Using both MusicMagic and filesystem aslibrary source doesn't seem to work

[eater]

When I select "Use MusicMagic" in my SlimServer 6.5.4 settings, and leave the "Music Folder" field empty, everything works fine -- all my tracks are mixable, with that little |M| next to them.

But when I add my music library folder to the "Music Folder" field and rescan, suddenly about half the tracks in the library lose their mixability. These are tracks that have been successfully scanned by MusicIP. Often half the tracks on an album will have the |M| and the other half won't. If I clear the "Music Folder" field and rescan, all the tracks have the |M|.

Why? What is going on? How can I fix this?

[Diana]

When I select "Use MusicMagic" in my SlimServer 6.5.4 settings, and leave the "Music Folder" field empty, everything works fine -- all my tracks are mixable, with that little |M| next to them.

But when I add my music library folder to the "Music Folder" field and rescan, suddenly about half the tracks in the library lose their mixability. These are tracks that have been successfully scanned by MusicIP. Often half the tracks on an album will have the |M| and the other half won't. If I clear the "Music Folder" field and rescan, all the tracks have the |M|.

Why? What is going on? How can I fix this?

Put simply, you can either let MusicIP organize the library, or you can let SS do it, but you can't let *both* do it - SS won't see the MusicIP 'mixability'.

IFAIK, the only reason for setting a music library folder is so that you can browse it from your SB. If that's what you want, a good trick is to clear the music folder and playlist boxes *before* you do a rescan with 'use MusicMagic' set; and after the scan has finished, reinsert the music folder and playlist settings. (You'll need to remember to do this every time you scan.)

HTH

[eater]

IFAIK, the only reason for setting a music library folder is so that you can browse it from your SB. If that's what you want, a good trick is to clear the music folder and playlist boxes *before* you do a rescan with 'use MusicMagic' set; and after the scan has finished, reinsert the music folder and playlist settings. (You'll need to remember to do this every time you scan.)

I don't want to browse my music folder, but I do want to listen to my M4A files, which are not supported by MusicIP. I add music every day, and depend on automatic rescans, so that "delete the music folder field, rescan, then reinsert" would be very inconvenient.

Is there no way to integrate the two sources? I had thought that was possible.

[davep]

Well, I have to say that for me, running ubuntu, I have been able to have both MusicIP integration turned on AND have my music directory entered in the Slimserver (and now SqueezeCenter) settings page. Apart for some difficulty a year or more back, when I was getting some double entries, it has been trouble free and allows me to browse all my music including those tracks which I have chosen not to run through MIP scanning.

No special requirements to delete and reinsert entries. I have an automatic rescan set for 2am everyday and it does this unattended with no issues.

I'm not sure what is different between our two setups but I can attest that it can - and does - work.

davep

[Diana]

eater wrote:
>> IFAIK, the only reason for setting a music library folder is so that you
>> can browse it from your SB. If that's what you want, a good trick is to
>> clear the music folder and playlist boxes *before* you do a rescan with
>> 'use MusicMagic' set; and after the scan has finished, reinsert the
>> music folder and playlist settings. (You'll need to remember to do this
>> every time you scan.)
>
> I don't want to browse my music folder, but I do want to listen to my
> M4A files, which are not supported by MusicIP. I add music every day,
> and depend on automatic rescans, so that "delete the music folder
> field, rescan, then reinsert" would be very inconvenient.
>
> Is there no way to integrate the two sources? I had thought that was
> possible.
>
>

Ah, I see your problem. I doubt there's a fix: as I understand it,
when you 'use MusicMagic', SC uses the information in the MusicIP
library to create its database; but if you point SC at your music
folder, it will use that directly instead, and won't pick up the
mixability information. This is certainly my long experience with 6.5.x
and MusicIP.

Maybe one of the developers can advise whether there's a fix, or whether
7.0 will work differently.

Sorry not to be of more help to you

[Diana]

Well, I have to say that for me, running ubuntu, I have been able to have both MusicIP integration turned on AND have my music directory entered in the Slimserver (and now SqueezeCenter) settings page...
No special requirements to delete and reinsert entries. I have an automatic rescan set for 2am everyday and it does this unattended with no issues.

I'm not sure what is different between our two setups but I can attest that it can - and does - work.
davep

Davep >>> Sorry - hadn't seen your post when I replied via e-mail. This is very odd: I've used 6.x.x + MusicIP with WinXP and Ubuntu, and with MIP as a WinXP app and as a headless server in GNU/Linux... and I've never been able to get proper MIP-mixable scans if I've had a music folder listed in server settings (and believe me I've tried!).

I've no idea what's going on here. All I can add is that I've also always had trouble getting MIP to work with my music on a network drive, irrespective of OS, and now have the music on a big internal HD.

Curiouser and curiouser...

[Siduhe]

Hi diana,

My experience with MIP (which is admittedly very straightfoward compared to what some experience) is the same as Dave's - I use MIP and have an entry for Browse Music folder with no problems. XP box, Slimserver [various versions from at least 5.4 to 7.0], I've also run MIP as an application and a service and never experienced this.

As a wild finger in the air, I wonder if it is related to the fact your music is stored on a network drive?

Sorry not to have more insight but can confirm it's possible to integrate the two sources.

[eater]

if you point SC at your music folder, it will use that directly instead, and won't pick up the mixability information.

No, it's clearly drawing from both sources, the folder and the MusicIP library, since about half the tracks on each album I view have the |M| icon and half don't. I just want to figure out a way to make it do so consistently.

[eater]

I wonder if it is related to the fact your music is stored on a network drive?

In my case, my music is stored locally, on the same headless Linux machine that's running MIP and slimserver.

[Diana]

Siduhe wrote:
> My experience with MIP... is the same as Dave's
<snip>
> As a wild finger in the air, I wonder if it is related to the fact your
> music is stored on a network drive?
> Sorry not to have more insight but can confirm it's possible to
> integrate the two sources.


Hi, Siduhe. Good to hear from you!

No, I *don't* use a network drive - haven't for ages, as MIP didn't seem
to like that at all. But interesting to hear you've had no problems, as
my experience has been exactly like eaters: if I use MIP with music
folder set, the SC library gets in a mess, with some music mixable and a
lot not. But what you say makes me doubt my own eyes (I have a lot of
respect for your knowledge of MIP+SC, as you know!). So maybe, if I get
chance, I'll run some experimental scans later.

BTW, what version of SC are you now using?

--
Diana