Media Server 'Artist' folder includes 'Album Artist' [#18544] [#18545]

[noisebeam]

I've started to experiment MM5 Media Server and it seems the 'Artist' folder is also including data from 'Album Artist' field. This is not the functionality as in MM4. In the Media Tree in MM5 itself the 'Artist' node is correct and only shows 'Artists'.
Will Gold license allow me to add/adjust the correct folders/nodes in the Media Server so it will deliver what is expected from an 'Artist' only view?

[Lowlander]

No, the Gold License does not change this.

[noisebeam]

Is there a plan to fix it?

[Lowlander]

I believe it's by design as DLNA isn't as quick and flexible to navigate.

[noisebeam]

It makes it harder to navigate as my Artist list gets cluttered with un-wanted repetitive Album Artists of slight variation.

This is especially the case for jazz albums which are the vast majority of my collection and over the years I have maintained an accurate Artists list for each track and primarily navigate by Artist. For many jazz albums the Album Artist is far less likely to carry over multiple Albums and may have a unique Album Artist per Album even when the lead musician may be the same. There are also many Albums where there is not a lead musician and the Album Artist may then be "A & B" or "A, B & C."

I use Album Artist mainly for my rock and pop collection as bands and groups mostly remain static across Albums, although of course there are cases similar to above.

And I use Artist+Album artist to navigate my collection as well.

This flexibility was a great feature of MM4 as it worked for the varied situations and needs.

[Barry4679]

Hi noisebeam

I don't know if this is relevant to what the Media Server does, but it may be something you can check.

If you have the Media tree setup as "Show All Sub-nodes", if you open the Artist node you will see that it contains some AlbumArtist tags. It should not do this.

I have several various artist AlbumArtist tags; "Various Artists" and "Various Artists - Jazz" etc.
If have any tracks where an ARTIST tag is equal to one of these values, the ARTIST index contains this album (as it should), but it also drags in every album whose ALBUMARTIST tag equals this value.

So in this case the ARTIST index is kept pure if the value is not used in any ARTIST tag.

Maybe this is the case in the Media Server also ... I don't know, but if it was it may be a workaround that you can use somehow.

And BTW I agree your main point, and support your request.

[Rob_S]

Third to that as well.

On checking this, it seems one of my pet bugs from MM4 has been fixed in mm5.

If I sort MM5 on the artist column, it goes straight from A-Z and then the blanks. I no longer get a separate group of titles at the bottom, somehow related to the album-artist field.

[noisebeam]

I do hope this gets addressed as a bug as it breaks the normally logical MM. My work-around of course is to keep using MM4, but at some point I expect I may need to move to MM5.

In MM4 when I configure a Collection's nodes to display I get this 1:1 mapping to Media Server folders:
Node-> Folder
Artist-> Artist folder using Artist field
Album Artist -> Album Artist folder using Album Artist field
Artist & Album Artist - > Artist and Album Artist folder using Artist and Album Artist field

In MM5 the mapping is now broken for Artist node:
Artist -> Artist folder, but populated using Artist and Album Artist field

Which is effectively removing the 'Artist' folder and incorrectly naming the 'Artist & Album Artist' folder to 'Artist'

[Lowlander]

Yes, in MediaMonkey 5 the Artist & Album Artist node was removed and is now done by the Artist node.

[noisebeam]

If intentional, then it was not thought out as to the impact to those who have used MM4 for years and have carefully tagged 10's of thousands of files to independently use each Artist and AlbumArtist field for organizing. I also have seen no documentation on this change - hence thinking it was in error.

Why not just instead remove the Artist node? That would result in an accurate interface and usability and make it obvious as to this having changed.

But it simply does not make sense to include two fields into one. For example of why, why not add Composer and Conductor as well to the Artist folder?

Can there be a check box in options to retain the logical MM4 functionality?

[Peke]

Hi,
For Me if I have both "Artist" and "Album Artist" then Artist do not contain Album Artist.

[Barry4679]

For Me if I have both "Artist" and "Album Artist" then Artist do not contain Album Artist.

That's incorrect Peke. It is broken in MM5.
Maybe you are looking at MM4?

[Peke]

For Me if I have both "Artist" and "Album Artist" then Artist do not contain Album Artist.

That's incorrect Peke. It is broken in MM5.
Maybe you are looking at MM4?

I have not used MM4 for months (except for testing), will recheck and if you are right it should be fixed.

[Barry4679]

Also make sure that you are talking about MM5 Media server output.
What you said is correct while browsing within MM5, but is correct when looking at the output of the MM5 Media server.

[Peke]

Also make sure that you are talking about MM5 Media server output.
What you said is correct while browsing within MM5, but is correct when looking at the output of the MM5 Media server.

Thank you, that was the crucial element. Added as https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=18544