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Topic: Where is my music [displayed]? (Read 2290 times) previous topic - next topic
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Where is my music [displayed]?

[New to Foobar, I am coming from Zune and WMP software where I set a "My Music" folder and all my music was displayed in the main window]

I have installed Foobar for the first time. I set  Media Library>Music Folders>"D:\iPod\My Music" (Status == Monitoring) This contains all of my music [MP3s] in a hierarchy: i.e. One folder each for each artist, sub-folders for each album, and the MP3s contained in each sub-folder.

I expected to see all my music in the main window? But, nothing is displayed there? If I go to Library>Album List, I can see all of the music [but no album art, etc.].

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #1 –
The "main window" contains only playlists and the idea is that you can use the libary viewer to create playlists. Playback happesn fro mplaylists; there's no such thing as playing from the library (which I've personally always found a confusing concept in iTunes and Spotify), though you can modify all the layout components so that you have both the library and your playlists in view. Try View > Layout > Scratchbox to play around.

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: dhromed on
The "main window" contains only playlists and the idea is that you can use the libary viewer to create playlists. Playback happesn fro mplaylists; there's no such thing as playing from the library (which I've personally always found a confusing concept in iTunes and Spotify), though you can modify all the layout components so that you have both the library and your playlists in view. Try View > Layout > Scratchbox to play around.


I am used to having a "library" view as in WMP and Zune. How do you manage your music collection? i.e. Add/Edit/Remove artwork, tags, etc.? Add more music? A playlist is fine. But, you need a database/library view to do all of this other stuff?

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #3 –
foobar is playlist-based. You use a media library viewer to view the content of your monitored folders and to populate playlists. Playlists are viewed using a playlist renderer. The default media library viewer is Album List and the default playlist renderer is Playlist View, neither of which display artwork.

If you right-click on an item in Album List, you'll see the options Send to playlist and Add to playlist (note the keyboard shortcuts displayed there). These are used to populate the playlist. The command Send to playlist will overwrite any content in the active playlist with the selected item(s) and immediately begin playback. The command Add to playlist will add the selected item(s) to the active playlist without overwriting existing content. If you'd rather your selected items automatically populated the active playlist, you can go to File > Preferences > Media Library and in the section labeled "Library viewer selection playlist," tick the boxes for Enabled and Activate when changed. However, many people find the behavior of the "Library viewer selection playlist" to be confusing.

Also, you might want to avail yourself of the built-in layouts which can be accessed at File > Preferences > Default User Interface. Click on the "Quick Setup" button and in the window that opens, click on the individual presets located under "Main Layout" to see what each looks like. If you've already managed to customize your layout, you might want to click on the "Export Theme" button to backup your layout before doing so.

If you wish to view artwork in a media library viewer and/or in a playlist renderer, you'll need to download and install additional components which have that capability such as Facets (media library viewer) and SimPlaylist (playlist renderer).

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #4 –
I can only tell you how I personally do things, of course:

> i.e. Add/Edit/Remove artwork
I don't use artwork.

>tags, etc.?
Use foobar's properties dialog to manually enter tags, or format the tags from filenames, or use a service to grab tags (which is included in the default install, I believe). Most features when right-clicking an item are available in both the library viewer and playlists.

If you want something column-based, try the componet Facets instead of the tree-based Album List.

> Add more music?
Just drop the files in your folder, and they'll be picked up automatically. That's why the library says "Monitoring".

> A playlist is fine.
It's the One True Way.

> But, you need a database/library view to do all of this other stuff?
Truth be told I don't use the formal library all that much, for one reason: you can't specify manual sequence in the library, and I prefer to order my music by a kind of similarness which is like genres/styles but exists only in my head. Thus I have a mega-playlist as "library", and play from that one almost exclusively.

But I still like to have the library set up, as many components use that data. For example Random Pools lets you make a random selection of X and put it in a new playlist.

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: TheEmpathicEar on
[New to Foobar, I am coming from Zune and WMP software where I set a "My Music" folder and all my music was displayed in the main window]

I have installed Foobar for the first time. I set  Media Library>Music Folders>"D:\iPod\My Music" (Status == Monitoring) This contains all of my music [MP3s] in a hierarchy: i.e. One folder each for each artist, sub-folders for each album, and the MP3s contained in each sub-folder.

I expected to see all my music in the main window? But, nothing is displayed there? If I go to Library>Album List, I can see all of the music [but no album art, etc.].

If you're not computer-savvy, then Foobar offers some pre-designed layouts. Or you can do what I did and mess about 'til you get it looking the way you like.

You can play individual tracks from the library, using the right-click menu, but sending the album to a new playlist is the way to go about it properly. If anyone here knows how to post attachments, maybe they can help you by posting a nicley set-up theme file (*.fth).

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: BenB on
foobar is playlist-based. You use a media library viewer to view the content of your monitored folders and to populate playlists. Playlists are viewed using a playlist renderer. The default media library viewer is Album List and the default playlist renderer is Playlist View, neither of which display artwork.

If you right-click on an item in Album List, you'll see the options Send to playlist and Add to playlist (note the keyboard shortcuts displayed there). These are used to populate the playlist. The command Send to playlist will overwrite any content in the active playlist with the selected item(s) and immediately begin playback. The command Add to playlist will add the selected item(s) to the active playlist without overwriting existing content. If you'd rather your selected items automatically populated the active playlist, you can go to File > Preferences > Media Library and in the section labeled "Library viewer selection playlist," tick the boxes for Enabled and Activate when changed. However, many people find the behavior of the "Library viewer selection playlist" to be confusing.

Also, you might want to avail yourself of the built-in layouts which can be accessed at File > Preferences > Default User Interface. Click on the "Quick Setup" button and in the window that opens, click on the individual presets located under "Main Layout" to see what each looks like. If you've already managed to customize your layout, you might want to click on the "Export Theme" button to backup your layout before doing so.

If you wish to view artwork in a media library viewer and/or in a playlist renderer, you'll need to download and install additional components which have that capability such as Facets (media library viewer) and SimPlaylist (playlist renderer).


@dhromed
You mentioned "Facets" too.

I installed "Facets". I now have a tab "Library Selection". Nothing is displayed. How do I get it to display my media library by default? I set Media Library>Music Folders>"D:\iPod\My Music" (Status == Monitoring) Does this involve the creation of a playlist in order to list the media library or something else?

EDIT: I used Library>Facets to display the "Library Selection" tab.

NOTE: As I mentioned in my first, my media library is a hierarchy.

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #7 –
Can you post a screenshot of what your foobar2000 window currently look like? I'm not sure if you have actually added a Facets UI element yet.
Also, a screenshot of your Facets' options page would be helpful to see what settings you currently have for the Facets plugin.

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: sketching on
Can you post a screenshot of what your foobar2000 window currently look like? I'm not sure if you have actually added a Facets UI element yet.
Also, a screenshot of your Facets' options page would be helpful to see what settings you currently have for the Facets plugin.


I watched a YouTube video. I've got an artist, album/w album art and tracks displaying now. With the "Facet" layout, I got as far as 3 main columns, artist(s), album(s), and track(s). And, with albums, columns for album art and date. Is there a way to have a pane [or more than one] that is below these columns?

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #9 –
I played about with using facets a lot in the past and I've come to the conclusion that its more trouble than its worth. I find with foobar, that the fewer plugins/components you use, that the better it works in general.

If you got to foobar properties "Display > Default User Interface" And choose quick setup. Any of the "Album List +" presets on the left should work quite nicely.

Probably worth noting. At the bottom of the Album list, there are filters, the one on the left allows you to view by folders or whatever. Personally find the folders view most useful but its personal preference really.

Hope this helps.

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #10 –
Facets is the most useful component for foobar2000
 

Where is my music [displayed]?

Reply #11 –
Personal preference really.

I find it to be largely broken or unfinished. Plus its not supported as far as I'm aware.