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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 28 for Windows => Topic started by: vbphil on December 27, 2021, 09:52:12 am

Title: To Stack or not to Stack
Post by: vbphil on December 27, 2021, 09:52:12 am
My Main audio library are Apple lossless ALAC files. A 2nd library is comprised of an AAC re-formated copy of the Main, but only songs rated 4-5 stars. I did this because it seemed faster to stream (DLNA) from the AAC library, where Lossless is incompatible with external players, and to make USB Stick copies to play elsewhere. As I'm mostly only interested in the 4-5 rated songs when playing, copying to USB and exporting to iTunes. Also, the AAC copies are in a different parent folder but on the same drive.

Recently I went through an exercise of updating the Genre tag of all Audio files. It was extra work having to tag 2 copies of a song that were in different libraries. So, I wondered should I really be managing the copies together in one Library as a Stack. I suppose Stacked audio files can be stored in different locations as well.

Under this scenario would it be easier to Stack? Or is there another way to manage multiple copies of songs like this?
Title: Re: To Stack or not to Stack
Post by: JimH on December 27, 2021, 12:52:26 pm
Use one library, not two.  Set up different views if you feel the need.

MC can convert lossless files automatically if the device you're playing to doesn't support them.  Configure the server to specify what happens.  The wiki should be helpful.
Title: Re: To Stack or not to Stack
Post by: vbphil on December 27, 2021, 01:43:30 pm
Use one library, not two.  Set up different views if you feel the need.

MC can convert lossless files automatically if the device you're playing to doesn't support them.  Configure the server to specify what happens.  The wiki should be helpful.

What would be the best way to bring in all the lossy file copies, a Library Import by Folder? Then, would I select all the files in the Library and do an Autostack Files?
Title: Re: To Stack or not to Stack
Post by: vbphil on December 28, 2021, 02:40:28 pm
What would be the best way to bring in all the lossy file copies, a Library Import by Folder? Then, would I select all the files in the Library and do an Autostack Files?

Yup, that worked. So, I'm on the road to stacking where my Main Library are ALAC rips with AAC rips as the stacked file. My AAC ripped files are in a different parent folder and have the same file extension: m4a.

I've learned a few important tips.

I'm sure there's more as I'll discover as time goes on.

All in all, I'm glad I stacked and using only one Library.

-phil