INTERACT FORUM

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Playlist without importing into MC library??  (Read 1808 times)

AudioBorg

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Playlist without importing into MC library??
« on: April 24, 2012, 06:17:38 pm »

Does anyone know if it's possible to create playlists of audio files that have not been imported into a MC library? I was able to do this with WinAmp but have yet to figure out a way with MC.

I know I can play files 'on the fly' that are not in MC libraries. They will queue up in the "Playing Now' window but when I've tried to create a playlist from them (which I believe can be done) MC imports the files into the active library - and I don't want that.

Thank you.
Logged

Matt

  • Administrator
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 42323
  • Shoes gone again!
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2012, 06:31:43 pm »

If a file is in a playlist, it's in the library.

You could use multiple libraries or Access Control to hide files in certain playlists if this is a big problem.
Logged
Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

AudioBorg

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2012, 01:21:18 am »

Thanks for the reply Matt.

I have a whole bunch of files for which the tag data is either not available or is a mess and I simply didn't want to 'taint' my library which I've spent many hours getting the tags exactly the way I want complete with high quality cover art. A bit OCD perhaps. Maybe I'll consider a separate library for the 'dogs' of my collection.
Logged

rick.ca

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 3729
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2012, 01:44:28 am »

Quote
I have a whole bunch of files for which the tag data is either not available or is a mess and I simply didn't want to 'taint' my library which I've spent many hours getting the tags exactly the way I want complete with high quality cover art.

You're being to hard on yourself. Import all the files there's the slightest possibility you might want to play or include in a playlist. Exclude them from whatever views you don't want to see them in using Rules for file display. You have to be a lot more than "a bit OCD" to care about what you can't see. ;)
Logged

221bBS

  • Regular Member
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 703
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2012, 07:03:59 am »

You're being to hard on yourself. Import all the files there's the slightest possibility you might want to play or include in a playlist. Exclude them from whatever views you don't want to see them in using Rules for file display. You have to be a lot more than "a bit OCD" to care about what you can't see. ;)

I have a list field called [Tag]. It contains various info about a file, including if it's tagged with the basic info. I'f it's tagged correctly I tag it "[Tag: Basic]". All my views, except the ones in the Edit section will not display files that doesn't have this in it.
Logged

rick.ca

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 3729
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2012, 01:52:32 pm »

Quote
I have a list field called [Tag]. It contains various info about a file, including if it's tagged with the basic info. I'f it's tagged correctly I tag it "[Tag: Basic]". All my views, except the ones in the Edit section will not display files that doesn't have this in it.

That works to. But if files are not tagged and messy, they're likely not well organized in the file system either. Good practice (and a must with those with OCD) is to segregate them in the file system (e.g., D:\Music\Untagged\...). That entire folder would be excluded from views. If the final step in the tagging workflow is to rename files based on tags, this will also integrate the newly-tagged files into the collection.
Logged

MrC

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 10462
  • Your life is short. Give me your money.
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2012, 02:43:05 pm »

An alternate scheme might be to auto-tag every import with a On Hold tag, which would be cleared manually as part of the tag OCD-ification.
Logged
The opinions I express represent my own folly.

rjm

  • Regular Member
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 2699
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2012, 03:23:03 pm »

My approach is to populate 2 tags: [Type] and [Topic] for every file in my library. That way with one view I can navigate to anything (music, movie, tv, documentary, book, course, comedy, photo, podcast, etc. etc.) with 2 clicks and get very close to whatever I am looking for. A side benefit is that if [Type] or [Topic] are unpopulated then I know that tagging is not complete for those files. You can create a filter that excludes all files with null [Type] or [Topic] to keep your view neat and tidy.
Logged

AudioBorg

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: Playlist without importing into MC library??
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2012, 04:04:53 pm »

Hey guys - thanks for all the suggestions and replies. I really appreciate it!

First let me say that I am very much a novice with MC. It looks like I have some learning to do WRT view schemes.


rick.ca - Actually, all the ill-tagged files are segregated in my file system. :)

My music files are organized into seperate folder trees first by lossless and lossy files at the top level, then each of those categories fans out into very general genres, then into artists, and finally albums. This approach is for complete albums with complete tags and cover art. In additon I have 2 other folder trees for each file type - one for singles (which is further organized into general genres) and another (Incomplete Tags) that contains complete albums, compilations or singles for which the tags are known to be in bad condition. So I can easily 'point' to a couple of top level folders under which all the ill-tagged files exsist. OCD at it's finest!  :)

It certainly sounds like there are a few ways in which I can import ill-tagged files into my main library, and by using different views in combination with 'pre-defined tags' make it so they're available to include in playlists but are 'segregated' virtually from those files that are complete.


I will begin the research tonight!
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up