Folder metadata

[specialk]

Hello,

I have a question regarding folder metadata. I'd like to customize folders to include metadata so they can be sorted and filtered in library views. I do know of the existing desktop.ini workaround, which does do what I'm describing, but when working with hundreds or thousands of subfolders in a music collection, this is too tedious a task. Is there any quicker, easier tweak to accomplish this? Ideally if there's a third-party add-on that allows metadata to be changed in explorer's preview pane or properties, that would be terrific. Desktop.ini customization does the trick, but it's just too long a method to manually change each folder one at a time.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Kyle

 

[Vadikan]

Forget about folders!

Hi Kyle,

Looks like you're looking for a GUI method of editing desktop.ini I don't know if such software exists, and it will be tedious anyway. So let me a suggest an alternative approach that takes advantage of virtual folders in File Explorer.

1. You have to make sure all your ID3 tags are in order, and there are plenty of free ID3 tag editors (google).

2. Right-click anywhere in your Music library and arrange your music.



Note that this approach still enables you to use any view (e.g. table or thumbnails) as well as [DEL]grouping [/DEL]and filtering.

Vadim

 

[specialk]

Hi Kyle,

Looks like you're looking for a GUI method of editing desktop.ini I don't know if such software exists, and it will be tedious anyway. So let me a suggest an alternative approach that takes advantage of virtual folders in File Explorer.

1. You have to make sure all your ID3 tags are in order, and there are plenty of free ID3 tag editors (google).

2. Right-click anywhere in your Music library and arrange your music.

View attachment 25747

Note that this approach still enables you to use any view (e.g. table or thumbnails) as well as grouping and filtering.

Vadim

Thanks, Vadim.

I actually decided to utilize the one-folder library since my tags were already in order. However, when I "arrange by" album or artist, the "group by" option is no longer available--it's grayed out from usage. If I could "arrange by" album and then group by artist, it would be perfect and would accomplish what I ultimately wanted to do in the first place. But it's not letting me group or filter when in arrange mode.

Kyle

 

[Vadikan]

Kyle,

Indeed, there's no grouping, but you can still sort and filter in table view.

Vadim

 

[XweAponX]

I hate that MS adds all that crap into folders where music is, cos I need to sort "Type" and Size" and I have to delete all the other crapola to add those two fields in. Anything I wanna sort by Artist and Song title gets put in the Music folder anyway, but any time you make a folder and drag MP3's or Wavs, it gets changed into a Music folder. I'd rather make that choice myself instead of having it foisted on me.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Real Location?

What happens if you go to the real location of the files instead of the Library and then try to "Sort by" and "Group by"?

 

[specialk]

What happens if you go to the real location of the files instead of the Library and then try to "Sort by" and "Group by"?

I've found that sorting and grouping in the actual file locations is not ideal because with so many files, it takes a while to index each sort/group/filter sometimes slowing to a crawl. The other option is to store each album in a separate folder, which helps with the speed, but again without being able to assign properties to the folder itself, it makes grouping and filtering a little trickier.

For simplicity's sake, and maintaining some level of organization, I kept each album in a separate folder. I'm still able to group or arrange them through the library, just not quite to the levels I wanted.

 

[lehnerus2000]

What happens if you go to the real location of the files instead of the Library and then try to "Sort by" and "Group by"?

I've found that sorting and grouping in the actual file locations is not ideal because with so many files, it takes a while to index each sort/group/filter sometimes slowing to a crawl. The other option is to store each album in a separate folder, which helps with the speed, but again without being able to assign properties to the folder itself, it makes grouping and filtering a little trickier.

For simplicity's sake, and maintaining some level of organization, I kept each album in a separate folder. I'm still able to group or arrange them through the library, just not quite to the levels I wanted.

I store my Classical and Contemporary music in this format:

Category > Letter (or Compilation) > Artist > Album


​

I use a slightly different arrangement for Soundtracks:

Category > Sub-Category (or Compilation) > Movie or Series > Album
​

Have you created a Folder Template for your Music folders?

 

[XweAponX]

Crikes! I just put em all into iTunes which sorts it all out automatically and even adds the artwork. I rip a lot of CDs and I always use MP3 instead of AAC.

 

[specialk]

What happens if you go to the real location of the files instead of the Library and then try to "Sort by" and "Group by"?

I've found that sorting and grouping in the actual file locations is not ideal because with so many files, it takes a while to index each sort/group/filter sometimes slowing to a crawl. The other option is to store each album in a separate folder, which helps with the speed, but again without being able to assign properties to the folder itself, it makes grouping and filtering a little trickier.

For simplicity's sake, and maintaining some level of organization, I kept each album in a separate folder. I'm still able to group or arrange them through the library, just not quite to the levels I wanted.

I store my Classical and Contemporary music in this format:

Category > Letter (or Compilation) > Artist > Album

View attachment 25759
​

I use a slightly different arrangement for Soundtracks:

Category > Sub-Category (or Compilation) > Movie or Series > Album
​

Have you created a Folder Template for your Music folders?

I have five separate folders: Singles, Compilations, Soundtracks, Live and Studio albums. Beyond that, I have each album in a separate folder regardless of artist. I did originally have each album in the artist's folder, but decided to do away with that since it was an extra layer unnecessary with the windows library system. I have each album tagged to one of about 50 genres.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Crikes! I just put em all into iTunes which sorts it all out automatically and even adds the artwork. I rip a lot of CDs and I always use MP3 instead of AAC.

I don't run any Apple software on my PC.

I have seen numerous complaints about iTunes (on SevenForums).

I have five separate folders: Singles, Compilations, Soundtracks, Live and Studio albums. Beyond that, I have each album in a separate folder regardless of artist. I did originally have each album in the artist's folder, but decided to do away with that since it was an extra layer unnecessary with the windows library system. I have each album tagged to one of about 50 genres.

I have albums sub-folders in Artist folders, because I have multiple albums with the same titles.

I assume that you incorporate the artist name with the album name, to avoid clashes when albums have the same names (e.g. "The Best Of").

 

[specialk]

I have five separate folders: Singles, Compilations, Soundtracks, Live and Studio albums. Beyond that, I have each album in a separate folder regardless of artist. I did originally have each album in the artist's folder, but decided to do away with that since it was an extra layer unnecessary with the windows library system. I have each album tagged to one of about 50 genres.

I have albums sub-folders in Artist folders, because I have multiple albums with the same titles.

I assume that you incorporate the artist name with the album name, to avoid clashes when albums have the same names (e.g. "The Best Of").

Yes indeed. Since Windows won't allow the same file name, I simply have the name of the album and the artist in parentheses.

 

[XweAponX]

I have to have iTunes since I have an iPhone, I've never liked it, but lately I've been using it to keep track of all my music, and it does a good job with it. also, it burns CD-Text onto Music CD's I make, and my other burning program, CD Architect is to old and does not write CD-Text. My other CD making app, Wavelab, hasn't run in Vista, 7 and 8.

The only other app I use that can sort out a library is Foobar, but you have to find a foobar theme that shows your library in a sane manner.