Generating genre from folders

[mmv4]

This is a great forum and MM a great software with only a few problems. My main problem is that I found no way to import the Genre information located in a path to MM automatically. My folder structure: Music/Genre/Artist-Album/Artist-Tracks. The Genre column in MM is empty and I do not want to enter the info manually because it is already in the path name. One idea I had was to change the MM.db directly via data base modification (song list) but this may lead to incompatibility. Any advice is very appreciated.

[Lowlander]

Have you tried Tools > Auto-Tag from Filename: http://www.mediamonkey.com/wiki/index.p ... lename/4.0

[MMFrLife]

RegExp Find & Replace add-on if you don't already have the genre tag filled. Ask questions about it here,
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=28510&hilit=regExp

[MMv4]

Thanks a lot! I have tried already several times rename on the basis of file name without any success, maybe my fault. The 2nd hint seems promising.

[Bob_m_54]

OK, I thought I'd have a play around and see if it did work OK, and this is what I did, and it does work.

-- Using the "My Computer" node, go down to your music folder and select "All" just under the main music folder.
In my case this is C:\TI10537000C] -> Users -> Bob -> Music
-- Select one track and view properties, then highlight and copy the file Path in the top bar. (this is just to make it easier to make sure you have the right path later on).
-- Exit properties, then select all tracks in the right pane [Edit]->[Select All].
-- Right click the highlighted list, and select "Auto-Tag from Filename"
-- In "Filename Format" (the top bar) paste the file path of the previously selected file. you will have something like this: (I think this is how you organise yours from what you posted)

C:\Users\Bob\Music\Rock\Train-Drops Of Jupiter\Train-She's On Fire.flac

-- Now change the text to read:

C:\Users\Bob\Music\<Genre>\<Album Artist>-<Album>\<Artist>-<Title>

-- Scroll down and check that the correct changes are going to be made (highlighted in blue), and adjust the attributes to suit what you want.

The main thing is, all tracks have to be organised the same way. If you have extra spaces, like (C:\Users\Bob\Music\Genre\Album Artist - Album\Artist - Title) instead of (C:\Users\Bob\Music\Genre\Album Artist-Album\Artist-Title) it will/can stuff you up. So best to do a few small batches first, to make sure you have it right.

[MMFrLife]

Interesting. I'm not sure I follow.

1. If you want to use the filename and it doesn't contain the Genre, it won't work.

2. Are you trying to add the "genre" where the folder has it and the Tag field does not, but the selection you are working
with at any given time is all the same genre?
If so, all you have to do is select all > edit properties > write in genre once > then auto-organize with \<Genre>\.

3. Or, are you trying to fill the genre field where the selection you are working with at any given time has multiple genres?

[Bob_m_54]

Interesting. I'm not sure I follow.

1. If you want to use the filename and it doesn't contain the Genre, it won't work.

2. Are you trying to add the "genre" where the folder has it and the Tag field does not, but the selection you are working
with at any given time is all the same genre?
If so, all you have to do is select all > edit properties > write in genre once > then auto-organize with \<Genre>\.

3. Or, are you trying to fill the genre field where the selection you are working with at any given time has multiple genres?

The way I read it, he has his files stored in the directory structure as stated in the OP ie.

My folder structure: Music/Genre/Artist-Album/Artist-Tracks

and he wants to tag the "genre" field from how the file is stored.

[MMFrLife]

The way I read it, he has his files stored in the directory structure as stated in the OP ie.

I got what he "said". I'm just not sure if I follow the solution as being the most efficient way or, in the case of "multiple" genres, would even work
to assign the genre from its proper folder level and not the tag field, since it is missing.

Copying and pasting a single path with \Rock\, if left alone, would assign the files to genre folder "Rock", for all of them.
But to then change it right after by using \Genre\ instead, would go back to assuming that the genre tag fields are filled out, which they are not.
Again, this works if the genre is the same for all within selection, although seems like extra work. But how does it work if the genre varies among the selection?

Could you explain? Am I just missing something?
Thanks

[MMv4]

Thanks a lot for this great support! I still found no simple solution. What I want to avoid is to edit each bulk of tracks manually within the music list and add the appropriate "Genre". I am very curious how other users integrate the Genre information automatically it they "import" wave and no mp3 files. If the number of tracks is very big than it is a lot of work to do it manually. I will try this approach: Save my MM.db. Load it in a database program that can deal with db-files. Export the songs table to a spreadsheet program. Cut the folder columns with the Genre path into pieces. Copy the Genre info into the empty Genre column, export to csv format and import the table "songs" into the MM.db and look what will happen. This is a workaround because every new cd I will load to MM will lack the Genre info again.

[Bob_m_54]

The way I read it, he has his files stored in the directory structure as stated in the OP ie.

I got what he "said". I'm just not sure if I follow the solution as being the most efficient way or, in the case of "multiple" genres, would even work
to assign the genre from its proper folder level and not the tag field, since it is missing.

Copying and pasting a single path with \Rock\, if left alone, would assign the files to genre folder "Rock", for all of them.
But to then change it right after by using \Genre\ instead, would go back to assuming that the genre tag fields are filled out, which they are not.
Again, this works if the genre is the same for all within selection, although seems like extra work. But how does it work if the genre varies among the selection?

Could you explain? Am I just missing something?
Thanks

I think you are missing that he wants to automatically tag the "genre" field from which genre folder the files are stored in.
OK, if he has his files stored as per the path shown.. then he will have various albums stored in each of his different Genre folders. He finds a bunch of albums that are in the wrong genre folders, and proceeds to dump them into the correct folders.. Then he selects all tracks and uses "Tag from filename" to correct the entry in the genre field, using the string

Code: Select all

C:\Users\Bob\Music\<Genre>\<Album Artist>-<Album>\<Artist>-<Title>

in the "Filename Format" field of the pop-up dialogue box (obviously changing the C:\Users\Bob section to reflect his structure, which why I suggested the cut and paste which makes it easy for him. The Genre Tag will then be changed to reflect which folder the files are stored in. And it does work, I did it a number of times to make sure it does.

Edit: As for multiple Genres, I doubt he uses multiple genres, if he has a separate folder for each of his genres.

[MMv4]

With your support I found the solution. Why complicated, if there is a very simple way...but I am a NEWBIE. It is possible to sort the tracks via the information (computer nodes) in what folders the tracks a stored (Music, location of storage). So it is a matter of minutes to change the Genre information with the window "change properties" in a bulk manually, because the tracks are already sorted by Genre (location of storage). I think that was one of your hints. Thanks a lot again for your excellent input.

[Bob_m_54]

With your support I found the solution. Why complicated, if there is a very simple way...but I am a NEWBIE. It is possible to sort the tracks via the information (computer nodes) in what folders the tracks a stored (Music, location of storage). So it is a matter of minutes to change the Genre information with the window "change properties" in a bulk manually, because the tracks are already sorted by Genre (location of storage). I think that was one of your hints. Thanks a lot again for your excellent input.

Yes you could do that, but you asked about doing it automatically. And the way I suggested, you can do the whole library in one go. It probably sounds more complicated than it actually is. And the copy and paste step is probably what made it seem complicated, but the reason was to make sure you had the right path information, and didn't fall foul to a typo...
Anyway, glad you got it sorted. And the "Tag From Filename" does work..
Can you please explain it to MMFrLife now..

[MMFrLife]

Bob_m_54,
I understand the general concept. I've done it to hundreds of files using RegExp Find and Replace with preset, something like "assign folder level of path",
that works regardless of genre variation.

I indicated it would seem to work if the genres are the same. I just din't follow how that's easier than finding the files you want and just editing the
genres once in properties > then use \<Genre>\ to auto-organize. I mean, I guess its basically the same end result, it seemed a bit convoluted, though.
But you were just trying to be careful.
You can do the whole library in one go the "edit properties" way as well, but the "whole" library likely includes multiple genres.

btw, what's up with the laughing face after reference to me?

MMv4, glad you got it working!
Yes, just use "edit properties"

[Bob_m_54]

Bob_m_54,
I understand the general concept. I've done it to hundreds of files using RegExp Find and Replace with preset, something like "assign folder level of path",
that works regardless of genre variation.

I indicated it would seem to work if the genres are the same. I just din't follow how that's easier than finding the files you want and just editing the
genres once in properties > then use \<Genre>\. I mean, I guess its basically the same end result, it seemed a bit convoluted, though. But you were just trying to be careful.
You can do the whole library in one go the "edit properties" way as well, but the "whole" library likely includes multiple genres.

btw, what's up with the laughing face after reference to me?

MMv4, glad you got it working!
Yes, just use "edit properties"

It won't have multiple Genres if he stores them in Genre folders and tags them accordingly. Unless, of course, he has multiple copies of files in different folders, but that would be rather messy. As for which is easier, personally I'd rather select all and click on Auto Tag from Filenames, than sort through 50,000 plus files and select which ones I want to change the genre field on, especially after already going through the process of dropping the files in their correct folders in the first place. But that's just me I guess...
Edit: The reason it is more simple is that if you have say 30 genre, the your way uses 30 steps (one for each genre) my way uses one step.

And yes, the method mmv4 uses is not how I prefer to sort my file storage, and I do use multiple genres myself, but everyone has their own methods and preferences don't they.
The laughing face... umm I always thought that meant in good humour..

[Bob_m_54]

Also, I wanted to show the OP that Auto Tag from Filename did work, after this statement.

Thanks a lot! I have tried already several times rename on the basis of file name without any success, maybe my fault. The 2nd hint seems promising.