Searching artist with compilation albums

[Floyd]

Using Samsung Android Tablet
NAS using Twonky
All albums were ripped with DBPoweramp.
There seems to be a problem with the search function with app music players when searching for an artist within compilation albums.
If I search using an actual song name it will display the song I am after whether on the compilation albums or "normal" artist folders.
My music library is divided into folders. Usually when its one artist only ie Pink Floyd or Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles etc all their albums will be under that album artist folder.
For compilation albums I called the album artist something like 70s Compilations or Blues Compilation Albums or Christmas Music etc etc.
So for compilation albums instead of using the album artist of Various I renamed album artist as 70s or 60s or Christmas Music etc.
If I search for an artist the search will display the artist's tracks and albums from the non compilation albums but will leave out the tracks associated with the compilation album folders.
If I use a PC with a music program like JRiver and use the same music files from the same NAS the search function works fine and displays everything expected.
I would like to get an understanding of why the search does not work when searching artists with respect to compilation albums.
To me it looks like the music players are searching on album artist and not artist?
Not sure if I am doing anything wrong or others are seeing the same issue?
Hopefully someone has the answer or a work around
Thanks

[Floyd]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

Updating:
Just tried and was able to do an artist search if I change the track title to the form artist - track in the metadata
eg
from title "Unchained Melody" to "Righteous Brothers, The - Unchained Melody"
the Album Artist Field still stayed as it was for the Compilation Folder.
So puting the artist first into the title gets to be able to search artist in a compilation.
While this is a step forward I would not like having to changed the 5000 or so compilation tracks in my collection individually.
Search still seems to find the song name "Unchained Melody" still even though the title is "Righteous Brothers, The - Unchained Melody"
Maybe changing this will possibly effect something else...???
Makes the track title longer.
It would be nice if there was a simpler way around this.

[mville]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

In which android app music player are you experiencing this problem?

It seems to me like a problem with the search function of your player and not a problem with dBpoweramp.

... and I assume you have populated the compilation tracks artist tag correctly?

[Spoon]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

You could try a better UPnP server, if your NAS supports it:

https://www.dbpoweramp.com/asset-upnp-dlna.htm

[Floyd]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

Thanks for the response.
No implying that there is any issue with the DBP but was hoping for a possible workaround or point me in the right direction if I was doing something wrong..
Music apps are HiFi Cast or mconnect player HD or the Bose app.
My NAS is a Seagate Personal Cloud so not real option there.
Tonight I have used mp3tag to convert tag-tag using %artist% _ %title% for compilation albums ( tested on a few at least so far).
This provides a solution to the search artist issue but changes the name of the song.

eg
Unchained Melody becomes Righteous Brothers, The_Unchained Melody
etc
While this could solve the issue of searching an artist in a compilation Folder of hundreds of compilation albums if I batch it it creates a change if I use say JRiver on the PC
the name of the song changes to
Righteous Brothers, The_Righteous Brothers, The - Unchained Melody
These apps must use Album Artist to search for artist maybe?
Would be nice to know a list of music player apps for android or ipad etc that do things to integrate with the various tools like DBP etc
Trouble is as you know the Album Artist for a compilation is not usually an Artist.
Appreciate your help.
Thanks

[Floyd]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

Compilation tag is a 1 for all compilation albums and the Artist fields correct. Album Artist is whatever folder I chose to put the compilation album in
ie Christmas Albums or 50s Albums or whatever instead of a giant Various Folder.
Its only the search artist function that involves compilation albums that is a problem.
If a track name is searched it finds it whether on a compilation album or a "normal" album.
All other info presents correctly on the players.
It really is only a problem when you have people over and someone asks have you got any tracks
by some obscure astist that usually resides somewhere more othen than not on a compilation album.
Plenty of compilation questions seem to on the web around searching...just no real standard / easy solutions except to fudge it.
Thanks

[mville]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

IMO, the idea of adding the artist to the title, to circumvent a search issue with your server and/or android app player, is not satisfactory.

Perhaps you'd be better served by contacting the relevant developers (server and/or player) and reporting the issue to them.

... or post in their forums, as maybe someone else has a similar issue or a better workaround.

[GaryG45]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

All of my compilation albums use Compilation as the Album Artist tag. Depending on settings, what you see is similar to my Sonos app. Sonos has a setting "Group Albums using". If I select Album Artist for this setting, I cannot find artists in compilation albums because I think Sonos treats the Album Artist tag as the Artist. Another option for this setting is "Do not group compilations". When I use this option, my searches find artists from compilation albums.

I also have the Bose SoundTouch app, and it will not find artists in compilation albums. It doesn't have any options that allow me to change how it works, which is one reason why I find it to be a terrible app.

Besides what mville has suggested, I'd check the player app to see if there is a setting relating to compilations.

[Floyd]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

I think it not ideal also and I will think hard about whether I bother doing it.
Have already raised it with the app supports but I think it must be either too hard or they are not interested in the issue.
Unlike in this forum there is no response.
So my main point raising this was to see if there was anyone who had any better way to do this..
Unfortunately as stated my choices are to probably invest in a better NAS and use other apps and servers.
The biggest frustration is that it is still a suck and see approach as I have tried many apps and wasted my money.
Thanks again for at least responding.

[mville]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

I have 3 more questions for you.

1. What OS is running on the Seagate Personal Cloud NAS?

2. For confirmation, you run Twonky on the NAS as the audio server and the control points you have tried are the HiFi Cast, mconnect player HD and Bose android apps on your Samsung tablet?

3. What is the media renderer in this setup?

[Floyd]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

Answering:
1. Seagate Personal Cloud Firmware 4.3.18.4 (up to date )
2. Choice is Twonky or Plex for this NAS. They are the current apps. Used to use Foobar2000 mobile while good unfortunately does not seem to have a search
function and some other features these apps have etc.
3.Bluetooth speaker Sony and a friend has tried UE boom here. Son has a Bose Soundlink 30 when he is around.
Thanks

[Floyd]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

Adding:
No settings available for compilations like in Sonos in the player apps used.
App developer has now responded this am and now has some system info from my android device taken during a search for artist senario.
Hopefully may be some progress but I will have to wait and see.
I must say that if it was easy then probably all apps would be able to do it that have a search function.
See what happens
Thanks

[GaryG45]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

I think your son has a SoundTouch 30 because the only Soundlink models I found are Revolve and Revolve+. With my SoundTouch app there is an option called Artist Index. In the app tap your NAS then Music and the search list should display Artist Index as an option. Using this option I can find artists that are in my musicals and soundtracks but not in compilations. I have to scan the index by letters, ABC, DEF, etc. and cannot search it. I have to scroll through each group of artists. I haven&*8217;t had a chance to experiment but maybe I can&*8217;t find artists in my compilations because the compilation tag is 1. I know this doesn&*8217;t help with your other players, but it might help with the Bose app.

I have Twonky on my WDMYCLOUDMIRROR NAS but I don&*8217;t use it

[Floyd]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

Yep your right, Soundtouch 30. Soundtouch app the worst IMO so dont take much notice of Bose...but found that the HiFi Cast app will work with it and possibly the Bose 535 etc or it does on a 535 at a friends place anyway.
Agree Twonky is not the preferred option if I had the $ I would get a Synology or QNAP etc but alas.
Be nice if someone could tune up Foobar2k to do a proper search function..maybe worth paying a fee for if it could present the most required metadata properly.
Track Name + Artist + Album + Album Cover + Composer and be able to search for songs and artists whether in a compilation album or a "normal" album. Its does most of these things already and sounds good.
Just after some good old fashioned old reliabilty / stability / serviceability and functionality.
Maybe if the apps had a few more settings to expand / make available settings like you mention Sonos seems to do to give more choices that suits the user.

[mville]

Re: Searching artist with compilation albums

Answering:
1. Seagate Personal Cloud Firmware 4.3.18.4 (up to date )

Is this a Linux based OS?

2. Choice is Twonky or Plex for this NAS. They are the current apps. Used to use Foobar2000 mobile while good unfortunately does not seem to have a search

Hmmm, foobar2000 has an excellent search facility, so I find it hard to believe the mobile version has no search facility at all.