Help - Music Library - Hide/Remove Albums/Folders/FIles from an existing library. Function not available to be implemented

Hello everybody,
Since my first approach to Plex, I have an issue I’ve never been able to clear. I use Plex almost only as Music server and a like its portabily to all devices, the remote access and the off line content sincronizzation fucntonality as well.

But, as per the subject, I would like to know if it’s possible to “hide/remove” items from a Music Library.
An option like a “tick” or “selection” you can apply to albums/folders/items/objects to have Plex not showing them anymore. A sort of “hide function”. Something like the selection you can easily use to merge items but simply to “hide” items.

I’m not talking about moving folders/items from its server/directory in order to have Plex not finding the content anymore or giving Plex the permission to phisically delete items from the server. It’s clear that works. I’m talking about a function in Plex or anyway a Library Management option.

My whole music on the NAS is simply organized as per Plex guidelines by directories and subdirectiries as per below sample:
-Musica
—Pearl Jam
------Pearl Jam_Ten
------PealrJam_Vitalogy
—U2
------U2_Acthung Baby
------U2_October WAW
------U2_October FLAC
—Not Wanted
------Not Wanted_Album A
------Not Wanted_Album B

The easiest way to use a music library it to point/select directly the upstream folder “Music” and let Plex discover everything. But this way Plex shows all found contents. And that’s usless and not wanted by me.
I would like an option to select single items/contents/folders.
Like a function where your target is Music and then you can see and select single items from a directory tree with everything. Like a Windows Explore View where you can select. May be not down to single files but at least to folders.
For example, if I want all the Pearl Jam items I just select the upstream PJ main folder; for U2 I select only U2_Acthung Baby and U2_October FLAC cause the WAW would be a useless duplicate. Or just don’t select Not Wanted foloder cause and I don’t want it to be shown at all.
At the moment, to avoid the issue I work by selecting each single subfolder individually but it’s really a hard work that can drive you crazy. Also cause Plex is not helping at all because in Music Management, Modify Music, Add Folder function, the Folder list order remain set by “item addition date” and doesn’t rearreange by name. So if you remove and readd items or in case of modification the list became a mass; items are not close/ordered by letter then items became almost imossible to find and manage anymore.
And for sure, manage a duplicate of Music master folder customized for Plex only would be the craziest to do.

I’ve tried since ever to find a solution in Plex and forums but it seems a not existing funciton.
This is my opinion, but if this “function” doesn’t exist, Plex it’s a cripped programm not so usefull to me. Quite sorry I’ve got the lifetime pass. I thought I had complete control with that.

Is there a way to propose an additional function or its implementation to Plex Team?
How does it work?

Thanks everybody

This is not possible.

Some people might recommend you to try a .plexignore file, but IMO it is highly impractical for this use case and it also slows down library scans considerably.

What is the motivation to store a .wav version additionally to the .flac? They both contain the same bit-perfect copy of the original pcm data.
But the flac version is a bit smaller and has the advantange of embedded meta tags.

Good morning Otto,
I was really hoping that was possible somehow.
It’s a very important missing function to me. Hope it will be developed anyway soon.

Just consider that my “folder list” was just a very easy sample to explain the matter.
But the reality is a server with tons of music.
So for instance the FLAC is an example where the WAW are the orignal files and the FLAC is a modified FLAC version of the originals so not the exact same file sometimes. It’s not for everything but I have also this condition sometimes. And I have to keep the original versions as a base.
Or as said there are items I’m not interested in this period and I don’t need to bring them with me then wasting space of remote syncronized devices; but for that I don’t like the idea to modify the master server/archive structure just to hide stuff to Plex.

At list it will be great and it would semplify a bit to have the “library added folder list” showing folders/paths always in alphabetical order. Or at list the possibility to refresh and reorder the list when needed.

Do you know if that is possible? Is there a way to do it?

Many thanks

There is unfortunately not.

And I cannot recommend the approach in your last screenshot either. The number of individual folder paths in this dialog should not exceed ~50 items.

Another idea:
if you can live with your hidden folders to have all a . at the beginning of their names: rename them to e.g. .WAV

In your example

U2
   U2_Achtung Baby
   .U2_October WAW
   U2_October FLAC

Hi Otto,
Thanks for the support. If the path list can’t exceed 50 items the only option to manage libraries it to target the upstream “Music master folder”. I’d say I past the 50 limit but I didn’t notice any malfunctioning.

Anyway, to put a “dot” before as first digit of the folder name to make hidden folders could be a good option for me but I can’t tell if it works cause during my trials I had a big issue. Please, see below.

I deleted my library with all subfolders “albums targets” (to clear the 50 items issue).
I added the “dots” at beginning of unwanted folders.
I’ve made a new music library targeting directly to QNAP NAS music master folder (a first level shared folder made on my QNAP NAS).
That foder contains all the “Artists” subfolders with all “albums” folders in there as per PLEX guidelins plus two QNAP system files such as “@Recicle” and “@Recently-Snapshot”.

The rusult is a disaster.
It looks like PLEX is scanning and adding to PLEX not only artists folders but also the two system folders “@Recicle” and “@Recently-Snapshot” resulting into an incredible duplication/multiplication of albums. Something crazy.

Can’t tell if PLEX is scanning “@Recicle” or “@Recently-Snapshot” or both but I’d say the issue came mostly from the snapshot one. Cause during my trials I remember the system @recycle bin was empty during a test.
As you can see the result is really an useless mass.


At this point I can’t neither go back and target single artists nor directly albums for sure if the 50 items rule.

Is it a known problem? Is there a way to clear iy?

Many thanks

AFAIK these folders only appear in the ‘root’ of a share/drive. You should never point Plex to the root of a drive.
If you create a sub-folder named Music and point Plex to it, the issue should cease to exist.

Thanks Otto,
I see your point. For sure you if add and point a subfoder you skip the problem.
But I have just one more question at this point.
Do you know if it’s possible that PLEX team will implement the function of not considering NAS “@Recicle” and “@Recently-Snapshot” folders?
Cause actually it doens’t make any sense to me to add an upstream folder on the NAS only for this reason.
My NAS is all set with a lot of “first level” shared folders with pertinent subfolders and documents in there.
It’s like saying that NAS fisrt level shared (root?) folders are useless and shall be created only to allocate one “theme” subfolder; and to avoid to use of the first level directories.
Like
-Music Folder
@Recently-Snapshot
@Recicle
—Music Folder
------Artis A Folder
------Artis B Folder
-Movies Folder
@Recently-Snapshot
@Recicle
—Movies Folder
------Movie A.avi
------Movie B.avi
What’s the sense of creating a Music shared folder and then another Music subfolder with all Artist subfolders in it?
Looks really a nonsense to me.
Would be better to have plex the capability to don’t scan those “@Recicle” and “@Recently-Snapshot” NAS system folders.

How does it works for implementation proposal?
Is there a formal way to propose to developers a new feature?

Many thanks again

P.S.
Found out about .plexignore and starting with trials. Maybe it’s the right pacth for my case.

It’s not only for this reason. It is is also very important for saving time on library scans. And probably making ‘Update library automatically work’ if you’re lucky.
Because the time stamp that tell Plex when a folder was changed last time is only working with, err, folders.
And that is how Plex server on Windows can determine whether it has to scan a folder again or can skip over it.
So by all means, only work with subfolders. Never with the root of a drive/share.

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