Multiple Libraries?

[emishi]

It'd be nice to have the ability to have multiple libraries (or individual sessions). I currently have a bunch of tracks that I need to use MM functionality to tag but I do not want them to exist in the with the list of albums that I already have tagged.

I know that you can be selective in what you want to synch but to wade through hundreds/thousands of artists and remember which ones I've already completed tagging.

[Eyal]

There is an easy way to achieve that.

MediaMonkey library data files are .MDB (Microsoft Access DataBase) files stored in MM\Data folder. By make one or several copies of it, you'll be able to have multiple versions of the database (backups).

First of all, make sure MediaMonkey is closed.
With Explorer, goto the folder that contains MediaMonkey, and do a copy
of the library folder. By example:

"C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey\Data"
copied to
"C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey\Data (complete)"

Then open MediaMonkey and scan whatever you want. You can even delete the entire library first (File->Clear Library) if you want, since you have a backup of it.

When you have finished to tag your files, close MM and go back to Explorer. If you don't need the database (library) you just worked on, delete the Data folder. If you want to keep it to work with another time, rename it to something else, like "Data (2005-07-12)"

Rename the folder previously renamed, back to Data:

"C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey\Data (complete)"
renamed to
"C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey\Data"

Open MediaMonkey again, and you're back with your original library!

Nice day, isn't it?

Eyal

[wricken]

Hi,

this method of renaming the DB files is a HACK. I use MM to access my MP3 files AND to have a list of my CDs. But there is no way to exclude my CDs when searching for a given artist or duplicate titles in the library.

So of course I could use one DB for MP3 and one DB for CDs, but this would not allow to answer the question "do I have the song xy, either as MP3 or on CD?" without restarting MM again. But having MP3s and CDs together in one DB makes it impossible to answer the question "do I have song xy in duplicate" because it will find all duplicates I have in DB because I ripped my own CDs...

So again: Multi-DB would be nice (or the ability to use a filter for DB related operations).

Wilfried

[Lowlander]

Multiple DB's has been requested. It has gotten a postive feedback from the developers, but probably is not needed for the common use of MM. So it might take a while before the add it.

You could use the My Computer node to organize files before adding them to the DB.

I myself store files that still need editing in a seperate folder on my PC. I then edit them and use auto-organize to send them to their final location. This works well for me.

[Gerben]

I second this motion. It would be nice to be able to store my CD's and my MP3-files in separate databases.

I've heard about other workarounds (making two files and then changing the DB-name in an ini-file), but being able to change within MediaMonkey without trickery (and the risk of mistakes) would be great.

[AndiMonkey]

I support this request also for its uses in keeping Spoken Word, Podcasts and Music in separate Libraries, without the hassle of restarting MM to change what you're listening for.

[drichm]

If multiple libraries are viewed as a non-common thing, and thus have a low implementation priority, then could at least a command line option be added to MM to define the location of MediaMonkey.ini

Then for each .ini file we can define a different DBName= location.

I realise that all MM options (colour, background, device sync et al) will have to be defined anew in each .ini file, but personally I would be prepared to pay that price for multiple library support.

[onkel_enno]

You could also install 2 versions of mm, each with a mm.ini in the program-directory which includes the dbpath. Create 2 shortcuts on the desktop and so you can select which library you want to use.

[over]

I also would like this option. I feel that there are more people out there who would use this function. I have 2 friends who also use MM. We have talked about this...Audio Books, Christmas, etc. could be put into separate DB's. Hopefully this will happen in time. Thanks.

[STabs]

I would also like a multi db option. I have CD's I track, Ape and Flac files on a USB external drive at home, and mp3's and Ogg(for phone)on my laptop and managing multiple formats and duplicates is a nightmare.

I have tried multiple instances of MM with seperate ini files but they all share the ini file in the default "my music" directory. What am I doing wrong?

Another wish would be to have a zipfile download with only updated files instead of a new full install for every release, is this possible or would this cause problems?

STabs

[rshane91]

the original question saidyou wanted to use the tagging functionality without adding the songs to your library.

I move the songs (drag and drop from a folder) to the Now Playing window. You can do your tagging from there. Seems to work for me.

[Sebastian78]

This would further IMPROVE MM over everything else out there..

[emishi]

Glad to see that this thread has gotten some life to it.
I really thought that it was something that people would like.

[pejotu]

I'm also missing the possibility of having multiple libraries - or at the very least, the library to have sub-categories each with the current nodes under them.

[The One]

I'm using two libraries for some time. I use a batchscript to switch from library.

This is my script. I think it will only work with two libraries, more will be too difficult.

ren MediaMonkey1.mdb MediaMonkey2.mdb
ren MediaMonkey.mdb MediaMonkey1.mdb
ren MediaMonkey2.mdb MediaMonkey.mdb

Place this script in your C:\Documents and Settings\ACCOUNT\My Music\MediaMonkey directory. Name it 'library switch.bat'

Rename your first library to MediaMonkey1.mdb. Start MM. Create your second library. Close MM. You can switch now to your first library and back by running the batchscript. Have phun!!