafire.com/view/kt7rgiwuiby4cxh/MBee2.JPG/file

[ma_t14]

MusicBee is probably transferring the exact playlisits you are selecting, to the exact folders you have set in your settings. Nothing more. The overall size is just too big for your USB stick. EDIT - Probably explained by the fact that you have most of the tracks already in separate playlist folders. See below.

But from what you said here

... I then get a stick with an empty Music folder and a Playlists folder containing the artists, the tracks, and playlist files.

you want this option to be checked

[CatDaddy]

I think that might have cracked it. Doh! I should have remembered that. As a side issue, is there a setting whereby the sync will skip over files already on the stick and just copy files I've added since the last sync?

[ma_t14]

I think that might have cracked it. Doh! I should have remembered that. As a side issue, is there a setting whereby the sync will skip over files already on the stick and just copy files I've added since the last sync?

It should already be doing that. It won't transfer a track if it finds the same file in the same path.

[phred]

Thanks for the screenshots. And I agree with everything ma_t14 has said.

[CatDaddy]

It did appear to be copying some files that I knew were already there. Maybe there's a flag set incorrectly on those files but it's no big deal.

At least the process has now completed successfully.

Many thanks for your prompt expert advice.

Much appreciated.

[phred]

It did appear to be copying some files that I knew were already there.

Is it possible that the tags have been changed on the file you knew were already there? Changing tags will cause a file to be synced again.

[CatDaddy]

I haven't changed anything manually. I've seen it before when I sync my entire library and playlists to my NAS. For some reason, it always re-copies a particular album. I've never known why and as it doesn't really hinder the process, I've taken the 'If it works then don't try and fix it' approach   

[ma_t14]

Would be quite interesting to investigate how the two differ or what makes MB think they are not identical