Nearly 2 decades of data on Itunes

[Conzaaa]

Yeah I was hoping to avoid the seemingly major hassle of new install on Linux etc, and copy over.
I do have a library already.

@random1781

If you do, you could potentially create a separate Linux VM, copy your existing Plex library to that VM, do the import, and then replace your original, TrueNAS library with the one from the VM that you imported everything into.

And this would be a VM on Truenas? Or doesn’t matter where e.g. I have a VM on my personal pc I could more easily do this on?

Q - genre’s don’t seem to be a thing in Plex music?

Also struggling to see if any meta data on the files themselves, I mean if I could tag them in bulk using a program, and rate and that data was pulled into Plex - that’d also work, surely?

[Conzaaa]

Have spun up iTunes in my personal pc’s windows VM - can clean up a tad more, before maybe having to do the Linux thing and copy across:

Wondering about [OFFICIAL] Wondershare TidyMyMusic: Clean Up iTunes Library though? Options out there that work with iTunes but tag the files directly? Still trying to get Plex to acknowledge those.

EDIT: Media Monkey - became aware of, and using to update tags. Automatically imported itunes playlists, ratings, plays, skips etc. piece of cake.

No sever type environment for it; windows only. But I am half inclined to Truenas - windows VM → media monkey; then use that for media instead of Plex.

[random1781]

@Conzaaa

And this would be a VM on Truenas? Or doesn’t matter where e.g. I have a VM on my personal pc I could more easily do this on?

I actually never used VMs on TrueNAS since the machine I was running it on was pretty old, but if you have the resources, that’s what I would do. I think TrueNAS lets you pass storage straight to the VM, and that would let you use the same mount points for wherever your media is without much hassle. If you have a VM on a different machine you’d have to setup the network shares and whatnot.

@Conzaaa

Q - genre’s don’t seem to be a thing in Plex music?

I thought they were/are, but I don’t have an instance running now.

@Conzaaa

Also struggling to see if any meta data on the files themselves, I mean if I could tag them in bulk using a program, and rate and that data was pulled into Plex - that’d also work, surely?

This gets a bit complicated. There are a few problems to tackle:

• File format - different audio file types use different metadata standards. MP3s ID3, FLAC uses Vorbis, and Apple uses their own.
• Different standards - even in similar filetypes, different metadata fields are handled different. Rating is a big problem, where different media players store and interpret ratings differently.
• Media player databases- probably because of all the disparity in how metadata is stored in audio files, most media players create their own database to store metadata rather than storing it in the file itself. Obvious Plex does this, and iTunes stores ratings in its database (not in the file), for example. Because of this, it’s hard to migrate your data from one program to another.

Since this is essentially a mess, it’s ideal to know what you’re going to permanently use for your media so you don’t waste time going back and forth trying to get everything formatted in whatever way the media library you’re using likes it. If I was you, I’d tinker around with different media library/player software until you find the one that you want to go with, and then figure out how to get your data over to that.

As you’re finding out, there are a bunch of programs that will do this for you, but they’re mostly opaque and you don’t know what they’re doing exactly. I can’t speak to the quality of any of these or what they do. TidyMyMusic seems really gimmicky, but that’s just my impression.

Personally the only thing I really care about is rating. I wrote a script to look at my iTunes xml and write the track rating to the MP3 using mid3v2. I still need to do something similar for FLAC and M4A, and I might need to reformat the rating if I wind up using another media library in the future, but this is fairly easy to do with a quick script. I’m interested in play count also, but I don’t want to write to the individual files every time I listen to them, so that should go in a database.

[Conzaaa]

@random1781

Personally the only thing I really care about is rating. I wrote a script to look at my iTunes xml and write the track rating to the MP3 using mid3v2 .

And that works with Plex? When you pull them in? Or you mean generally speaking?

Went looking for this and could not find. Just an article about prefer local metadata.

[Conzaaa]

Ok. I’ve been using MusicBrainz Picard to update metadata for my entire music library. Nearly there.
I had downloaded Music Monkey and was prospecting having a windows VM of that and buying Gold, so I can sync anywhere etc. issue is Truenas OS and windows - not liking eachother previously.

I want to remain with Plex, I have downloaded PlexAmp app on desktop and android which is interesting.

I want to know is there anyway to bring in metadata to Plex in any shape or form; for example…

If I used mp3tagger or something to put my 1-5 ratings in under GENRE? Then once uploaded to Plex, I could make a smart playlist based off of those?

Is there a way I can tag a ‘mood’ or something that Plex picks up? And then have a different one for each 1-5 rating, then fix it post?

[plex-user]

@Conzaaa

I suspect I would be wasting my time doing any of the above, given:

iTunes Plugin - Unable to get this to work @plex-user

The only server that I have been able to get this to work on has ‘iTunes’ installed as a plugin under Settings → Server → Manage → Plugins.

Again, I have exported the entire ‘working’ Plex database, which has the iTunes plugin enabled and my imported playlists, to a new machine with a fresh install (using the backup and restore guides on these forums) but once restored on a new machine, the iTunes plugin is missing.

I cant find much information online when trying to diagnose this issue, most of the issues come from people needing to correct their library.xml files.

Hi, im the OP of the thread you quoted.

You are correct. Within the plugin section, if you dont see two plugins (they are tumbnail/icons) with ‘iTunes Music’ and ‘iTunes Video’, you are not going to be able to import from iTunes.

Thats what i found at least.

I did get the plugins to show up eventually by removing iTunes from my machine and re-installing it.

[Conzaaa]

Ok, so where I am currently at: cannot for the life of me despite extensive effort - look to get itunes ratings through metadata on the file, and plex to pick that up natively when importing…

SO, current planned work around → used Picard to update most of the music library with meta info that is correct.

Now - using AudioRanger to easily edit in bulk genre, ratings etc. cleaning up before → SELECTIVELY EXPORTING (and copying) files to a new location, with the proper Plex music formatting structure → and then UPLOADING the files in batches…

Batch 1 = 5 stars
Batch 2 = 4 stars
Batch 3 = 3 stars… etc

When importing in to plex, after batch 1, create a smart playlist by TRACK ADDED AT [date - same day], then bulk edit and update the ratings…

When importing next batch, add the qualifier re: IS NOT X stars etc.. so you can easily select new batch of unrated music, then can rate them how they should be.

QUESTION

I don’t do albums generally speaking.
I am a track only guy, although I have been capturing album names recently updating them.

I play music by artist, and then look at tracks mostly.

Plex seems to be focused on Albums… “Various artists” or albums I’d never look at.

What are you suggestions or recommendations how to best set this up?

Do I just copy across the Artist for every track to Album Artist?

[Conzaaa]

@random1781

Finding a new tool to maintain a music library has actually been on my to-do list. I keep telling myself that the Winamp reboot is right around the corner…

Any updates? There has to be something better out there.

[random1781]

First off, it’s really annoying figuring out when Plex decides to send an email about a new post here because it seems pretty arbitrary.

@Conzaaa

Any updates? There has to be something better out there.

No, I haven’t really been looking though. I used to really care, but just over 9 months ago we sold all our stuff and set out riding on motorcycles and are currently in Guadalajara, so I haven’t had that much time (or the resources!) to dedicate to replacing my music library.

Realistically, the industry has moved from maintaining individual libraries to streaming, so you’re in a pretty niche community. It’ll probably require a lot of leg work and personalization to get something going - I wouldn’t expect a solution to present itself anytime soon…

[Conzaaa]

Alrighty; that’s done essentially.

Lots of effort - using Music Picard; updating files and tags as much as possible with metadata.

Then I used AudioRanger, another product of theirs to update further in bulk easily… cleaning up names, genres, and ratings.

Finally - can change the file name, folder creation amazingly well with it. Set the Plex pathways, and copied them to another folder… (so I have the same itunes format for elsewhere if ever needed).

I then exported ONLY the 5 star ratings first; then imported into Plex… then that batch, bulk updated to 5 stars in Plex.

Next, exported 4 star ratings… and imported into same library… then re-scanned library. All new music, unrated → then rate that in bulk 4 star…

Cont. until done.

Using local meta data, and artist bio etc. I made “Albums” the artists name "[Artist Album] for any unknown albums, single tracks mostly.

Using Plexamp as well for moods etc, and genres.

Should be good enough for me now.