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[engeee]

Hi all,
I have about 900,000 music files in one library with the actual files scattered across multiple drives. I've finally built a server that can house all of this in one place so I'd like to have the software grab everything that's in the library and move (or copy) the actual files to the new location. I'd like all the files in one spot and then I can wipe the other multiple drives.

I thought JRiver could do this, but everything I'm trying falls short.
Can it do it and I'm doing something wrong? Has anyone else attempted this?
I'm open for ideas and help.

thank you!
Steve

[JimH]

Have you read this?
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Moving_Files

[engeee]

Have you read this?
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Moving_Files

Yep...either I'm doing something wrong or there's a setting I'm missing 'cuz I can't get it to do what I need. It'll only pull from some files, from some drives and then the naming/filing system changes too...ugh. I'm not above saying it could be "user error"...but I am bewildered and looking for insight or help.

Thanks,
Steve

[JimH]

If you're trying to import them, you need to set up auto import.  Again, the wiki will help.

[Awesome Donkey]

Do all your files have metadata? They might not appear correctly if they don't.

[engeee]

If you're trying to import them, you need to set up auto import.  Again, the wiki will help.

I'm not sure I understand? They are already imported into my music library. I'm not switching computers only trying to gather the files into one place instead of many.

[engeee]

Do all your files have metadata? They might not appear correctly if they don't.

Yep, they do have metadata and some of that gets funky when I've tried the various efforts too. That may very well be "user error" too as I try the different approaches. For instance, it would take all the tracks from multiple artists and multiple albums and simply throw the individual tracks all into one folder - not divided by folders or etc.
Not good. Ugh

[blgentry]

You would probably be best served by doing a VERY simple move in order to get everything on one drive.  For example, pretend the following:

You want to move everything to /Volumes/BigDrive/Music/

You have the following 3 files:

/Volumes/smalldrive/Music/Pink Floyd/The Wall/Young Lust.flac
/Volumes/otherdrive/Music/Rush/Moving Pictures/YYZ.flac
/Volumes/yetanotherdrive/users/engee/Music/The Verve/The Rolling People.flac

I would write a rule in the Rename, Move, and Copy files tool that does a Find and Replace for each of your drives above.  The new file locations would be:

/Volumes/BigDrive/smalldrive/Music/Pink Floyd/The Wall/Young Lust.flac
/Volumes/BigDrive/otherdrive/Music/Rush/Moving Pictures/YYZ.flac
/Volumes/BigDrive/yetanotherdrive/users/engee/Music/The Verve/The Rolling People.flac

It's almost like you are recreating the entire drive below the new drive. 

Depending upon how things are laid out on your smaller drives, you might be able to manually copy these files, as I have suggested above.  Then just do a JRiver database update to change the paths for each drive using the Find and Replace template.

The details here are super important to get right.  It all depends upon how your files are laid out.

Brian.

[engeee]

Hi all,
Let me try to simplify, rephrase my question and ask it again... (hey! I'm determined)

Let's say I have 100 songs (just an example) in my library and/or playlist and they are correct as far as title, artist, art, etc.
They are each stored currently on any of a variety of 10 external drives across my network. Could be a few in the same location. Could be same artists on different drives too.
There are other music files on these drives as well - but they are not added to the library or playlist.

My goal is to have the 100 song library files all physically migrated to one new additional drive/location. They should still keep the Artist, Album, Tracks, organization.
I'm okay with it creating a copy in the new location. I can go back and delete the other later.

I'm pretty sure MC can do this, but whenever I try I wind up with a mess. All track and artists lumped into one location. Hence multiple track ones, twos, etc... The hierarchy is a mess.
I'm open for any help as I'd like to figure this out. My collection is huge and I'd like to get it all in one spot...oh and organized too....lol.

Please feel free to contact me direct at: engeee@aol.com

Thank you,
steve
 ?

[HaWi]

All the files to be moved and the ultimate destination must be available (i.e. seen in Finder) to MC at the time you want to change their location. Then:
1) Make a new library at the desired destination
2) Set the correct path and filename to your desired location/structure
3) Import the files. This may be a bit tedious if they are on many different locations
4) Save the files to new location (F6)

Alternatively, physically move the media files into the desired folder structure using Finder and then import into new library. Make sure the file location and naming convention is set correctly in the library.

Whichever solution you choose, try it with a few albums/tracks first, then when you are confident it works (might require some intermittent tweaking [I never get it right the first time around]) do the rest.

[engeee]

All the files to be moved and the ultimate destination must be available (i.e. seen in Finder) to MC at the time you want to change their location. Then:
1) Make a new library at the desired destination
2) Set the correct path and filename to your desired location/structure
3) Import the files. This may be a bit tedious if they are on many different locations
4) Save the files to new location (F6)

Alternatively, physically move the media files into the desired folder structure using Finder and then import into new library. Make sure the file location and naming convention is set correctly in the library.

Whichever solution you choose, try it with a few albums/tracks first, then when you are confident it works (might require some intermittent tweaking [I never get it right the first time around]) do the rest.

Okay...I feel really ignorant but you say "4) Save the files to new location (F6)"...that's entirely what I'm trying to do.
Because the "wanted" music is in with all kinds of other music on the drives, I only want to move the tracks that are in the main MC library. I can't simply go physically move each one at time. I was hoping MC could do this for me. If it's on the list, copy it from here and move it to there... How do I do that?

I feel like I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be. Maybe I'm just missing a simple command?
The rename/move/replace....makes a mess of the hierarchy for me in my attempts.

Ugh.

Steve
engeee@aol.com

[wer]

The rename/move/replace....makes a mess of the hierarchy for me in my attempts.

That is probably because you're not using it right.

Please post a screenshot of how you are filling out the RMCF dialog.  Then we can set you straight on that.

Observe it gives you a preview on the right hand side of what it will do, before you do it.

[engeee]

That is probably because you're not using it right.

Please post a screenshot of how you are filling out the RMCF dialog.  Then we can set you straight on that.

Observe it gives you a preview on the right hand side of what it will do, before you do it.

I'm certainly not above admitting that it may be my error too... I'll try again and save some captures along the way.

Here's a thought though...what if I go to a view like "Artists" so it would contain all the tracks and albums for each. Then do a massive "select all" and drag it all (selected) to the new location? Just thinking out loud.... would it keep the folder formats/hierarchy?

Thanks,
Steve
engeee@aol.com

[wer]

That won't work.

I'm not criticizing you. It's just the RMCF does work well when used correctly.  Like a sword, it's very effective if properly wielded, and if improperly wielded, you can cut your own arm off.

But I strongly urge you not to try and use it on 900,000 files at once. I've seen it choke when trying to do too much.

You needn't actually DO the RMCF.  Just cancel out of it instead of clicking ok.

But fill it out, and show us the full dialog box so we can see what you're doing and what it says it will do in the preview.

Also, all these files you want to move, are they actually IN your MC library already?

[engeee]

That won't work.

I'm not criticizing you. It's just the RMCF does work well when used correctly.  Like a sword, it's very effective if properly wielded, and if improperly wielded, you can cut your own arm off.

But I strongly urge you not to try and use it on 900,000 files at once. I've seen it choke when trying to do too much.

You needn't actually DO the RMCF.  Just cancel out of it instead of clicking ok.

But fill it out, and show us the full dialog box so we can see what you're doing and what it says it will do in the preview.

Also, all these files you want to move, are they actually IN your MC library already?

No offence taken at all. I'm apt to criticize myself. I consider myself pretty tech literate but this keeps beating me up.

I'm at work now so I can't play, but I will try again and share as I go. Perhaps this evening.
And yes, all tracks are currently in the MC library (unless I've done that wrong too?)

Thank you for your patience.

Steve.

[wer]

If they are all in your library and they're all well tagged, and we should be able to get a very reasonable outcome without too much difficulty.

There's an extensive guide on the RMCF tool you should take a look at.
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Rename,_Move,_and_Copy_Files

It would also be helpful of you could describe or screenshot the existing directory structure that you say would would like to preserve whilst consolidating.

[RoderickGI]

Absolutely do not create a new Library. Absolutely do not move the files outside MC. Absolutely do not re-import any files.

MC can do this extremely easily. You just need to use the Find & Replace function in RM&CF. It should be done in small bites, and I would do it no more than one external drive at a time, consolidating to the new drive(s). It is extremely easy to do one drive at a time, using standard MC Views to select those files.

Wer will sort you out with the details. 


PS: I'm pretty impressed you have come back to this thread two years later. That's commitment! But if you had bumped the earlier thread you could have resolved this in 2018. Brian's advice was very close to what I would do, except I would consolidte everything on the new drive under the equivalent of /Volumes/Music.

[wer]

Haha... Not only is it clear that Rod feels quite strongly about his advice, but also I had totally failed to notice this was a 2 year old thread!   

Indeed there was nothing wrong with Brian's advice from back then.  It just seems a little familiarity with RMCF is needed.

Yes, engeee persevered, but on the other hand how important could it be if it could wait 2 years?   

[engeee]

I'd still love to know how to make it work...ugh.

engeee