More > JRiver Media Center 22 for Windows
Switching from Winamp or iTunes
blgentry:
--- Quote from: chromedigi on November 16, 2015, 06:29:18 pm ---Does this mean that I define the field before I do the import? If so, how does it know which field to import each tag into? Do they have to have identical names, or is there some way to define a mapping?
--- End quote ---
You can define the fields before import or after. If you define them after, you just have to tell MC to re-read the tags with Library Tools > Update Library (from tags). Then it will read the tags again and assign any new or different ones to it's own Library fields. The names must match exactly. There is no mapping function that I'm aware of. That being said, you could certainly use calculated fields to automatically copy and/or merge one or more fields into fields with names you like better. Or you can do it manually from time to time with expressions.
--- Quote ---I don't, and I'm sorry I gave you that impression. I just think that transitioning from iTunes ought to be a lossless process; iTunes is the gorilla in the room, after all.
--- End quote ---
Cool. :) Itunes is certainly a beast. I think JRiver has spent a good bit of time on itunes integration tools in the past (mostly for ipod support) and have been burned pretty hard by Apple changing things with no notice. I'm just guessing here as to why there aren't specific itunes migration tools.
I just thought of something: MC can read XML playlists exported by itunes. I think those XML files may have more metadata than the tags in the files. I've just done an experiment or two, but it's kind of confusing and I don't have any conclusions.
--- Quote ---Why do you choose to do it that way? Do you have tools that have better error detection/correction capabilities? If so, what do you use?
--- End quote ---
Several reasons. I started ripping discs before I had MC and I had an established method that worked well. I run MC on a Mac (not on Windows); the support for ripping CDs there has been sort of spotty and didn't work well during my small amount of testing. I use a Mac specific program called XLD.
--- Quote ---I'm also still wondering about whether this is a truly relational DB, or if everything's stuffed into one table. I'm getting the impression that it's the latter. But it would be very cool if one could build a schema in the thing.
--- End quote ---
As far as I can tell MC does not use a "real" relational database. It seems to use something that's heavily indexed ala an ISAM type database. It's really fast! It's relational modifier in the field types appears to allow one to say "this field can have only one value for an Artist". Or Album, or Series. So not exactly relational. But, as Roderick said, there's more than one way to skin a cat and get what you're after.
For example, you can create as many new fields as you want. Does a subgenre field make sense for you? How about supergenre? Both? Create and use them. You can sort on anything, including sorting on multiple fields (first this field, then that field, and so on).
Good luck and let us know if we can help.
Brian.
chromedigi:
--- Quote from: blgentry on November 16, 2015, 07:19:09 pm ---I think JRiver has spent a good bit of time on itunes integration tools in the past (mostly for ipod support) and have been burned pretty hard by Apple changing things with no notice.
--- End quote ---
This doesn't surprise me. I was an Apple dev in the '90s, and got screwed over by them myself more than once. I hate them. (Though I do hold their stock, and they make me money - no complaints there. However, other than my iPod, I steadfastly avoid their product line. Windows computers. Android phone. Freedom.) But in any case, iPods were, and iPhones are ubiquitous, and most everybody who has one just uses iTunes without considering the alternatives. It's a huge installed base, and if it's difficult or inscrutable to move from iTunes to this product, there will be that many fewer people who even make the attempt.
Grabbing tags is easy. If you can get one, you should be able to get them all. A few years ago, I obtained a document detailing their tag implementation because I was at the time considering building a fully relational DB in Access parallel to my iTunes library, and linking the two via foreign keys embedded in the Comments field. Though I no longer have the doc to hand at the moment, the tag structure is really no big deal.
fgs6017:
Im thinking of the switch to jriver from itunes in order to grow into hi res properly. Question. I play the music nas files via nettop pc, but i rip to the nas in a different room on desktop, so does the download include just one device/pc because then i would need to have another ripping software which ideally i wouldnt want to do.
BradATIMA:
You can use a single license for multiple computers, within reason. You can find more information on licenses here: http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Restoring_a_License
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version