How to manage multiple music files safely ?

[ganesh_mourthy]

I am sure technical questions like this have been discussed several times, but it will sure keep coming and I am sure life savers will always be around.

Let us say we have duplicate files in our hard disk and external hard disk how do we do away with it. I have multiple duplicate in computer and I have no problem doing it away with duplicate finder. Now I was trying to merge the external hard disk and internal so that I will have exact copy in each discs . But there could be some files that are in internal hard disk that are not in external hard disk and vice versa. Let us say there are 30 common music files in both and 8 and 9 unique ones in both . How do I make exact 47 in both ( 30 common plus 8 and 9 unique). I know I can just copy and paste both ways and finally keep the filters , but I am afraid to do it as in the process i might lose some and I have indeed lost some. Is there a safe logical way to do such process.

Besides, how do you all maintain a large database safely ( if at all) without multiply duplicating the same files. Now that we have applications like " everything " we save it everywhere , a bit for granted but never know what is where actually.

[Rsachi]

Sir, what I would do:
Copy all your music files from the main hard disk on the computer into the external disk.
Use Duplicate file finder and delete all duplicates on the external disk.
Use ID tag editor to add artist, album, song and genre to all remaining tracks.
Download and install iTunes into your main computer.
Delete the original music files on the computer AFTER MAKING SURE they are on the external disk.
Then copy all the files from external disk to a folder named iTunes folder on the computer.
Then let iTunes scan and import all files into its library (that will be your database.)
Then iTunes can help you to manage any potential duplicates and also enjoy listening to any track or album of your choice easily.

[VijayR]

I am sure technical questions like this have been discussed several times, but it will sure keep coming and I am sure life savers will always be around.

Let us say we have duplicate files in our hard disk and external hard disk how do we do away with it. I have multiple duplicate in computer and I have no problem doing it away with duplicate finder. Now I was trying to merge the external hard disk and internal so that I will have exact copy in each discs . But there could be some files that are in internal hard disk that are not in external hard disk and vice versa. Let us say there are 30 common music files in both and 8 and 9 unique ones in both . How do I make exact 47 in both ( 30 common plus 8 and 9 unique). I know I can just copy and paste both ways and finally keep the filters , but I am afraid to do it as in the process i might lose some and I have indeed lost some. Is there a safe logical way to do such process.

Besides, how do you all maintain a large database safely ( if at all) without multiply duplicating the same files. Now that we have applications like " everything " we save it everywhere , a bit for granted but never know what is where actually.

What you are looking for is called "folder synchronization". To be more specific, you want two-way folder sync (warning: one-way file sync is, as the name implies, one-way... it will usually overwrite files on the destination side, so pay careful attention and make sure you are not doing one-way sync). Search Google using that term and you'll find dozens of free (and paid) software to do it. If you are using Windows, here are some instructions that might help:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... on-in-sync

[Nick H]

Look for the option or tick box called something like "Delete files on destination." And be very very careful how and if you use it. Sometimes these softwares have a "dry run" which will tell you what it would do. Observe carefully, sleep on it, and run all your checks and thought processes through again from scratch the next day.

I have two external-disk backups, and that is approximately what I do when I synchronise one to the other

[ganesh_mourthy]

This is one particular thing that makes me anxious as I have erred a few times.

Nick , which software would say " delete files on destination" ?- you have not specified the software.

[ganesh_mourthy]

synccenter seem to be designed for that , thanks Vijay. But it seems too complicated. Have you done it before?

[Nick H]

Nick , which software would say " delete files on destination" ?- you have not specified the software.

I don't use WIndows, so it is unlikely we could be using the same software. I use LInux, and piee of software called grsync. When I used WIndows, I used something with a name like Alwaysync. It was very good, but it has been four or five years since I saw it.

[vasanthakokilam]

What Vijay mentioned is a pretty good tool on windows but know what it does before using it.

G_M, I thought you were asking about finding duplicates and possibly eliminating them across drives. Sync is not quite that. It is about creating duplicates. Purposefully so.

But there is also this other thing.

"If you have deleted a file from one location but not the other, Sync Center will delete the file from the other location."

Be mindful of the following scenario. You sync and are happy. After a few months you need some space on the external or network drive temporarily. Thinking that you have the music files on the computer you get rid of a few gigs of data on the external drive.

[ganesh_mourthy]

I have been recklessly copying files here and there through pen drives, sandisk, download, cloud and it has gotten to a point most of them are redundant now .

Now I have gotten myself to the point like in some thriller movies where the Hero finds two electric wire green and red and pulling one explodes the bomb and the other one result in success. I am almost there fidgeting carefully between apps ....at least here, my computer won't explode and that is a little relief.

Thanks Vasanthakokilam, that sync was something I could not quite understand and also thanks for all the warnings from all, I will be doubly careful. Now, I have to alongside also think of a way that this does not happen again.

GM

[eesha]

Sir, what I would do:
Use Duplicate file finder and delete all duplicates on the external disk.

Not everyone will know how to get a "Duplicate file finder".

Here is one:
http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/du ... le-finder/

[Rsachi]

Thank you Eesha.
Before running the duplicate file finder, better to move all music files into a folder. Then index them and sort by file size. That will help run the process faster.

By the way the suggestion I have made many times here {to tepid response} is that adding ID tags is the first namakaraNa and annaprashana we should do to music files (or they will do munDana to us.)

[ganesh_mourthy]

Rsachi Sir,

I have thousands of them. How to add id tags to all of them. some, they are just converted files and old lp to mp3 conversions.

[Rsachi]

Without an ID tag, you will be constantly searching for files. After tagging, I can pick the exact Kalyani or Kharaharapriya track even if I have five different versions of the same artiste or even song. I always play the music by selecting album, artiste, track. On mobile or computer. ID tags come on DVD player and TV also.
Maybe I didn't struggle much because my very first MP3 collection was on a Creative Jukebox and I started with tags from day 1.
Indian CDs don't have tags and that's a shame. So I added them manually after zipping them.

[Nick H]

Now I have gotten myself to the point like in some thriller movies where the Hero finds two electric wire green and red and pulling one explodes the bomb and the other one result in success. I am almost there fidgeting carefully between apps ....at least here, my computer won't explode and that is a little relief.

That is just how I feel when I do such a tidying-up exercise ) --- which is why I recommend dry runs, double checking, sleeping on it, and then double checking again! The hero with the ticking bomb does not have that luxury!

[sridhar]

I use Microsoft's free Synctoy. It has three modes: Synchronize, Echo and Contribute. You will need to do "contribute" from every source on to a master destination (this could be the disk that has maximum number of tracks). Once finished you can delete all other versions and duplicate the master source on to other discs. you can then use synchronize/echo for maintenance

[vasanthakokilam]

About tagging, Sachi is right. That gives you a lot of benefits over time. it is just not about keeping track of them, but it makes a difference as to whether you get to listen to a piece of music when you want to.

I agree that tagging is a pain. What I have done in the past is to write a little script that will convert the file name to tag values. Sangitapriya files have some conventions which help here. But you need as many variations in scripts as the number of such conventions. The main thing is that they follow it consistently no matter what the convention is. Also, this kind of effort is not to solve the entire problem automatically but to get a head start. (sangithapriya files do not need this since they are probably tagged already )

Here is a simple example.

Code: Select all

cat songlist|awk -F'-' '{printf "No=%d Song=%s Raga=%s Composer=%s\n",$1, $2,$3, $4}'

The above command line works on UNIX family of systems, including the Macintosh(use Terminal)

Those who know what the above gobbleegook means know how much of a kindergarten variety this is. Not complex at all.

Input file is this (you need to work on getting the names all the files that follow a certain format in a file )

01 - vAtApi_gaNapatim_bhajEham - hamsadhvani - m.dIkshitar
02 - shrI_shukra_bhagavantam - paras - m.dIkshitar
03 - yOcana_kamala_lOcana - darbAr - tyAgarAja
04 - mInAkSi_mEmudam_dEhi - pUrvikalyANi - m.dIkshitar
05 - brOcEvArevarurA_ninnu - khamAs - mysore_vAsudevAcAr
06 - kA_vA_vA_kandA_vA_vA - varALi - pApanAsam_sivan
07 - jAlandhara - valaji - muthaiah_bAgavatar
08 - RTP - - - Kalyani
09 - karpakamE_kaDaikkaN - madhyamAvati - pApanAsam_sivan
10 - nI_nAma_rUpamulaku_nitya - saurAshtram - tyAgarAja

The above command line produces this.

No=1 Song= vAtApi_gaNapatim_bhajEham Raga= hamsadhvani Composer= m.dIkshitar
No=2 Song= shrI_shukra_bhagavantam Raga= paras Composer= m.dIkshitar
No=3 Song= yOcana_kamala_lOcana Raga= darbAr Composer= tyAgarAja
No=4 Song= mInAkSi_mEmudam_dEhi Raga= pUrvikalyANi Composer= m.dIkshitar
No=5 Song= brOcEvArevarurA_ninnu Raga= khamAs Composer= mysore_vAsudevAcAr
No=6 Song= kA_vA_vA_kandA_vA_vA Raga= varALi Composer= pApanAsam_sivan
No=7 Song= jAlandhara Raga= valaji Composer= muthaiah_bAgavatar
No=8 Song= RTP Raga= Composer=
No=9 Song= karpakamE_kaDaikkaN Raga= madhyamAvati Composer= pApanAsam_sivan
No=10 Song= nI_nAma_rUpamulaku_nitya Raga= saurAshtram Composer= tyAgarAja

you can change the script to produce a format that a batch ID tag editor can take and apply it sequentially to the files in the 'songlist' file.
It is not without its issues, so do not expect it to work perfectly like you can see above for the RTP. Even if it does 80% of the work, that is still a big help.

[Nick H]

How nice to see an awk script

It's been a long time, but... are you missing a final ' at the end? The one that would make '{printf "No=%d Song=%s Raga=%s Composer=%s\n",$1, $2,$3, $4}' a single argument to awk and prevent the shell trying to do anything with $1, $2, etc.

Excuse me if I'm completely wrong: it has been a long time!

[vasanthakokilam]

Nick, good eyes. It is a copy&paste error. I have fixed it now! Thanks.

[Nick H]

It's always so much easier to notice the mistakes in other people's code! <blush>

[vasanthakokilam]

Yup. That is true for writing as well. Or when I come back to my own work after a while.

The reverse is also true. Having a distance helps in appreciating things. One literal example is, the
dash board of the car in the adjacent lane looks more interesting and flashy than your own because the (visual) perspective is different.
That is a metaphor for a lot of subtler things, where if the you step away from it ( relationship, emotional, self-interest or whatever ) it is much easier to get the right perspective.

Alright, who said one can not learn life lessons from awk!!