Audio File Hierarchies, Naming Conventions and Management Strategies

[PJPro]

Errr. I go for a simple nested file arrangement based on artist eg

+ Music Libray
+ Paul Weller
+ 1993 Wild Wood
Weller, Paul - Wild Wood - 01 - Sunflower.flac
....etc
+ 1998 Modern Classics
Weller, Paul - Modern Classics - 01 - Out Of The Sinking.flac
....etc

Each album folder also contains the EAC log file detailing the rip results.

In terms of management, all data is held on a HDD in my PC and backed up onto a second internal HDD. I also backup to an external HDD which I don't keep in the house.

So how do you do with your audio files? It appears that some go for something complex.

 

[russ74]

I'm the same: Drive letter (eg C/My Music/Artist Name/Album/track files & album cover. Various artists albums tend to be left as just the album folder.Due to limited disk space I tend to rip to 320kb mp3 so I use JJ MP3 Renamer to check/edit tags and add the album art to the file.

 

[John Duncan]

I go Insert Disk/Import Disk.

Told you iTunes had benefits.......

 

[Alec]

Currently things are really in a state of flux as i concentrate on ripping.

The way i used to do things, i had a folder of "Best Of" compilations, all in their own subfolders, then various "Various Artists" compilations - stuff that i really like but dont have enough by that band to justify a besy of, so a bunged them in together. Then - ruled by laziness as always - i put stuff from the best ofs in several folders, mixing them up in a way that i thhought would sound good. This last lot, ive got rid of as, as you can see, it lead to a lot of duplicates, which i decided might confuse me when im ripping. now theres just one of everyhting.

oh, i also have a separate folder dedicated to various artists compilations specifically in the punk/metal/rock/hardcore/hip-hop genres.

i still havent decided how to do it in future - folders only or playlists in my media players library...? At one time, i was trying to do both - i had that elaborate folder setup, which mirrored my playlists, which i also had (back when i used wmp, so i also had a big folder full of playlists, as it generated that every time i made one - which i must say is pretty easy in wmp).

i currently have no playlists and im leaving folders alone, pretty much, save deleting mp3s and replacing them with freshly ripped flac files. So im just looking in folders and queueing stuff up on a whim.

 

[Clare Newsome]

JohnDuncan:I go Insert Disk/Import Disk.

Told you iTunes had benefits.......

 

[John Duncan]

And now I don't even have to make playlists - I click the genius button and it tells me what to listen to. It's like The iTunes Of Others.

 

[Anonymous]

I use the artist/album/track convention. all stored on internal (seperate from everything else) HDD and backed up to external HDD and of course have the originals to fall back on as well.

Most of mine are converted from vinyl and stored as .WAV files. Have not got round to most of the CD's yet and probably won't for some time.

 

[Andrew Everard]

PJPro:Errr. I go for a simple nested file arrangement based on artist eg

+ Music Libray
+ Paul Weller
+ 1993 Wild Wood
Weller, Paul - Wild Wood - 01 - Sunflower.flac
....etc
+ 1998 Modern Classics
Weller, Paul - Modern Classics - 01 - Out Of The Sinking.flac
....etc

Each album folder also contains the EAC log file detailing the rip results.

In terms of management, all data is held on a HDD in my PC and backed up onto a second internal HDD. I also backup to an external HDD which I don't keep in the house.

So how do you do with your audio files? It appears that some go for something complex.

Yes i could imagine a lot of people wanting to go for something more complex than that...

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:I go Insert Disk/Import Disk. Told you iTunes had benefits.......

Some people like to be in control of their own data.

I use something similar to PJPro. That way I can drag and drop to my personal player. Or vice versa.

 

[John Duncan]

pudley:Some people like to be in control of their own data.

I am, but thanks for asking.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'm totally in control of mine: I take a CD out of the racks, put it in the player, and then I know just what is going to play, using an information interface called SleeveNotes and its subdirectory InlayBooklet.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:I'm totally in control of mine: I take a CD out of the racks, put it in the player, and then I know just what is going to play, using an information interface called SleeveNotes and its subdirectory InlayBooklet.

 

[John Duncan]

Andrew Everard:I'm totally in control of mine: I take a CD out of the racks, put it in the player, and then I know just what is going to play, using an information interface called SleeveNotes and its subdirectory InlayBooklet.

You haven't got kids, have you?

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:I'm totally in control of mine: I take a CD out of the racks, put it in the player, and then I know just what is going to play, using an information interface called SleeveNotes and its subdirectory InlayBooklet.

Yeah - that can work as well!!

 

[PJPro]

JohnDuncan:I go Insert Disk/Import Disk.

Told you iTunes had benefits.......
Where's the fun in that?

Andrew Everard:
[snip]...Yes i could imagine a lot of people wanting to go for something more complex than that...

Actually, once you have set your save parameters in EAC it automatically creates the file name and folder structure for you. So, I all do is stick the CD in the drive, press F5, navigate to the artist folder on my HDD can click OK. Job done.

Andrew Everard:I'm totally in control of mine: I take a CD out of the racks, put it in the player, and then I know just what is going to play, using an information interface called SleeveNotes and its subdirectory InlayBooklet.

Does anyone know what he's going on about? All sounds like goobledegook to me!

 

[John Duncan]

PJPro:Andrew Everard:I'm totally in control of mine: I take a CD out of the racks, put it in the player, and then I know just what is going to play, using an information interface called SleeveNotes and its subdirectory InlayBooklet.

Does anyone know what he's going on about? All sounds like goobledegook to me!

No. I open my Elbow CD and find Toy Story 2.

 

[Anonymous]

I share those surprises. you never know what's gonna be in a cd/dvd case when you've got kids.

Their file/management strategies are more complex than any mentioned previous.

If i want sonic youth i need to find bob the builder. it just doesn't make sense!

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with John.

I use both PC and MAC media players. I have used all the popular PC media players (of which I thought foobar the best) but none offered the complete and utter usability of itunes. If anything I thought foobar sounded worse through my system, and is more difficult to use / control than itunes.

(I'm not sure about thisÿGenius wopsidoodis though)

The simple answer from me is hierarchies are not needed to be manhandled these days.

Hierarchies ain't sexy. Handle yourself.ÿ

ÿÿ

 

[Anonymous]

PJPro:JohnDuncan:I go Insert Disk/Import Disk.Told you iTunes had benefits.......Where's the fun in that?Andrew Everard:
[snip]...Yes i could imagine a lot of people wanting to go for something more complex than that...

ÿ

Actually, once you have set your save parameters in EAC it automatically creates the file name and folder structure for you. So, I all do is stick the CD in the drive, press F5, navigate to the artist folder on my HDD can click OK. Job done. Andrew Everard:I'm totally in control of mine: I take a CD out of the racks, put it in the player, and then I know just what is going to play, using an information interface called SleeveNotes and its subdirectory InlayBooklet.
Does anyone know what he's going on about? All sounds like goobledegook to me!

ÿ

Mwa!

I iz agreez wib yoob.

Sorry I dont really talk like that, but indeed I agree

ÿ...and to others...

. The CD is nice, but I now have a couple of CDs that will not play. They are not even CDs that have been used often . They were taken out of the case, in my usual gentle style, and a little bit of a mark on the printed surface made me wipe it*both) with a cloth, and low and behold... a little bit of something came off...Forget the shiny bit. The printed surface is the important bit as these CDs are now no more than beermats. Good job I have lossless backups.

ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

As we all do. The best thing you now know though, is it won't ever get to this disastrous point again!

 

[PJPro]

Octopo:
Hierarchies ain't sexy.....

I disagree. I like to impose a logical structure on my library.

 

[PJPro]

Besides, I like the title of the thread. A guaranteed wind up ;-)

 

[Anonymous]

That's part of the appeal of Mac above & beyond iTunes, you really don't need to worry about where things were stored as Spotlight does such a good job finding everything so quickly.

Perhaps unsurprisingly from my above comment, with Audio I do let iTunes control where they are saved - and every other detail since I switched to Lossless only ripping quite some time ago. I do have a backup on both NAS drives though that is updated daily. I know this was asked in reference to audio, but for movies/TV shows I do actually tell iTunes not to copy the file and I take care of it as I don't have room for them on my local machine's 320GB drive. In my NAS (copied to the other NAS too of course) I just have Entertainment as a top level folder and then a Movies and a TV shows sub-folder. Movies are all put together and TV shows have sub-folders for the show name and then season number. I don't do any more than that, although I am a stickler for making sure all the Album, artists/actors, year, season, episode name/number etc are all filled out as it makes choosing which items to watch or listen to much more appealing when using the Apple TV interface.

 

[up the music]

I'm with PJPro here.My folder/file structure is more complicated. Once set up it's not too hard to manage though.

I found the ITunes library management does a good job at giving a semblance of order to a disordered collection of files. For me this is no substitute for a well organised underlying file structure.