INTERACT FORUM

Thanks:

> You could add the "Album Artist" and "Album Artist (auto)" columns to your list view on the bottom split.

Thanks, but first I'd like to establish whether the top pane can be fixed.

Is there anyone else here with the same issue? Or does everone else see all artists (inc. track only Artists) in the top pane?

Here is one of my replies that try to explain Artist vs. Album Artist vs. Album Artist (auto) :

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=51357.msg350528#msg350528

everyone else

Who else?  


Actually, the default configuration should be able to handle the situation. Probably you have the "-" value tagged in the "Album Artist" field.

By default  Album Artist (auto) = Artist  for non-album files

I attached a screenshot of my very old "X-files" folder -- 1100 artists in 2247 unsorted "non-album" files in a single folder. They show up correctly in thumbnail views (i.e. each artist has its own thumbnail) because the Album Artist column is empty. Normally I exclude this folder from views because I have not organized and tagged the files properly.


(Log in to the forum if you can't see the attacment.)

I think the default assumptions in MC are:

- The Album Artist field is empty unless someone has deliberately tagged something there. If the files are ripped the value doesn't come automatically from the CD database and if the value is pretagged in files from other sources (like from a web store) then it is done for purpose, i.e. it is intended for displaying a single artist for the album.

- Most users don't want to see the individual tracks of their "various artists" albums splitted under separate artists.

That is why the default view is based on "Album Artist (auto)" instead of "Artist".

In order to avoid complicated questions the developers decided to make the display to simply show the text "Artist" even though the used field is actually "Album Artist (auto)". This was changed a long time ago. Back then I criticized the change because I felt that in some cases it might add confusion instead of reducing it. I guess there is no single correct way to satisfy all users.

Good to know. Then I'd like to find out why it doesn't here.

I already explained that. "-" causes it.

Sure, as my original report says "My upper pane of the Artists view show only one artist "-" (the Album Artist of all tracks)"

So you have tagged "-" there. If that is not what you want to see in a particular view you can replace "Album Artist (auto)" with "Album" in "Show Categories In this Order". Problem fixed.

I can't see why MC would class my files as "non-album", since all have an Album attribute. And an Album Artist property too, for what it's worth.

I meant unorganized single files (i.e. various files that are not organized as complete albums). Some of my poorly tagged old "X-files" have album tags and they may contain track numbers (which are useless in this case).

> - Most users don't want to see the individual tracks of their "various artists" albums splitted under separate artists.

OK... but how then "the default configuration should be able to handle the situation" ??

It fills automatically the value "(Multiple Artists)" in the "Album Artist (auto)" field. Did you check the link I posted earlier:

Here is one of my replies that try to explain Artist vs. Album Artist vs. Album Artist (auto) :

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=51357.msg350528#msg350528

> In order to avoid complicated questions the developers decided to make the display to
> simply show the text "Artist" even though the used field is actually "Album Artist (auto)".

Didn't work, did it?

I guess not.

> Back then I criticized the change because I felt that in some cases it might add confusion
> instead of reducing it. I guess there is no single correct way to satisfy all users.

Good for you. IME, if in doubt, choose the truth! Shame MC didn't.

> I already explained that. "-" causes it. So you have tagged "-" there. If that is not what you want to see in a particular view

It is what I want to see. Just that I want also to see the other Artists.

Thanks for your fix. I'll make that config change when I'm a bit more comfortable with the program.

It is just a view thing. It doesn't touch your files or anything like that. You already posted the screenshot of the configuration options. Just use the "Add" and "Remove" buttons and experiment with it. You'll get more comfortable.

> I meant unorganized single files (i.e. various files that are not organized as complete albums).

I don't like to imagine how MC thinks it can tell what is a complete album, but thankfully this would appear not to bear on my issue.

I actually meant albums that are not physically complete on the hard drive. I suppose we can agree that a complete album includes all tracks that originally belong to the album. The usual way is to store these in an individual file folder. If you have just one or two of the album tracks in a folder or various single tracks from various albums in a single folder then the files don't form a complete album or complete albums.

MC has its own programmed logic for "complete albums". This old thread may help to understand it: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=33255