How to use MusicBee as a simple file / folder player?

[hiccup]

My personal answer to this question would be an unequivocal: don't.

MusicBee was designed (same as other music managers) to make use of the near endless possibilities that metadata (tags) in music files can offer.
So it is essential that a user makes sure that his files are properly tagged with at least the most essential tags.

But once in a while there will be a user trying to find refugee from music players such as WMP, does not care about tags, and just wants MusicBee to act the same as WMP or some other more basic file/folder player.
It won't and it shouldn't.
MusicBee is an advanced music player/manager.

Users that persist in trying to do this but fail and start complaining will often get reprimanding comments about what they really should do. (look for some simple music player)
But such discussions do not improve the quality or the atmosphere of such topics, and usually don't end well.

So on this Saturday afternoon I was thinking: why not have a dedicated topic for users that want to persist in using MusicBee as a file/folder player.
If only to possibly bring some relief to other topics that are spoiled by people that shouldn't be using MusicBee in the first place for this particular reason.
 

[hiccup]

To add some suggestions for music players that will probably work well as file/folder players:

Tauon Music Box
Boom
foobar2000
Resonic Player
VUPlayer
Aimp
Audacious
Dopamine
XMPlay
Qmmp
1by1

There will probably be more, so if other members have suggestions please let me know so I can add them to this list.

[sveakul]

Resonic
https://resonic.at/player

[hiccup]

Resonic

Thanks sveakul.

Just as an observation (I'm sure it's good, you recommending it), it seems the free version has some (minor) limitations, and the product as a whole has not been maintained or updated since 2019.

[MotleyG]

My personal answer to this question would be an unequivocal: don't.

MusicBee was designed (same as other music managers) to make use of the near endless possibilities that metadata (tags) in music files can offer.
But once in a while there will be a user trying to find refugee from music players such as WMP that expects or wants MusicBee to act the same.
It won't and it shouldn't.

…why not have a dedicated topic for users that want to persist in using MusicBee as a file/folder player.

Thanks for adding this topic. While I have “only” been using MB for a couple of years, I find the flexibility it has with managing and browsing a well-tagged music library is unmatched by any other Windows player.

For those looking for a folder/file based player, why not simply use the current Windows browser, and use the right-click Play feature of whichever media player they choose to make default? This is as simple as it gets for that.

If you have even just the core essential metadata embedded in your files, use MusicBee and get the full benefit of what it offers. You will be much better off.

[boroda]

For those looking for a folder/file based player, why not simply use the current Windows browser, and use the right-click Play feature of whichever media player they choose to make default? This is as simple as it gets for that.

this can be done even easier. mb has "computer" node on the left panel.

If you have even just the core essential metadata embedded in your files, use MusicBee and get the full benefit of what it offers. You will be much better off.

i don't understand why this could be the problem at all if the tracks in the file system are well organized. MB has a very useful feature for such cases: infer tags from filenames.

[sveakul]

Resonic

Thanks sveakul.

Just as an observation (I'm sure it's good, you recommending it), it seems the free version has some (minor) limitations, and the product as a whole has not been maintained or updated since 2019.

I'm not "recommending" it personally, it's just another suggestion for those looking for a folder player.  I did try it a few years back mainly due to the fact that it uses the Bass audio library and it has a selectable musical spectrum and logarithmic spectrum analyzer but the zero artwork or radio stream support killed it quickly for me.

[MotleyG]

For those looking for a folder/file based player, why not simply use the current Windows browser, and use the right-click Play feature of whichever media player they choose to make default? This is as simple as it gets for that.

this can be done even easier. mb has "computer" node on the left panel.

If you have even just the core essential metadata embedded in your files, use MusicBee and get the full benefit of what it offers. You will be much better off.

i don't understand why this could be the problem at all if the tracks in the file system are well organized. MB has a very useful feature for such cases: infer tags from filenames.

In both cases these are in response to users that are trying to use MB in a way that isn’t optimal. Pounding a square peg into a round hole. If you insist on a browser type player, why not just use the browser most familiar to all Windows users. MusicBee has strength well beyond this.