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[luci0m]

Is there a way to organize a music library in collections?

Having a very large music library, for a better and quicker handling, I would prefer to organize the library in "collections" (e.g.: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock).
When I select a collection I want to see only elements that are part of that collection and browse, search and manage only that collection.

Anyone knows the way to achieve this with JRiver?

[MrHaugen]

The use of Genre immediately pops into mind. It would do what you want and it's more of a standard than any other ways. I'm not sure about search though. Searing in standard view while selecting one genre might search only in this genre. You'll have to test it or get the answer from someone else, as I'm not at my library now.

[Frobozz]

That's how I organize and browse through my collection.  I have several broad categories like Blues, Bootleg (for audience tapes and such), Classical, Jazz, Pipe Organ, Other, Rock.  The plan being to divide up my collection into groups similar to how record stores organize with the Rock in one area, Blues in one area, Jazz in one area, Classical in another area, etc.

I created a custom field.  I called it Library.  Category or Collection would have been a better name.
Make it
User Data Data Type: String
Edit Type: Standard
Acceptable Values: make a semicolon delimited list of your categories
And check "Save in file tags (when possible)"

Then add the new field to a Panes view so it looks like this:


If I click on "Classical" in that pane I'll see only my Classical music.  Click on "Jazz" and I see only the Jazz.

You do need to set the Category value for each album.  And each time you import an album you'll have to set that field as well.

I like this setup.  Works well.  There's other ways to do it as well.  It works for me.

[glynor]

Is there a way to organize a music library in collections?

You can either make additional subcategories, or you can segregate things into additional libraries (if you really want them separate).

[luci0m]

Yes, I would keep them separate.

I managed it to work using separate libraries.
Every library points to a different music folder.

It would be better if a library could be loaded with a double click instead of select it and click on "Load library".

[wig]

Yes, I would keep them separate.

I managed it to work using separate libraries.
Every library points to a different music folder.

It would be better if a library could be loaded with a double click instead of select it and click on "Load library".

You can right-click on the tool-bar, click Customize Toolbar and add a Library icon to it. This should speed up your library switching.

[jack wallstreet]

I have used genre and different libraries to manage collections, but I have also found that setting a filter on a view to show only certain parts of a library, e.g., classical, also is effective.

[Frobozz]

In my method it is possible to have MC keep each category organized in its own separate directory.

In my case the custom field is named "Library"
Go to the Rename, Move, & Copy Files dialog
Give it a base path to where you keep your music
Give it a rule similar to: [Library]\[Album Artist (auto)] - [Album]

That will move all files to sub directories based on the Library field. All the Blues in a sub directory named Blues.  All the Classical in a sub directory named Classical.  etc.

Organization of my music on disk is nice and orderly.  Classical files aren't mingling amongst the Rock.

[wig]

I have used genre and different libraries to manage collections, but I have also found that setting a filter on a view to show only certain parts of a library, e.g., classical, also is effective.

I prefer this approach as well. I just create a separate view for each collection. I find it easier than managing multiple libraries, and you still have access to all your tracks for playlists, etc.

Some folks prefer the multiple library approach, though. It's nice to have options.

[MrHaugen]

I can not for the life of me understand why people want to split up their music libraries into several separate libraries. So much time and trouble. And for what? I little enhanced security? You should have backups of the library anyway, and media files. There should be minimal chances of screw ups as long as you are careful with testing out new things. Only do it on a few files or an album to test.

[luci0m]

In my intention, the reason of music library splitting is because of the huge dimension of the library itself.
This makes the library difficult to search and manage.

Splitting it in some main collections will make things more human...

[luci0m]

Anyone thinks, like I do, that JRiver need a good remote control app for iPad/iPod?

Both MediaMonkey and Foobar 2000 have plugins for connecting the Apple Remote app using DACP protocol.

[pcstockton]

Anyone thinks, like I do, that JRiver need a good remote control app for iPad/iPod?

There are two great options.  JRemote and MyRiver.  Check them out.

[syndromeofadown]

Here is one way to organize your collection

1) Organize you music on your hardrive according to your collection needs
   ie. Put Jazz music in "Jazz" folder, Put Rock Music In "Rock" Folder, etc

2) Make a new calculated field called "Collection"
   In this field Paste this, or an edited version of this

Code: [Select]

IfElse(IsEqual([Filename (path)],\Classical\,8),Classical,IsEqual([Filename (path)],\Jazz\,8),Jazz,IsEqual([Filename (path)],\Pop\,8),Pop,IsEqual([Filename (path)],\Rock\,8),Rock,1,Collection Name Needs Entered)
   Note that this expression is written for Classical, Jazz, Pop, And Rock Only.
   You will have to add others you want.

3) Make/Alter a view with the "Collection" Panes first.
   Or you could make a view where Collection = Jazz to only show jazz

[Vincent Kars]

Having used different libraries for some time I become unhappy with this solution.
It takes time to switch from one to another.
If you have a top library covering them all and one per genre, each change in any of the sub libraries has to be synchronized and visa versa. This will be done automatically but it also takes some time.
If you define custom fields in a sub library you have to do it all over again in the top library.
Etc.

So I decided to maintain 1 and only 1 library.
However it is very convenient to have an overview by genre.

I did so by creating separate views for the genres by using the folder structure and a rule in the view.
This limits the view to everything in the specific folder.

[wig]

Nice example, Vincent. But I would urge new users to swap out the filepath configuration for a custom field.

Just create a custom field called Collection, setup up the collection names you want as acceptable values, and away you go.



It's a lot more flexible; you could place genre-straddling albums in multiple collections, for example.

[pcstockton]

In my intention, the reason of music library splitting is because of the huge dimension of the library itself.
This makes the library difficult to search and manage.

Splitting it in some main collections will make things more human...

How big are we talking about?  I have ZERO issue with 90K tracks in one library.

How are Genres not the answer to this problem you are having.  Or the awesome search function?

-Patrick

[Vincent Kars]

Just create a custom field called Collection, setup up the collection names you want as acceptable values, and away you go.

Nice one, will try

[luci0m]

Patrick,

our music library size is similar to yours, but in our perception sometimes is not immediate to find what you are looking for.

I'm exploring the use of custom views and I found it could be a solution.

Lucio

[glynor]

I find that using separate libraries is most useful/successful if you use them for totally separate types of media that will never need to be used simultaneously.  If you arrange it that way, the time needed to switch back and forth isn't a serious issue because the need is rare and it matches with your workflow (I need to start a new and completely different kind of task, so I need to switch Libraries).

For example, I'm a video editor at work.  I have a large collection of general "stock" material and project-specific media (audio, images, and video) that I use for these projects.  I have a MC Library that I use to manage all of this stuff.  I also have a MC Library that manages the server locations of all of my "completed" video work that we have published on our webservers at the office (both internally and externally).  I use those MC Libraries to organize the files, tag them, and allow me to search through either the "published video" we have here at the office, or my "source material" when I'm building something new.

But both of those uses are completely separate from my "personal media" library (music, tv shows, etc), and I really don't ever have the need to use these two sets simultaneously. (Well, rarely... Occasionally I want to listen to some music in the background while I work on a project, but I have multiple machines everywhere, so this isn't a big deal, I just open MC on a different machine and connect to my personal library there.  Generally, I can't listen to music while I'm cutting though, so even this limitation is very infrequent.)

However, these are, as you can see, completely different "types" of Libraries.  One is my personal media collection.  One is a tool I use to build media projects.  And one is used to manage completed, unchanging, published video files (which are in a totally different format than what I'd use as sources).  When you have this type of division, that's where I find it is often most helpful to have separate libraries.  I could, of course, combine all of these into one Library, and just use categories to segregate everything out.  But, from a use-perspective, it is nice that my "Editing" Library has a small set of views that are all specifically tailored to the job at hand, without a bunch of "noise" from my Personal media library or the published video.  Plus, with many of my video projects, it is very important not to move assets after they've been used in a project (because that breaks the links to these files in all the projects where they were used).  Having a separate library for this stuff makes it easy to manage when files can be moved/reorganized, and when they cannot.  Likewise, my Published Video library at the office, I can be sure that any file imported in there is a live, active video that exists somewhere on our HTTP or Streaming servers.  If it is in there, it is published, and if something gets in there that isn't from the right place (something gets accidentally imported from the C drive or something) then it can be safely moved or deleted without impacting my published video.

If, instead, your goal is to sub-categorize different "styles" of the same top-level "type" of media (all personal music) then it will likely be much more trouble than it is worth to separate it out into different libraries, and using the existing fields, or a custom field if the existing ones don't work for your needs, would probably be a better solution.

[Vocalpoint]

I find that using separate libraries is most useful/successful if you use them for totally separate types of media that will never need to be used simultaneously.

Agreed. I have our entire lossless collection available to the entire household as a single library and I keep a much smaller "mobile" library on my local drive that is used solely for syncing my iPod. This one comprises MP3 only tracks converted from the main FLAC library and only gets loaded locally and ONLY for syncing. Never gets used for anything else.

I do wish could find a way to use a single "combined" library for this purpose - but everything I have tried thus far (Transcoding, stacking etc etc) has been a total bust.

Cheers,

VP

[Otello]

I'm quite new to JR and I don't know it very well, so maybe I'll ask a FAQ, anyway...

I think a good reason for having separate views/collections is classical music requiring completely different library organizzation and grouping rules than pop or jazz.
I mean: Album/Artist doesn't work well for classical music, at least if you have a big collection, IMHO the right organization should be Composer/Album/Artist(Conductor), where Album actually is the composition.
For instance, I'd like to be able to to select in the upper browser (panes view) an album (actually a composition) and have listed all the different executions as separate albums.
I'd like, too, to be able to insert the date or the publisher as rules for NOT grouping 2 different executions of the same composition by the same artist or conductor.
Is it possible with JR?

Thanks.

[glynor]

Is it possible with JR?

Absolutely.  That is what MC excels at.

Take a look at Marko's amazing Customize Current View tutorial.

[Vincent Kars]

I do wish could find a way to use a single "combined" library for this purpose - but everything I have tried thus far (Transcoding, stacking etc etc) has been a total bust.

I use 1 library and a playlist for the sync to the portable.
Works nicely except that now and then the playlist is cleared!
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/Players/MC14/MC_sync.htm

[Vocalpoint]

I use 1 library and a playlist for the sync to the portable.

Yes - but does your single library have both FLAC and MP3 copies of the same album?

For this to truly work - I never want the MP3 copies to show up or ever be played by MC. Conversely - I never want any of the FLAC files to be considered as sync targets for the iPod.

I have tried many things but none can meet the above criteria - so now I have to resort to making converted copies of all lossless albums over to MP3, store these files locally in a new library and then use that specific library as "sync station".

Of course - I welcome any and all suggestions on how I can do this better.

Cheers,

VP

[Vincent Kars]

I don't have duplicates.
I tell the sync to convert everything to MP3.
All MP3 are in the transcoded cache.
So they don't appear in the library but if I tag the orignal, they are tagged at the same time

[Vocalpoint]

I don't have duplicates. I tell the sync to convert everything to MP3.
All MP3 are in the transcoded cache. So they don't appear in the library but if I tag the orignal, they are tagged at the same time

Sorry - I forget to mention - No transcoding either. I tried this (A lot) and MC would take anywhere from 1 minute to 30 minutes (or more for a big sync) to get itself sorted out. It was just too time consuming to sit there and wait - this also held my machine hostage for way too long (while converting).

For everyday usage - it's much more time efficient to simply convert selected albums to MP3 on the fly when the mood strikes (sometimes with MC but most of the time - not - as dbPowerAmp is much faster @ bulk conversion than MC) I have both apps set to send their MP3's to the local library. Then when I do need to sync - I load the Sync library, run a quick Auto Import, plug in the iPod and go. Sync is no more than a few minutes even with a large load.

My other issue with transcoding is the stacking implementation, the stacking icons and so on - I find MC still lacking big time in this area like trying to manipulate stacked files etc. Maybe it's improved in V17 (which I am not on yet)...

VP

[glynor]

For this to truly work - I never want the MP3 copies to show up or ever be played by MC. Conversely - I never want any of the FLAC files to be considered as sync targets for the iPod.

Stacking and the Conversion Cache works for this for me.

[Vocalpoint]

Stacking and the Conversion Cache works for this for me.

Seems that it worked for me - right up until I wanted to delete some stacked files as I recall. Not only could I not delete the MP3's from MC (I don't think) - the stacked icons would remain even after I went out and did a hard delete via Win Explorer...I also remember them remaining even after running auto-import and everything else I could think of. Drove me nuts.

No biggie tho - while it takes a slight bit more management - I find this current method of a separate lossy sync library to be easiest and fast. Much faster than trying to transcode and sync via a single library.

VP

[Vincent Kars]

I'd like, too, to be able to insert the date or the publisher as rules for NOT grouping 2 different executions of the same composition by the same artist or conductor.
Is it possible with JR?

Make a view of the type Categorie and choose "Artist - Album (Year)" as the first field.
This will split albums (compositions) by the same performer (Artist) by Year

[glynor]

Seems that it worked for me - right up until I wanted to delete some stacked files as I recall. Not only could I not delete the MP3's from MC (I don't think) - the stacked icons would remain even after I went out and did a hard delete via Win Explorer...I also remember them remaining even after running auto-import and everything else I could think of. Drove me nuts.

If you want to try again, I can help with your issues.  It would be best to start a separate thread, though.

[bunglemebaby]

Of course - I welcome any and all suggestions on how I can do this better.

You could just filter out lossy file types from your main music views. Then keep another playlist or view that has any lossy types that you'll be syncing. I think that's simple enough to work well...maybe?

[Vocalpoint]

You could just filter out lossy file types from your main music views. Then keep another playlist or view that has any lossy types that you'll be syncing. I think that's simple enough to work well...maybe?

To be fair to the OP - I don't want to derail his thread with my issues

Perhaps I will reach out to the gang if I decide to try this "combo" library thing at another time...

VP

[Otello]

Absolutely.  That is what MC excels at.

Take a look at Marko's amazing Customize Current View tutorial.

Thanks glynor,
I studied the guide and created some costom views, but unfortunately I've not found the solution to my issue...

Bottom line: is it possible to change what's written in the album title? (The big text above the cover)

I mean: the title shows "<Album> by <Artist>", but with classical music I'd need to show something like "<Composer>, <Album> by <Artist>", or "<Composer>, <Album> by <Conductor>", depending of the classical sub-genre, otherwise the sorting makes little sense.
For instance, let's pick a standard classical album: "Beethoven, Symphony No.3 Op.55 conducted by Karajan", in the title I have only "Symphony No.3 Op.55" (Karajan is in the Conductor tag, not in the Artist one).

Thanks again.

[Otello]

UPDATE.

I made some progress after reading this thread: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=57616.0
i.e.:

You need to create a new, calculated data, library field using the expression [composition] by [composer] and the use the drop menu in the view header to group the list using this new field you just created.

but I'm obviously missing something under my nose; fact is I created an expression and, I think, i followed the instructions, but what I got is a new column with my expression - that i really don't want-need - and my titles are still the same [Album] By [Artist]  

[MrC]

Did you create a new library field that contains that expression?

Once that is available, then you modify the view pull down, select Group By > More (sort groups a-z) >  your new field name.

[Otello]

Thanks!

For the record I just created the expression, I didn't understand that I had to create a library field containing that expression.