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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 28 for Windows => Topic started by: InflatableMouse on July 23, 2021, 02:41:13 am

Title: Request: User control over whats considered an album
Post by: InflatableMouse on July 23, 2021, 02:41:13 am
Source of this request. (https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,130101.0.html)

TL;DR

There can be several (sonically different) versions of the same album which someone would like to keep. Original releases and later remasters are an example. Deluxe editions are another good example which often include bonus tracks or an extra disk. Currently, the only way to keep these as unique 'albums' is by adding something unique to the album title to make MC keep them as a separate and unique album. This leads to various concerns and problems:

I would like to request if we can get some some control over how MC determines what is album. I thought of two ways that I would like to provide as possible solutions:

Or:

Both ways won't change how MC currently works and it won't change anything for existing libraries.

Thanks for reading and more importantly, for considering!
Title: Re: Request: User control over whats considered an album
Post by: Hendrik on July 23, 2021, 04:04:24 am
This behavior is rather integral to how MC works, and not something we can make configurable, sorry.
Title: Re: Request: User control over whats considered an album
Post by: tij on July 23, 2021, 11:24:42 am
Quote from: InflatableMouse on July 23, 2021, 02:41:13 am
Currently, the only way to keep these as unique 'albums' is by adding something unique to the album title to make MC keep them as a separate and unique album. This leads to various concerns and problems:
  • They are not actually unique albums, they are unique versions of the same album.
  • Any information I add to the album field is extraneous; its not suposed to be there (its not actually part of the album title (https://support.discogs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004051893-Quick-Start-Guide-For-New-Contributors#5)).
  • It makes long album names even longer and long fields are cut off which makes album versions indistinguisable from each other in JRemote, Panel and Theater View.
  • It messes up other features like finding online information.

My guess when tags were conceived (not by JRiver) they were not expecting ppl to have multiple versions of same album.

It is logical if MC "groups" different versions of albums together ... after all they are the same albums.

It is darn inconvinient though for some use scenarios.

I just create a custom field [Album title] ... replace all [Album] tags in views with this. So [Album] tag for me is just unique identifier (in my case its album title+label+catalogue#).
Title: Re: Request: User control over whats considered an album
Post by: InflatableMouse on July 24, 2021, 02:20:09 am
Quote from: Hendrik on July 23, 2021, 04:04:24 am
This behavior is rather integral to how MC works, and not something we can make configurable, sorry.

Alright, I appreciate that. I'd like to ask you do keep it in mind as you (ie, the developers) may be able to come up with something that is possible and that might help this particular use-case. I'm sure quite a few users are faced with this "problem" and resort to changing the [Album] field.

Quote from: tij on July 23, 2021, 11:24:42 am
I just create a custom field [Album title] ... replace all [Album] tags in views with this. So [Album] tag for me is just unique identifier (in my case its album title+label+catalogue#).

Thanks for the suggestion, that's what most people do, or something similar. There is this thread (https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,130101.0.html) where this issue is discussed and the rest of the suggestions are located.