Question for mp3 knowitalls

[4X4]

So... I have an external HD with about 70 gigs worth of music that I like, or am meaning to try out. My friend has a laptop with speakers. On my pc, I used to use musicmatch (and have since downloaded it to my friend;s laptop).

Worth noting, is that my music is organised into various folders such as 'downloaded rock', 'downloaded hiphop', and other such folders as 'albums rock' and 'albums hiphop'... Get the idea? The folders are sometimes 3 or 4 deep in sections such as house or classical.

So, what I want to do is make a playlist that includes my entire library. What I don't want to do is click on individual folders. There must be over 300 different folders. IS there a way to get all the individual mp3s into a jukebox without clicking hte individual files or folders?

Keep in mind thaht my other hurdle is that I can't import the music onto a player that is on my friend's HD, it must be played from my external HD. BUT, I am not running an OS on this external HD. It is just for storage.

Please help me. I'm sick of clicking.

[kermitology]

For something like iTunes I'm pretty sure you can add a directory.. and just go to the root of your music library.. Check out if there's something like that.

[4X4]

OK, so I should download itunes... That I can do... This 'add a directory' business is where I get a little foggy. Is this part of the setup process? Are you sure that itunes has this feature? Is this even a feature that anyone has ever seen? I know that downloadablw jukeboxes always ask to scan for mp3's, but is htere a way to have it scan an HD, but not attempt to transfer all that music onto the HD with the OS?

[4X4]

Ooh... I just had an idea. Can I install a jukebox onto an HD without an OS? It'd be pretty nice if I had musicmatch on this thing, and could just plug in a USB to any computer and start playing music...

anyone?

[4X4]

For the record, I'm way too anal to install an OS onto this external HD. Besides the 70 gigs of music, I've got thousands of pictures and just too much other stuff to jeapordize. This thing can never be reformatted without serious backup time, space and antivirus.

[arsenal]

But with iTunes, it takes the music files, formats them in m4a (?) format, and puts those files in the default My Documents\My Music\iTunes\ folder. The origional files are left as is. (IE: A copy of the file is created and put in the iTunes directory).

iTunes can scan for music when you run the set-up process, but you can also do it from the menu at any time.
Once iTunes is installed and running, click File -> Add Directory to Library.
It will then ask you wich directory you wish to add. Find the "root" or "top level" directory where all your music is stored.
As an example:
c:\music\a perfect circle
c:\music\tool
c:\music\damage plan
Select c:\music as the folder you wish to add (root or top level directory), iTunes will then find all the music files that are found inside the c:\music directory.

Does that help at all?

[kermitology]

Erm.. I think I might have mis-understood you.. I figured it was just an external HD that you could access with another computer. Maybe that's what you're doing I don't know. But in iTunes you just get it started and then do the following:
File->Add Folder To Library
And then select the root folder. Installing an OS on the HD doesn't really make that much sense.. I would still think that running it through another computer would be easiest.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by arsenal

But with iTunes, it takes the music files, formats them in m4a (?) format, and puts those files in the default My Documents\My Music\iTunes\ folder. The origional files are left as is. (IE: A copy of the file is created and put in the iTunes directory).

I don't have that.. My mp3's are in a different folder on my computer and it just plays the mp3s.. If you put a CD in to rip it puts them in the iTunes folder, but not when you add to the library.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by kermitology

I don't have that.. My mp3's are in a different folder on my computer and it just plays the mp3s.. If you put a CD in to rip it puts them in the iTunes folder, but not when you add to the library.

Mine did that, when i did an "Add folder to library". The files where in in .wmv format that had just been ripped from a cd.

What version of iTunes are you using?

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by arsenal

Mine did that, when i did an "Add folder to library". The files where in in .wmv format that had just been ripped from a cd.

What version of iTunes are you using?

The latest.. I've been using it for a long time though.. It's never put anything other than specific songs I've ripped using iTunes into the iTunes folder.

[4X4]

So, if I add the top level directory, it will not actually attempt to move the 70 gigs of tunage onto the 30 or 40 gig OS HD, it will use the external HD as the source, but make a direct path as a frame of reference?

If so, then yes, this solves the prob.

If no, then let me rephrase the question. How do I use my external HD as a source of music for a jukebox, without actually importing the files (and taking up space on the "victim's" HD), but still NOT have to actually click each and every folder or file?

[photon]

Yes, most music playing software should give you the option of specifying a source folder(s) and playing them from their existing location without moving them to its own directory. I know Windows Media Player does for sure.

Incidentially, what happens when this external hard drive fails? Because it will eventually.

[BlackArcher101]

Coincedentally I installed ITunes today (mainly for the radio/podcasts), when I added my MP3's to the "library" it didn't make any copies whatsoever. I have a home network and my roommate is able to play my mp3's on my pc from his in his "library".

[Bobblehead]

I use an older version of Musicmatch. You can just specify the root folder and it will get all the MP3s from the sub-folders. I have a root folder, and sub-folders by Artist and album. When I rip new stuff (I use EAC for ripping CDs) I just tell it to scan the watch folder and it adds anything new to the playlist.



And back up that external drive. They are more prone to failure since they are typically jostled more than internal drives.

[cheung31]

do this, i found out recently on Windows Media Player there is a Library.

Click on the Library tab, then look near the bottom left for "Add to Library"

Now there's a drop list, click "By Monitoring Folders...". Now add the folders containing your mp3's (not your root folder, but all the sub ones ie. the ones you listed) and just doing it this one time is all you'll ever have to do, from now on WMP10 will monitor these folders.

Now all the mp3's in these Monitored folders will be displayed in the library!

[4X4]

Originally Posted by photon

Incidentially, what happens when this external hard drive fails? Because it will eventually.

I've got it backed up... In Canada. That's why I'm trying to be so careful.


I think I'll try the itunes route. Those Apple people sem to have a real handle on the mp3 craze.

[EDIT: Thanks for all the help so far...]



I have another question for mp3 gurus...


I recently bought a Sony network walkman NW-E207. Playing music mp3s is no problem. I do, however, have a problem playing Jim Rome podcasts. It just says "cannot play" on the machine. And when I try to play them through the software supplied, it plays them at 2x speed. I have no idea why. I play these things on musicmatch and on WMP no problem.

I needs my Romey podcasts. Anyone have a clue what I'm doing or not doing?

[cheung31]

go to \My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Podcasts\

My guess is that these podcasts are not in mp3 format, perhaps m4a, so you might have to convert them with a program, I'd recommend Goldwave.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by cheung31

go to \My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Podcasts\

My guess is that these podcasts are not in mp3 format, perhaps m4a, so you might have to convert them with a program, I'd recommend Goldwave.

I'll check it out... Thanks cheung.



Now I've got ANOTHER question...

I downloaded iTunes and am in the process of importing files. Alot of them are in WMA format which apparently takes awhile to convert. So... Right now, I've got 52 gigs of music playable in iTunes. 5553 files.. 30.7 DAYS. Does this mean that it'll take 30.7 days to play all this music? If so, does it also mean that by the time it converts the balance of my library (total of 73 gigs), it'll take roughly 41 days to play it all? Is that what the days stat means?

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I downloaded iTunes and am in the process of importing files. Alot of them are in WMA format which apparently takes awhile to convert. So... Right now, I've got 52 gigs of music playable in iTunes. 5553 files.. 30.7 DAYS. Does this mean that it'll take 30.7 days to play all this music? If so, does it also mean that by the time it converts the balance of my library (total of 73 gigs), it'll take roughly 41 days to play it all? Is that what the days stat means?

Uh yeah.. what else do you think it would mean? :P

[4X4]

It could have meant that it'd take 30.7 days to finish converting the music...

No, I was pretty sure that that was what it meant. I guess I'm just surprised by the stat. ****. That means that I've got about 4 months of different tunes if I actually find 8 hours per day to play music.