[SOLVED] Problems with Artwork

Get answers about the current version of MediaMonkey 5

Moderator: Gurus

perl
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:18 am
Location: Denmark

[SOLVED] Problems with Artwork

Post by perl »

I solved my problem with playing via Sonos, but now I have big problems with Artwork which may be due to the files being on my NAS.
Image
I have given up on automatic updating of Artwork, but prefer to put "folder.jpg" in the individual music folders myself.
I have Disable Scan file directories for Artwork under Tools > Options > Library.
I can't figure out why it works on some albums and not others.
Here an example:
Image
Here I have a missing picture of "24 Hits 2. CD"
I am able to change this to the right picture
Image

Image
But nothing under Properties Artwork although I upload again:
Image
Image
On another album I see this:
Image
If I close Mediamonkey and start again then the picture is disappered:
Image

Is there a solution to this problem?
Last edited by perl on Fri Nov 25, 2022 3:55 am, edited 2 times in total.
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Lowlander »

It shows that the Artwork is on a http:// location. So it seems you're trying to tag files on a DLNA Server which can't be done (DLNA doesn't support this). Unfortunately the Path of the actual audio files isn't shown in any screenshots.
perl
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:18 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by perl »

But it works on more then 60% of all albums ????

Exampel:
Image
and
Image

Why does it work on all theese albums ???

Yes NAS is on this adress:
Image
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Lowlander »

You'd need to check the Paths of files for which it works vs. which don't. Paths starting with http:// indicate a streaming URL, which won't allow tagging of the files.
Barry4679
Posts: 2398
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:07 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Barry4679 »

To add to what LowLander is saying:

Have a look at the 1st image that you posted in the top post in this thread.
That is not your NAS. That is a Media Server running on your NAS, that contains what is effectively a read-only index to your music. That Media Server is running on your NAS, and has the same name as your NAS. See your Sonos players above your NAS? ... they are same thing; read-only indexes to your music collection, running on your Sonos players.

Your NAS is inside the unopened Network node, towards the top of your image.

See Windows File Explorer on my PC. I have blurred some of the info for privacy. My NAS shows three times in the diagram. All have the same name. #1 is the discs on my NAS. #2 is the read-only Media Server.

What LowLander is thinking, is that when you Add/Scanned your some (or all) of tracks into the MediaMonkey database you pointed the read to the Media Server ... which means that MediaMonkey can read info (for those tracks) from there, but not update them.

If that is correct, you would need to Remove those tracks from MediaMonkey, and then return Add/scan from the correct location. NB: make sure that you take the Delete from database only" Remove option ... the other option will also delete your music tracks!!.
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
perl
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:18 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by perl »

Hello again
I understand what Lowlander is saying.
Barry, you have recently helped me a lot with getting the music channeled to my Sonos player, so I don't understand why Lowlander now want me to switch to the Network, unless there is some artwork missing that needs to be saved, because otherwise I can't play from my Sonos speakers.
All Artwork works on Sonos,
Image
Image

but not on Mediamonkey:
Image
I have used Network address to place the music "100 Greatest Moments" besides the Media server address "Nas\Music\"
Image
and I clearly have to reject the explanation that they should have different addresses.

I feel there is a mistake in Mediamonkey's handling of Artwork when the address points to a Media Server.

I also have a laptop with Mediamonkey where all music is entered as a network, and here there are no problems with missing Artwork.
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Lowlander »

You can play in both MediaMonkey and Sonos from a DLNA Server. That's fine. However you can't edit files over DLNA.

So if you want to edit files in any way (including Artwork) you'll need to scan the files from the File Server on the NAS instead of from the Media Server (DLNA). This is in MediaMonkey, for Sonos you keep using the DLNA Server on the NAS.

Both use the same files, however 1 method (DLNA) only allows streaming (and depends on the NAS DLNA Server for tags) whereas the other method (File Server) reads the files themselves (like local files) and thus allows manipulating them.
perl
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:18 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by perl »

You can play in both MediaMonkey and Sonos from a DLNA Server. That's fine. However you can't edit files over DLNA.
I don't need to edit tags from mediamonkey
I use the program Mp3tag

But why can't Mediamonkey show Artwork in this exampel ?:
Image

They are looking at the same album. The first with network address the next with Media Server address.
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Lowlander »

When you browse through Devices & Services to the same Album on the media server, does MediaMonkey still fail to show Artwork?
Barry4679
Posts: 2398
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:07 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Barry4679 »

Is there any good reason why you get MM to read from the MediaServer on your NAS? ie. vs directly pointing to the actual file location on your NAS, where you media files are stored?

From that other thread you mentioned:
Barry4679 wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 8:22 am You need to remove, from MediaMonkey and then rescan, your NAS tracks using either:
  • //YOUR-NAS_NAME/music
  • or //192.168.1.45/music
In those two options, the "/music" suffix is is the music Share on your NAS, where I think your media files are stored.
The 1st part are effectively the same thing; ie. and the Name of your NAS, and then the address of your NAS

I know that it is so bloody confusing. See here. This is looking via MM5 Folders node.
  1. That is my NAS ... I have a "music" share ... but actually my media files are in the "flac" share, although that is irrelevant here
  2. that has exactly the same name ... but that is the Media Server running on my NAS ... it also has a directory name "Music" which adds to the confusion
  • See on the right, you can tell them apart by their different icons ... also one has a "music" share, and the other has a "Music" folder

    It is hard to give advice here, because home networks can be configured with more, or with less, security ... and what works here, may not work elsewhere
    It is also hard for me, because I know next to nothing about Network plumbing.

    It is also hard for MediaMonkey ... they have some kind of hack, that I don't understand, which helps people find and make the initial connection to their NAS. ... Once you have connected to it once, everything seems to fall into place from there onwards.
    Their QuickStart documentation is non-existent. (?!


    It looks to me that you have scanned, some or all, of your tracks via your Media Server, which is effectively a read-only middle man. You can play from there, but not update

    MM handling of art is complex. I think that they cache recently accessed images, to speed things up if you return.
    The cache is a temporary repository, which gets cleans up by periodic housekeeping.
    The same thing is probably happening inside the Media Server on your name. It probably housekeeps its own cache also.

    My guess is that the reason why your art sometimes disappears is because the temporarily cached image that you last saw, or setup, has been house kept.

    MM handling of art is also sometimes flaky. Some times my art has temporarily "disappeared" ... probably after a crash, which I can see often while beta testing. I have not noticed it recently ... it clears itself up ok when it has repopulated the cache.

    If you want to fix this problem, you should scan from your files directly, if you have no problem with media files that have been imported into MM5 using that route. ... ie. using the NAS name, or address, from the Share where the music is stored.
    You don't have to move where your files are .. just re-clear the database, and repopulate it.

    You could also try using MM5 to maintain your tags, rather than an external tool. It may simplify your workflow.
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
perl
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:18 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by perl »

Lowlander wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 2:31 pm When you browse through Devices & Services to the same Album on the media server, does MediaMonkey still fail to show Artwork?
Yes, it is the same
Image

I will read Barry's response later today and see if his suggestions work
perl
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:18 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by perl »

Barry4679 wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 11:53 pm Is there any good reason why you get MM to read from the MediaServer on your NAS? ie. vs directly pointing to the actual file location on your NAS, where you media files are stored?

Image
Mediamonkey allows me to play music on my laptop or on my Sonos, and I absolutely prefer the sound from a Sonos.
I decided to use Mediamonkey because I get at better view of my albums than Sonos:
Image

I have these 4 options to associate music with Mediamonkey.
"Local Storage" and "Network" do not allow me to play the music on a Sonos speaker.
The only thing that has worked for me when I want to play on Sonos is "Media Server"
I have not tested "Cloud Storage".
Image
It is also hard for MediaMonkey ... they have some kind of hack, that I don't understand, which helps people find and make the initial connection to their NAS. ... Once you have connected to it once, everything seems to fall into place from there onwards.
Their QuickStart documentation is non-existent. (?!


It looks to me that you have scanned, some or all, of your tracks via your Media Server, which is effectively a read-only middle man. You can play from there, but not update

MM handling of art is complex. I think that they cache recently accessed images, to speed things up if you return.
The cache is a temporary repository, which gets cleans up by periodic housekeeping.
The same thing is probably happening inside the Media Server on your name. It probably housekeeps its own cache also.

My guess is that the reason why your art sometimes disappears is because the temporarily cached image that you last saw, or setup, has been house kept.

MM handling of art is also sometimes flaky. Some times my art has temporarily "disappeared" ... probably after a crash, which I can see often while beta testing. I have not noticed it recently ... it clears itself up ok when it has repopulated the cache.
I've noticed that, and it's probably the reason why weird suggestions for album art are popping up, but I'll get back to that.
You could also try using MM5 to maintain your tags, rather than an external tool. It may simplify your workflow.

I don't trust Mediamonkey when it comes to adding tags. Perhaps this is because it is difficult to get an overview of what is happening in the program.
Here you see an example of an image that is inserted despite the fact that I believe I have done EVERYTHING so that Mediamonkey does not affect my tags and Artwork. On each piece of music there is a picture with Andre Rieau. Mediamonkey does not correct anything if the album is entered as local or network as seen here. Only on the album entered as Media Server.:
Image

I can't get rid of the picture of Zacks Nkosi.
I show here my setups before I scanned these albums into the database:
Image
Cleared the database and cleaned the URL cache

Then I made this setup:
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Then I ran this import:
Image

Am I doing something wrong?
How do I prevent Mediamonkey from suggesting images?
I was just hoping to be able to get the same Artwork no matter if I use a network or Media server when creating my music library. Sonos has control over the images, why can't Mediamonkey get the same?
Lowlander
Posts: 56465
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Lowlander »

Can you please capture the scanning of the Album from the DLNA Server or the browsing to the Album in Devices & Services after removing it from MediaMonkey in a debug log (step 4b) and attach the log to a Support Ticket: https://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=86643 Also include information on the NAS and DLNA App you're using.

This will help a developer analyze why this happens on your setup.


Are you saying you can't play files scanned from the File Server to the Sonos? ie. it only works for files scanned from the DLNA Server on the NAS?
perl
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:18 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by perl »

Lowlander wrote: Wed Nov 23, 2022 11:15 am Can you please capture the scanning of the Album from the DLNA Server or the browsing to the Album in Devices & Services after removing it from MediaMonkey in a debug log (step 4b) and attach the log to a Support Ticket: https://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=86643 Also include information on the NAS and DLNA App you're using.

This will help a developer analyze why this happens on your setup.
Installed the debug program:
Image
Then I selected
Image
And got this:
Image
It didn't give me the option to select the NAS
Then I reinstalled:
Image
Selected:
Image
And this time a could select the NAS:
Image
Image
So I am not able to make any debug log to the support with the debug version
Are you saying you can't play files scanned from the File Server to the Sonos? ie. it only works for files scanned from the DLNA Server on the NAS?
Yes, it only works if I scan my music albums with "Media Server"
If I try to send music to my Sonos :
Image
I get errors like this:
Image
And if I select "Multi-zone":
Image
Peke
Posts: 17446
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 7:21 pm
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: Problems with Artwork

Post by Peke »

Hi,
Based on Pictures it looks like WMA is the problem as many devices do not support WMA playback. I remembered my very old Motorola phone removed WMA support as of Android 5.1 due the Microsoft complains and non paid licenses.

I wonder why you scan Media Server and not using NETWORK because you will have full access to files and MM Transcoding would solve WMA issue?
Best regards,
Peke
MediaMonkey Team lead QA/Tech Support guru
Admin of Free MediaMonkey addon Site HappyMonkeying
Image
Image
Image
How to attach PICTURE/SCREENSHOTS to forum posts
Post Reply