Locate Renamed files - iTunes Match

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antigoon
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2006 12:21 pm

Locate Renamed files - iTunes Match

Post by antigoon »

I'd like to use iTunes Match to re-download all my low-bitrate MP3s. (In 2001, I ripped a whole lot of CDs at 128 kbps.) The process is that you just delete the file and then tell iTunes to download it "from the cloud". The trouble is that iTunes downloads of course downloads it into your iTunes folder using its own naming rather than to the location where the file used to be.

Essentially, I've got a "locate renamed files" issue with
Old location: L:\My Music\Pop\The Busy Signals - Babys First Beats - 03 - Birds on High.mp3
New location: C:\Users\smorton\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\The Busy Signals\Baby's First Beats\03 Birds on High.m4a

So path, filename, and extension are all changed.

I understand this is a "what the heck do you expect MM to do in a situation like this, it can't read your mind" kind of situation, but has anybody gone through something like this. Is there some clever combination of workflow and addons that I can employ. I'm willing to go through a whole iteration of moving and renaming if it all ends up working smoothly.

I just don't want to lose all my ratings and playlists for these songs. Generally, the songs I ripped earlier in my ripping were my more favourite songs. (Oh, the irony.)

Any help appreciated...

Steve
Lowlander
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Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm
Location: MediaMonkey 5

Re: Locate Renamed files - iTunes Match

Post by Lowlander »

Advanced Duplicate Find & Fix can copy metadata including Ratings, Play History and Playlist entries for selected tracks to other tracks: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... +duplicate
MMFrLife
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Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2012 9:04 pm
Location: MM Forum

Re: Locate Renamed files - iTunes Match

Post by MMFrLife »

Do you want the new files to have the same name format/path as the old? You can use Auto-Organize for that,
if the tags are correct on the new ones.

For the folders you just browse to and choose the Pop folder and
you would use the Artist, Album, Track # and Title fields for the new filenames.
MM user since 2003 (lifetime lic. 2012) "Trying to imagine life without music gives me a headache"
Top 2 scripts: RegExp Find & Replace (e.v.) and Magic Nodes (e.v.) ZvezdanD's scripts site
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MMW 4.1.31.1919; 5.0.4.2690 || back it up...frequently!
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yarguy
Posts: 394
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:34 am

Re: Locate Renamed files - iTunes Match

Post by yarguy »

And it's not correct that iTunes will "of course" download only to its own folder. You specify where it will download in Edit - Preferences - Advanced.
antigoon
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2006 12:21 pm

Re: Locate Renamed files - iTunes Match

Post by antigoon »

Thanks all. It looks like advanced duplicate find and fix, with a fair bit of elbow grease on my part, will do just what I want.

---
Lowlander: Wow, I remember you were the person who gave the useful advice when I first started using MediaMonkey 8 years ago and had questions. Thanks for many years of helping people.

Yarguy: The critical thing is that iTunes does not give it the same filename as before, differing only by extension. So while you can tell iTunes where to put its files, at best I would get something like this, which is no more helpful than my first example.
Old location: L:\My Music\Pop\The Busy Signals - Babys First Beats - 03 - Birds on High.mp3
New location: L:\My Music\\iTunes Music\The Busy Signals\Baby's First Beats\03 Birds on High.m4a

MMFrLife: Yes, I know I can add and auto-organize the new files, my point is that I want to retain/copy the star ratings and playlist membership of the old files in the new files.
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