Different place for the MP3Tag library possible?

[Alhifi]

Hello everyone,

I have a small problem with MP3Tag, or rather, with the database that allows faster reading at startup, presumably based on the timestamp of the individual media files.

I have (as a hobby DJ) about 75000 audio and 50000 video files that I ‘manage’ with MP3TAG, so far no problem. All in all, that's about 7 TB, spread over 2 external hard drives and 3 directories. The whole thing is then backed up on two NAS in the network.

The directories are stored in MP3Tag or the library, but are also excluded from the virus scanner, as are the programme and data directories of MP3Tag.

Now one should assume that after reading in all the files once, the corresponding information is stored in the database and that the next time it is started, reading in will be much faster, but unfortunately this is not the case, especially with the music directory, which sometimes takes ages.

Now one of the hard drives is defective, so I'm currently managing the files on the NAS myself, which is a bit slower, but thanks to the fast LAN it's justifiable. It's actually the better solution because I can also manage the whole thing with another notebook (one floor up) and then just copy the files back to the hard drives or soon an SSD and use them on the move.

Now I assume that the files are read in again and therefore slowly when MP3Tag detects that a lot has changed via the library, of course due to management via several PCs.

Now I'm wondering whether it would be possible to move the library to a NAS or to the location where the files are stored, so that you could work from several PCs that always use the database on the NAS and not locally. Since the directories are also mapped to drive letters in Windows, MP3Tag could also be installed there on both PCs, but then I wonder what is stored within Windows, where it is stored, i.e. the library, i.e. I would always have to make sure that the same versions are installed on both PCs at the same time ... A portable version could perhaps help ... or a possibility to freely select the path to the library, I haven't found anything in the registry in this regard.

Does anyone have any idea how

Ciaoi
Alhifi

BTW: Writing the text took quite some time ... and MP3Tag has just read 16500 MP3s in the meantime ...

[LyricsLover]

@Alhifi

A portable version could perhaps help

You can choose to install a portable Version of Mp3tag during the setup.

But AFAIK you cannot choose a different path for the library database itself.

It would be best to store your library on the fastest internal SSD possible.

[ohrenkino]

If you install a portable version, then the library is also maintained in the installation folder.
This would mean, if I interpret your setup correctly, that you have to install MP3tag as portable version on your NAS.
But this would mean that you are now limited to the network speed for access.
As a reminder I would like recall this thread about the purpose and function of the library:

Bibliothek funktioniert irgendwie nicht

Hallo Community, ich benutze MP3Tag V3.00 und bearbeite meine MP3s ausschließlich damit. Nachdem ich über mittlerweile Jahre meine Musik-Sammlung in MP3s umgewandelt habe (5 stellige Anzahl), korrigiere oder ergänze ich immer wieder mal Daten. Da beim Start von MP3Tag jedesmal das ganze Verzeichnis komplett neu eingelesen wird, dauert das leider entsprechend. Nun habe ich mal die "Bibliothek" aktiviert, diese auf meinen Musik-Ordner beschränkt, der auf einer externen USB-Festplatte liegt, die …

If you access your collection on the NAS with various MP3tag installation, then in general each installation treats the files like an individual installation.
And a word on

@Alhifi

files that I ‘manage’ with MP3TAG

Mp3tag is no collection management program but a tagging program. For the management of collection there are dedicated programs which may grant a faster access to individual files - provided, external changes are synchronized with the internal presentation in these managers. And this synchronization will probably be not much faster than MP3tag reading the files.

[garym]

Consider foobar2000 for a music management program.

[Alhifi]

Thank you very much for your answers, in the meantime both PCs are now able to read the file quickly after I added the ‘Mp3tag.exe’ as an exclusion in the virus scanner in addition to the various directories. I didn't even realise about the ‘portable installation’, because you are often offered two versions of software for download.

But I wonder why people are saying that MP3Tag is only a programme for tags, as it can do so much more! For example, I buy my videos from Xtendamix, move them into a folder, let MP3Tag read them in and start a single action ... and then the content is tagged correctly by the provider. Some DJs on Twitch are now using my configuration.

To illustrate this, this is my string for giving new files a proper file name and copying them into the correct directory:

$if($stricmp(%_extension%,mp3),M:\,$ifgreater($strstr("01234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLabcdefghijkl",$left($if(%compilation%,Compilations,$if(%albumartist%,%albumartist%,%artist%)),1)),0,X:\,Y:\))$validate($if(%compilation%,C\Compilations\$left(%album%,1)\%album%,$if(%albumartist%,$left(%albumartist%,1)\%albumartist%\%album%,$left(%artist%,1)\%artist%\%album%))\$if(%track%,$if(%discnumber%,$num(%discnumber%,1)-,)$if($grtr($len(%_total%),2),$num(%track%,3) ,$num(%track%,2) ),)$if(%artist%,$if(%composer%,$if($leql($len(%artist% %composer% - %title% %subtitle% %publisher%),235),%artist% (%composer%),%artist%),%artist%),%artist%) - %title% $if(%subtitle%,(%subtitle%),)$if(%publisher%,(%publisher%),),-)

Can other programmes do the same?

Kind regards
Alhifi

[LyricsLover]

@Alhifi

But I wonder why people are saying that MP3Tag is only a programme for tags, as it can do so much more!

You are right, Mp3tag can also rename and move files and directories, for example.

On the other hand, Mp3tag can - for example - not play any audio or video file itself, Mp3tag is using the external software installed in your OS.
Or you can not display all your albums from your collection in an overview with cover art pictures, like many audio/video management tools will do.

It depents on your needs. For tagging your audio/video files, Mp3tag is one of the best - if not THE best - tools you can use. Other "management" requirements are better served by other tools.

[make-nz]

@Alhifi

so that you could work from several PCs that always use the database

If your NAS has Apps, try
### Syncthing
and let it sync your

%AppData%\Mp3tag

[LyricsLover]

@Alhifi

Now I'm wondering whether it would be possible to move the library to a NAS or to the location where the files are stored, so that you could work from several PCs that always use the database on the NAS and not locally

Would be interesting what

@make-nz

Syncthing

would do if two PCs would work at the same time on different files.
Which version of the database would win and which information would get lost?

[make-nz]

I've done this some time ago and just closed mp3tag, when I was done.
Plus, I never constantly run from one computer to the other.
In the end I used a VM on the NAS, as it gave me native HDD/SSD speed to my music files which are stored on the same NAS.

[Alhifi]

@LyricsLover

would do if two PCs would work at the same time on different files.
Which version of the database would win and which information would get lost?

This will never be a problem, because I'm the only one who uses MP3Tag here @home and within my family.

Actually it's working for me, after excluding mp3tag.exe in the Virusscanner!