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[rsg]

I've noticed that, when I look at my files in Windows 10, they can be quite disorganized. While a certain album is listed as, well, just the one album in MC, it might have different file folders in Windows, something like 'Rod Stewart Feat. Cher' and 'Rod Stewart Feat. Eric Clapton' for every track of one Rod Stewart album. Here's my point: I can easily rename these folders in Windows, and the the files will merge perfectly if I select 'Merge Files' when prompted. If I do this, am I messing up something in MC, something to do with filename or filepath maybe? The reason I ask is because I am using Windows to copy albums on to a DAP and these files need to be organized clearly to avoid a real mess in the DAP library when I copy them over.

[RD James]

You can use Media Center's "Rename, Move, and Copy" tool to rename files based on a template that you create. This is preferable to moving files outside of MC's library.
Using [Album Artist (auto)] rather than [Artist] should ensure that tracks from the same album are grouped together.

[rsg]

So, what would be the risk in renaming and merging files in Windows? Would MC fail simply to recognize them, or would it import a duplicate copy when I run 'auto-import'? Haven't tried this myself in case things get really messed up.

[~OHM~]

So, what would be the risk in renaming and merging files in Windows? Would MC fail simply to recognize them, or would it import a duplicate copy when I run 'auto-import'? Haven't tried this myself in case things get really messed up.

depends on what you have checked in the options for auto import.

[RoderickGI]

So, what would be the risk in renaming and merging files in Windows?

The risk would be that you made such a mess it would be difficult and time consuming to sort it all out.

Use the Rename, Move & Copy File function, with a good template for where you want to store the files. Save the template as a Preset so that you can use it over and over again in future. Name the Preset so that it is easily recognisable.

Here is an example, using my "Music using !isempty with Disc #" template

Directory rule:

Code: [Select]

[Album Artist (auto)]\[Album]\If(!isempty([Disc #], 1), Disc [Disc #],)\
Filename rule:

Code: [Select]

If(!isempty([Disc #], 1), [Disc #]-,)[Track #] - [Name]
It creates directory and filenames like:
[Base Path]\Leonard Cohen\The Essential Leonard Cohen\Disc 1\1-01 - Suzanne.flac
[Base Path]\Leonard Cohen\The Essential Leonard Cohen\Disc 2\2-01 - Ain't No Cure for Love.flac
[Base Path]\Hilltop Hoods\The Hard Road\01 - Recapturing the Vibe.flac

There are lots of other examples and hints in the forum, and lots of good stuff in the Wiki.

[Spike1000]

Isn't the "Disc 1" "Disc 2" layer a bit superfluous? The tracks are named with the disc number and it's in the Disc tag too (I presume). . .

I'm only curious. I used to do but just don't bother now; they all end up in the album folder numbered sequentially. I just use the disc tag to separate (which I actually never call upon). To me it's a bit like having directories for the sides of albums. . . It's all a media specific.

Hopefully that doesn't make me a bad man 

Spike

[rsg]

Thanks for the help. I will look into these options. But, the interesting thing is that MC itself behaves perfectly well in this regard, with a little care. All of my albums are correctly organized in the library, largely by ensuring that Album Artist is filled out. For example an album by one singer who has a guest appearing on each track is easily sorted by ensuring the primary singer is the one listed in Album Artist (otherwise each track appears as a separate album). The only issue I am having is that Windows stores each of the tracks of such an album in separate folders, so when I copy that music on to my DAP, it no longer appears as one single album. What I could do, very simply, is to make a copy of the tracks into a folder (with album name, possibly as sub-folder of Artist Name) on my desktop and use that one to copy into the DAP, then delete it, right? Only thought of this as I am typing...

[swiv3d]

It isn't windows separating your tracks into different folders - it is MC obeying whatever rules you have set in regards of file storage, probably at the ripping stage. I would use the File,Move, Copy tool to move your files into a more logical structure such as Album Artist/Album/tracks as suggested by RoderickGI, or you could just use the FMC tool to copy the files to the DAP but force it to use the Album Artist/Album/tracks structure when it does so.

[RoderickGI]

Isn't the "Disc 1" "Disc 2" layer a bit superfluous? The tracks are named with the disc number and it's in the Disc tag too (I presume). . .

I'm only curious. I used to do but just don't bother now; they all end up in the album folder numbered sequentially. I just use the disc tag to separate (which I actually never call upon). To me it's a bit like having directories for the sides of albums. . . It's all a media specific.

Yeah, I used to just use the Disc # folder to separate tracks from different discs, and just include the Track # at the beginning of the filename. But then I found it was just easier when synchronising files to a handheld to have the disc number prefixed to the files as well. MC makes it very easy to maintain the extra level in the folder structure, so I leave it there.

It also actually helps to have the extra folder structure if I have to do lookups of tracks using MusicBrainz.

[Spike1000]

It also actually helps to have the extra folder structure if I have to do lookups of tracks using MusicBrainz.

Ah, good point, well put 

My level of detail/accuracy in tagging is 'sufficient'  I do look the odd thing up when I have rubbish metadata but I'm through the pain of most of that now and tend just just to tweak small errors in tags now rather than have to bulk get them or fill in metadata that I don't refer to in my listening/track selection.

Spike