Streamlining Workflow (advice needed)

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#1

I've got about 2000+ audiobooks I'm trying to tag, so streamlining my workflow is pretty important. I can't really do much in bulk because what I'm doing just won't work that way. I'm trying to use keyboard shortcuts where I can, but there are a couple steps where I have to switch to mouse, and that adds more time, so I'm hoping I can find a way around that to streamline my workflow even further.

Some of the process I'm outlining here could be avoided except for a problem that comes up when I import a .cue file in foobar2000. I don't know if there is any way to avoid that issue, unfortunately. So I'm focusing on streamlining the other steps, if possible.

Here is my process:

  1. Start with File > Options > Tags > Advanced > List Chapters as separate files UNCHECKED, so the audiobook is listed as a single file.
  2. Ctrl-I to use a source file to scrape the metadata from Audible
  3. (Pause in workflow to tweak any metadata to my specific preferences, if necessary)
  4. Ctrl-C to copy the tag data [4]
  5. Ctrl-E > Enter to export the metadata as a text file [5]
  6. F4 to play [6]
  7. In foobar2000, I import a .cue file I made previously [7]
  8. Back in Mp3Tag,F5 to refresh.
  9. Ctrl-V to paste the tag I copied before [9]
  10. Check File > Options > Tags > Advanced > List Chapters as separate files
  11. F5 to refresh, so that the chapters are now listed [11]
  12. Alt-6 > Enter to execute an action that will rename and move the file to a folder structure that is organized by Author/Series/Series# - Title
  13. (Pause in workflow I exported in to manually move the .cue file and mp3Tag.txt metadata file from Step 5 from the source directory to the final directory--if there is a way to do this in the action above, I don't know it.)
  14. UNCHECK File > Options > Tags > Advanced > List Chapters as separate files to prepare for the next file.

Explanations for some steps:
[4] this is necessary because of Steps 7-9

[5] necessary because if, god forbid, this whole process gets undone by some mistake, I can re-import the metadata that is tweaked to my specifications without going through the whole thing again.

[6] I have foobar2000 set as the default application for opening .m4b files, so this will open the file in foobar2000

[7] because the file I'm working with isn't chaptered by the method Mp3Tag recognizes (Nero, I believe?)

[9] The reason I do this is because importing a .cue file in foobar2000 wipes all the metadata except for the title and artist that are in the .cue file. If the .cue file has no title or artist info, all metadata is wiped completely. If anyone knows a way to avoid foobar2000 from removing the metadata, most of this process could be avoided

[11] This is because part of the action in Step 12 includes exporting an .nfo file that has the chapters listed. NFO file is modeled after @Dano's example here.

Obviously this is a fairly convoluted process. Steps 4-9 wouldn't be necessary if foobar2000 didn't remove all metadata when you import a .cue file, but I can't find another app that will let you import chapters in Nero format without re-encoding.

Why import the tag data from Audible BEFORE the foobar2000 step instead of after? you may ask.

Well, the chapters will keep the FIRST metadata written to them, even if you subsequently change the album-level metadata. This can result in the chapters not reflecting the same metadata as the audiobook/album. So, if I make all the tweaks before the metadata is wiped by foobar2000, and then paste the finalized, tweaked metadata in the wiped file afterward, I don't have to make any tweaks on the chapter level, which ultimately saves me a bit of time.

Step 13 could be avoided if I knew how to copy/move any supplemental material stored in the source directory to the destination directory at the same time I move the audiobook file in Step 12.

I know Ctrl 1-10 can be used for custom keyboard shortcuts, but that appears to be only shortcuts involving external tools, which doesn't do me much good.

If anyone has any suggestions (or questions that might help formulate suggestions) I'd be grateful.

Thank you.

#2

If your action group first renames the folder (_DRECTORY), then all files in that folder, even the ones that MP3tag does not treat, get moved as well.
The second action in the action group would then only rename the filename without the path part as the file is already in the new folder.

#3

Thank you, I will look into that and see if I can figure out adding that action to the group.

ETA: That definitely did the trick for that step, thank you!

#4

Please see also the documentation about actions and action group esp. the part about "Organizing action groups"

this shows a way to address actions via the keyboard.

#5

Thanks, I knew there was a more direct shortcut for executing actions than Alt-6 > Enter (with the desired group checked) but I couldn't remember what it was. The desired group was already named started with "&1" so it's Alt-A > 1, apparently.

I suppose what I'm really hoping to find is a way to combine multiple steps that already have keyboard shortcuts into a single shortcut or action. For example, steps 4-6 can be done in quick succession (In fact, last night I finally managed to write my action group from Step 12 to include Step 5, so I at least managed to eliminate that) or (theoretically) combined into a single action or shortcut. But I don't know if there is any way to do that.

Also, now that Step 13 is eliminated (thanks to your advice), theoretically, if there were a way to combine steps 8-14, or, you know, something along those lines, that would be the ideal.

But at least now I've managed to eliminate two steps, and I have a better shortcut for another, so thank you very much for helping do that much.

#6

I cannot think of any way to combine modifcation of settings and actions. So you probably have to carry out those steps as direct user-interaction.

#7

Ahh, alas. I figured that would be the case, but it was worth hoping for. Thank you for helping me trim things down as much as I've done, I definitely appreciate it!

#8

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