iTunes optional?
iTunes optional?
I'm not sure if this is a discussion item or a feature request, so feel free to re-locate as appropriate. I use LMS for playing at home and iTunes for playing away. "Away" might mean either on my iPod or laptop (which doesn't have room for the full FLAC-format library - the iTunes library is mostly mp3). I would like to be able to queue files to the iTunes "Muso" playlist so that I can play it on the laptop when the main library is not present or so that I can sync it to the iPod. However (last time I tried, I think) I got duplicates if I tried to import the iTunes library as well as the FLAC one. I could just clear the database and reload each time, but that seems a pain. The alternative seems to be to have different users on the same machine. What's the best answer?
Re: iTunes optional?
I'm not sure I understand. You have duplicates in Muso if you import from iTunes after doing a file/folder or LMS scan? Do you have iTunes set to copy files to its own filesystem? If so that could be why - they will be completely different paths if iTunes has copied the files. I would definitely avoid importing from iTunes if you have it set to copy files.
Re: iTunes optional?
To be honest, my iTunes library is a mess as it has evolved over the years. I now keep my music folders intact and don't let iTunes "organise" them, but historically this was not the case. In any event, I have two sets of music files - a FLAC "master" set in the library on the server at home and an mp3 set in the iTunes folder on the laptop. So far I have only focussed on re-tagging and organising the master set; these are imported directly to Muso (no longer via LMS). I recall when I started with Muso, I was getting duplicates because LMS was picking up the iTunes files as well as the FLAC files. I assume I will get duplicates if I import from iTunes as well as directly from the FLAC library, even if the albums are identical in all respects other than format.
So - I was trying to understand what the expected behaviour is when I have two libraries like this. Ideally I would like to "switch libraries" as in LMS - I guess that is a feature request. Or maybe filter on filetype? - but that is complicated by the fact that I have some downloaded mp3 files in my "Master" library. In the absence of this (and not wanting to clear and rescan each time), I was investigating setting up another Windows User on the laptop and running an "iTunes Muso" from that. Muso seems to permit separate users with separate options and databases (but not simultaneously open {BTW it would be useful if Muso gave an error message, rather than just not opening in the 2nd user}).
However, to achieve this, it seems I also have to set up a separate iTunes user with its own music database; this is not desirable as I want to sync my iPod to pick up the Muso playlist as well as all the usual sync items - I can foresee problems (if I know Apple) if I try and sync to 2 different iTunes databases!
Assuming I have now made it clear what I am trying to do, what do you think is the best way forward?
So - I was trying to understand what the expected behaviour is when I have two libraries like this. Ideally I would like to "switch libraries" as in LMS - I guess that is a feature request. Or maybe filter on filetype? - but that is complicated by the fact that I have some downloaded mp3 files in my "Master" library. In the absence of this (and not wanting to clear and rescan each time), I was investigating setting up another Windows User on the laptop and running an "iTunes Muso" from that. Muso seems to permit separate users with separate options and databases (but not simultaneously open {BTW it would be useful if Muso gave an error message, rather than just not opening in the 2nd user}).
However, to achieve this, it seems I also have to set up a separate iTunes user with its own music database; this is not desirable as I want to sync my iPod to pick up the Muso playlist as well as all the usual sync items - I can foresee problems (if I know Apple) if I try and sync to 2 different iTunes databases!
Assuming I have now made it clear what I am trying to do, what do you think is the best way forward?
Re: iTunes optional?
Yes you will get duplicate albums in muso if you have one flac copy and one mp3 copy in different locations.
The only switch library facility you have in muso is the ability to switch between Shared and Personal libraries - so you could use the Shared library for the master flac set and your Personal library for the iTunes mp3s. You'd have to make it a manual process that you import from flac files/folders for the shared library and from iTunes for your personal library, and never mix these up!
The only switch library facility you have in muso is the ability to switch between Shared and Personal libraries - so you could use the Shared library for the master flac set and your Personal library for the iTunes mp3s. You'd have to make it a manual process that you import from flac files/folders for the shared library and from iTunes for your personal library, and never mix these up!
Re: iTunes optional?
OK - going with that. Copied my personal database (the master library) to the shared database. Switched back to the personal database and cleared that. Rather than import from iTunes, I chose to import from the folder directly, so that the import actions work (not sure they do if I import from iTunes). It imported OK except that no artwork is included and the GroupHeader import action did not work fully. I can't seem to get any improvement by restarting/re-importing. Also the files won't play to iTunes (although the mp3 files in the shared database will).
As a separate matter
Now I am aware that this is becoming a bug/feature request thread!
EDIT Found one problem - import actions when applied to FLAC tags is case-insensitive, but when applied to mp3 tags is case-sensitive (i.e. opus vs OPUS). For some reason my files have a mixture
. Is it possible to make it case-insensitive everywhere?
As a separate matter
It would be a lot easier if the screen told you which database you were in at the time! Even better would be for the options to be specific to the database, then there would be no such danger.musoware wrote:You'd have to make it a manual process that you import from flac files/folders for the shared library and from iTunes for your personal library, and never mix these up!
Now I am aware that this is becoming a bug/feature request thread!
EDIT Found one problem - import actions when applied to FLAC tags is case-insensitive, but when applied to mp3 tags is case-sensitive (i.e. opus vs OPUS). For some reason my files have a mixture
. Is it possible to make it case-insensitive everywhere?Re: iTunes optional?
RE case: I'm not sure, I'll see what I can find out - you could always specify the format as "#OPUS #Opus #opus" (with Conditional not set) to try all combinations - it will trim leading/trailing spaces after each substitute.
Import actions are not applied on an import from iTunes no.
I would expect that you'd have to refetch all artwork since there is none stored in the itunes media folders. Why it's not playing in iTunes is more of a mystery - could you send me a log?
Import actions are not applied on an import from iTunes no.
I would expect that you'd have to refetch all artwork since there is none stored in the itunes media folders. Why it's not playing in iTunes is more of a mystery - could you send me a log?
Re: iTunes optional?
I'll send you the log file. I had a look at it myself and concluded as follows:
1. The artwork did not load because I had C: mapped to Z: (i.e. the server's C: drive) in the LMS settings. Why this is used for non-LMS files is a mystery, but I deleted it and the artwork loaded.
2. The mp3 file that played was actually playing from one of iTunes' own "organised" folders on the laptop, not from the path as listed in the Muso database, which is on the server. Curious!
1. The artwork did not load because I had C: mapped to Z: (i.e. the server's C: drive) in the LMS settings. Why this is used for non-LMS files is a mystery, but I deleted it and the artwork loaded.
2. The mp3 file that played was actually playing from one of iTunes' own "organised" folders on the laptop, not from the path as listed in the Muso database, which is on the server. Curious!
Re: iTunes optional?
Update on progress:
I've resolved the "not playing" problem by re-importing to both iTunes and Muso.
The tag id capitalisation problem is solved by using mp3tag to rename all the fieldnames to have consistent capitalisation.
I was getting error messages on importing the iTunes folder (as specific folder, not as itunes import). This was at least partly due to an import action not operating correctly because of the capitalisation problem, the fix for which seems to have fixed this problem too.
The end result is quite pleasing:
The "shared" database has the FLAC library on the server, played via LMS. The "personal" database has the iTunes library. The import actions are identical and among other things map "CDName" to Album. This allows LMS and iTunes to display the (classical music) work in the Album display, while bringing them all together in one album display (with groupheaders for the works) in Muso. To get the whole album sync'd to the iPod touch, what I do is queue it from Muso to iTunes, which creates it as a playlist - I then save this as a playlist with the album (CD) name. The playlists sync across so I can play the whole original album on the iPod (or go into "albums" for individual works). (EDIT -The Muso playlist syncs too, for one-off playlists).
The only snag is it is not immediately obvious whether you are looking at the personal or shared database in Muso - so I'm adding a little feature request.
I've resolved the "not playing" problem by re-importing to both iTunes and Muso.
The tag id capitalisation problem is solved by using mp3tag to rename all the fieldnames to have consistent capitalisation.
I was getting error messages on importing the iTunes folder (as specific folder, not as itunes import). This was at least partly due to an import action not operating correctly because of the capitalisation problem, the fix for which seems to have fixed this problem too.
The end result is quite pleasing:
The "shared" database has the FLAC library on the server, played via LMS. The "personal" database has the iTunes library. The import actions are identical and among other things map "CDName" to Album. This allows LMS and iTunes to display the (classical music) work in the Album display, while bringing them all together in one album display (with groupheaders for the works) in Muso. To get the whole album sync'd to the iPod touch, what I do is queue it from Muso to iTunes, which creates it as a playlist - I then save this as a playlist with the album (CD) name. The playlists sync across so I can play the whole original album on the iPod (or go into "albums" for individual works). (EDIT -The Muso playlist syncs too, for one-off playlists).
The only snag is it is not immediately obvious whether you are looking at the personal or shared database in Muso - so I'm adding a little feature request.
Re: iTunes optional?
Good news thanks. I'd still like to get to the bottom of that error you sent me via mail when you had the mixed case tags.
I'll read your feature request now.
I'll read your feature request now.