The issue: It should be possible to have library entries for tracks, which actually are not stored as physical files on the harddisk.
Possible solution: The user should ba able to create .asx files manually with MusicBee (MB can create and handle .asx files, but currently only within the duplicates manager).
http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=7770.0In this thread I came up with an idea which I think might be useful for several usecases (I actually have three in mind right now). Here's the summary of that thread:
(1) You don't want to rip all tracks from a CD, but just a few tracks. Though you want to have all tracks appear as library entries - to indicate that you own the complete album. Those tracks which you didn't rip will appear as "offline files" in the library.
(2) When deleting files from the harddisk you can still keep the corresponding library entries. If you e.g. decide lateron to re-rip the files you don't have to re-assign all of the tags again.
(3) You can create a library entry for a track or an album which you actually don't have. A good way to manage kind of a wishlist.
The creation of .asx files currently is only possible via the duplicates manager, as far as I know. As mentioned in the thread there could be three situations to provide the creation of .asx files to the user:
(1) An option in the ripping dialog, to just create a library entry instead of really creating an audiofile.
(2) A dialog that asks, when deleting a file, if you want to keep an .asx file in the library.
(3) An option to create a new library entry (which means creating an .asx file and you can tag it afterwards).
Without doubt I understand the lack of time to fulfill every wish here in the list, so I leave it to the forum members now. If enough of them find it useful as well, maybe it's worth thinking about that feature for some future release...?
PS: The only workaround at the moment is to create a short MP3 file with silence which just acts as a container for the tags. So an alternative could be if MB would provide the creation of short silent MP3 files as "tag-container".