Newbie question about album folder art

[belcherman]

Hi, I just started playing with dbPA and have ripped about 50 cds to uncompressed flac files on my odroidxu4 server running OMV6 and minidlna. The folder structure I'm using is Genre/Artist/Album. Now, when I browse the server with my DLNA client, I see the tracks in the album folder with the album art next to each track name.

The first question I have is that some of the tracks have different artwork than most of the other tracks in the same album folder. I've tried to use PerfectTunes to fix it, but I must be doing something wrong. Is there something specific I should be checking?

My second question I have is that I'd also like to see the album art next to the album folder at the artist level. In other words, I'd like to be able to open the Artist folder and see a list of all albums for that artist, each with the correct album art next to the album title. I think this is possible, because two of the albums I ripped display the album art next to the album name (although one of them is incorrect). The rest just show a folder icon. Is this a metadata thing I should be setting at the folder level?

TIA

[BrodyBoy]

If I’m reading your description correctly, this sounds like a settings issue with your playback client.

dBp wouldn’t have applied different art to different tracks when you ripped your CDs. Many playback clients, however, have their own option to look up metadata and cover art. Apple Music and Windows Media Player (or whatever it’s called now) are examples…if you let them, they’ll actually replace art and metadata with that from their own providers. It’s incredibly obnoxious, especially if you’ve spent time and energy getting those things just right.

So check that setting in your client program. Similarly, playback devices, clients, etc typically have settings that let you customize which information is displayed. (Consider how Windows File Explorer has always offered a bunch of different ways to view your files.)

Bottom line, what you’re describing likely isn’t a consequence of how dBp ripped the files, and dBp can’t fix it. The files and their folders are probably just fine, assuming your client hasn’t messed with their metadata. You need to address the display problems in the program you are using to view them.

[simbun]

belcherman

Firstly MiniDLNA is a mess, if you can install the free version of MinimServer or the paid version of AssetUPnP/MinimServer which is better yet.

I've found storing artwork as folder.jpg in each folder that contains tracks enough, so aim for that and remove any embedded artwork you may have. In very rare circumstances you may need to embed to override the album default, but that's fine.

If you're browsing by folder in MiniDLNA and you want to see artwork at the album level then a folder.jpg needs to be in that folder too, so if your folder setup is 'Artist/Album/CD01' then you'll need folder.jpg in the 'Album' folder AND the 'CD01' folder.

What app are you using to browse MiniDLNA. If you're on Android BubbleUPnP is highly recommended.

[belcherman]

belcherman

Firstly MiniDLNA is a mess, if you can install the free version of MinimServer or the paid version of AssetUPnP/MinimServer which is better yet.

I've found storing artwork as folder.jpg in each folder that contains tracks enough, so aim for that and remove any embedded artwork you may have. In very rare circumstances you may need to embed to override the album default, but that's fine.

If you're browsing by folder in MiniDLNA and you want to see artwork at the album level then a folder.jpg needs to be in that folder too, so if your folder setup is 'Artist/Album/CD01' then you'll need folder.jpg in the 'Album' folder AND the 'CD01' folder.

What app are you using to browse MiniDLNA. If you're on Android BubbleUPnP is highly recommended.

Thanks. I am using the iOS controller app for the WiiM Pro Plus network streamer, but I saw the same behavior using other dlna/upnp clients as well. Doing a database rebuild and service restart on the minidlna server fixed most of the problems for me (I still have one problem folder, but I think I'll just re-rip that disc).

Thanks for the suggestions regarding other dlna servers. If I can get a build for debian/arm, I'll check them out when I have time. Right now, I still have a lot to learn about the dBpoweramp tools.

[simbun]

Thanks. I am using the iOS controller app for the WiiM Pro Plus network streamer, but I saw the same behavior using other dlna/upnp clients as well. Doing a database rebuild and service restart on the minidlna server fixed most of the problems for me (I still have one problem folder, but I think I'll just re-rip that disc).

A fellow WiiM user!

Just be aware that performing a MiniDLNA rebuild can break existing playlists (the ones created in control points not the local m3u type) as the stream URL's change, so what once was a playlist containing tracks from Artist A could now point to Artist B.