Importing music creates some duplicates

[whipdancer]

I'm using MM5 on Windows 10.

When I import a new set of music files, I will get a duplicate if a given file in the new set is the same as something already in MM5.

MM5 music is stored under "g:\music\library\".

Imported music is staged on "d:\music\<some_folder>\".

For example, I was importing music from a "best of the 80's" playlist. The files were in a folder "d:\music\best-of-the-80s\". A few of the songs in that set already exist in MM5. Rather than skip or ask if I want to overwrite or keep both (the default behavior of windows explorer), it creates a 2nd copy with " (2)" added to the file name.

I can't find a setting that changes this behavior.

I would like either a prompt to ask or to not import in those cases. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

[Rob_S]

This gets tricky, because you might be importing a better recording, and you might also want two copies if they are part of different albums, so that each album is complete.

I agree that a popup to inform you that you are importing a "possible" duplicate might be useful.

[whipdancer]

It's not a different track though.

Latest example - The Cars - Candy-O. I had the album already. When I imported the new music from the "best of the 80's", that selection included the song "Let's Go".

So I end up with 2 exact copies of the song -

Code: Select all

Path                                                  Size                  Length
G:\library\The Cars\Candy-O\1 - The Cars - Let's Go (2).m4a         7,293 KB         03:33
G:\library\The Cars\Candy-O\1 - The Cars - Let's Go.m4a              7,293 KB         03:33

Both have all the same specs:
Bitrate - 265 kbps
Sample rate - 44 100 Hz
Bit depth: 16
VBR: No

[whipdancer]

When I look under Files to edit/duplicate content - this track shows up, referencing those 2 files.


I'm also quite used to having multiple versions of a song, even on the same album. I'm a huge fan of blues, so I run into this for almost every old blues artist. I'll see what is in reality the exact same track featured on multiple albums. I'll also find multiple versions of a track on a single album. That's not what I'm referring to with this issue.

Specific to the example I gave for The Cars - the best of list referenced the song as from the album Candy-O. So I expected MM5 to - not import it, ask me if I wanted to overwrite the existing file, or something like that.

[Lowlander]

It doesn't sound like you're importing, instead it sounds like you're somehow copying/moving files. If so, what method are you using?

[whipdancer]

In MM5, I navigate in the folders node to D:\music\<some folder> ...in this case "D:\music\best-of-the-80s\"
I right-click and choose "Add/Rescan files to the library".

I have auto-organize setup to move everything to G:\music\library\.

Is there a different way?

[Lowlander]

MediaMonkey doesn't know if you want to keep the copies or not, so it takes the save approach of keeping them. You can manage duplicates afterwards.

[whipdancer]

MediaMonkey doesn't know if you want to keep the copies or not, so it takes the save approach of keeping them. You can manage duplicates afterwards.

Yes, the duplicates can be manually cleared up afterward.

That seems inefficient and an odd choice - given that most libraries used for file manipulation can determine if a specific file already exists. Hence my post and query seeking clarification on the behavior - because I assumed I had overlooked the setting.

[Lowlander]

If you Cut & Paste you do get this option, but Auto-Organize is a silent background process and can't assume all users want to replace.

[whipdancer]

If you Cut & Paste you do get this option, but Auto-Organize is a silent background process and can't assume all users want to replace.

I wouldn't expect it to assume anything. I would expect it to honor a setting in the Auto-Organize configuration - which is where I spent the majority of my time looking for it. I know that the filesystem library for NodeJs overwrites a file by default - so if MMW5 uses the node js std library for it, it is performing a check during auto-organize.

Regardless, now that I know that I wasn't missing a setting someplace (it would be nice if this behavior was documented), I know what I need to do. Thank you for clarifying this issue for me.