Inventory existing files

[jrybolt]

I have been using dbpoweramp for some time now and have ripped several hundred CDs storing them in the flac format. I love the speed and flexibility and have setup a basic folder structure that is easy for me to find what I am looking for.

What I am wondering is if anyone knows of a program that would go through my folders of songs, read in the detail information (it all shows when you mouse over a file) and create a database of what I have (albums, songs, ect). I know there are programs that would do this for me if I wanted to dig out all the CDs and read them again but I would like to avoid this. Right now the best way I have to find a song is using Window's search at the root of the folder.

Any suggestions are appriciated.

[Spoon]

Re: Inventory existing files

Check the [audio info] codec, it can write to an excel table (if used with batch converter)

[sjmac]

Re: Inventory existing files

What I am wondering is if anyone knows of a program that would go through my folders of songs, read in the detail information (it all shows when you mouse over a file) and create a database of what I have (albums, songs, ect).

Windows Media Player (version 11 at least!) does this for formats that it understands, and I personally quite like the UI it gives you to explore and edit the metadata for the files on disk.

You will have to install a couple of pluggins for FLAC, one to let WMP play the FLAC, and another to let it read the FLAC metadata (Tag Support Extender). Google has lot of hits if you're interested.

I change a few of options before I start using Windows Media Player:

1/ Tools > Options > Player: Uncheck "Add media files to library when played"

2/ Tools > Options > Library > Monitor Folders: Add in the root of your music collection

3/ Tools > Options > Library: Uncheck "Retrieve additional information from the Internet" (you can use the Media Player UI to manually retrieve extra data from AMG(?) if you need to, but dbPowerAmp should have added everything for you already ...)

4/ Tools > Options > Library: Uncheck "Delete files from computer when deleted from the library"

Then from inside media player you can browse all your files by various things like album name, artist name, and there is a handy search box too.

---
After I started using WMP I turned all my FLAC files in to WMA lossless. I can always turn them back in to FLAC if I stop using WMP ;-)

[RussellRay]

Re: Inventory existing files

Hello JRYBOLT

I too have been using "dBpoweramp" for a good few years.
I am a real fan.
I'm far from being a computer or audio guru - but I have, I think, in my amateur and ham-fisted way, succeeded just recently in doing precisely what you want to do. I'll just describe what the steps have been.

Success depends on having a clear and consistent folder system.
Might I ask how you have organized your audio folders and files ?

Now the procedure :

In <DMC configuration> <ID tag options> make sure you have selected the most suitable tag versions. For MP3 I chose the most recent. For FLAC I don't know.

In "File selector" (to treat all your files as a batch) check all and run <Convert> <Update tags>. This may take a few hours if you have a big collection but it ensures that your tags are uniformly consistent with the tag version(s) you've just set.

Then, still in "File selector" check all and <Convert> <Tags from filename>.
This assumes that your folder organization is perfectly consistent.
You have to set <Tag recognition> to match your folder tree.
Filename works backwards from the file, not forwards in absolute terms from the drive letter; this means that any element listed in <Tag recognition> that is missing from your folders will cause problems.
I got it right by experimenting - and touching up the odd flaw later.

You can inspect a few files at random by right-clicking and <Edit tag>.

When these random checks seem OK, go to "Music collection", <Collection> <Load> <New>.
In <Collection> <Preferences> set up the columns in the order you want.
This too should reflect your folder tree.
Then <Add music> and keep your fingers crossed.

Once you're satisfied with this layout, you can export the list e.g. to TXT and thence to XLS.

If you have organized all your folders and files in some consistent pattern, this should work for you too.

Best regards from Ray