Storing music

English General
1

Hey there!
I’ve been helping out on two stations in Norway, both using mAirlist, with two different approaches to storing music files. The actual files on the server, not in the folder structure in mAirlist Database.

  1. Good luck - ALL music files dumped into one folder on the server.
  2. Somewhat system? - Music stored in folders replicating the folder structure in mAirlist DB.

How do you store your music files? Do you sort them in a certain way? What is the most efficient or preferred way?

Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

2

Hi, I will send you some longer suggestions as pdf later via eMail, with examples that I gave one of my clients as basic suggestions.

Hopefully at the weekend (busy right now)… :upside_down_face:

3

Amazing Stefan! Thank you :headphones:

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4

Hi @Mongstaen :slightly_smiling_face:

From my personal experience, which comes from my time before working at mAirList, there is no “one” way.

I had to learn that planning the structure and having a good vision for the future is extremely important.
It was a painful experience to completely rebuild my database twice because new ideas or new know-how showed me that they were not compatible with the existing structure and repairing the existing database was not possible.

First of all, you should keep in mind that every Radio Dj or station has its own idea of storing and sorting music. We have to respect this.

My private approach is probably outdated and does not seem to be a role model for other broadcasters.
You should know that all my audio files come from originally ripped CDs. Real handmade. :sunglasses: No download stuff.

So the structure is easy: Each CD has its own subfolder / subdirectory. They are grouped by series, if applicable (e.g. Kontor Sunset Chill).
On the other hand, they are gouped by decades. They are all “Oldies”, even the 2020s: In 20 years they will be Oldies, too.

Then there are some special foders like “German” or “Film/OST”, “Jazz” and so on. Last, but not least: “Artists”, for the CDs like “Best Of” etc.
All this is based on my experience as a former mobile DJ with different suitcases of CDs. Where to put which CD, where to search and find during the gig?

To be honest, this does no longer meet the requirements of today’s online and download mentality.
But maybe it will give some people some food for thought to build a sensible structure on the hard drive before the files are synchronized with the mAirListDB.

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5

That’s how I setup my music file’s
First I select everything in maps on windows.
Every year is in a map from 1965 to 2024 in mairlist I have the same structure.
I’m now busy adding all the ramps and when that’s done I look at the genre’s.

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6

Hi Henk! So you are sorting your music files in folders of release year? Do you sort them even further inside the year-folder? :slight_smile:

7

Hi Uli :slight_smile:
Yeah! In Norway we are saying “Flere kokker, mere søl” directly translating to “More cooks, more mess”. And I assume both stations started with a vision and just lost the process during the years. I like the idea of grouping by decade and maybe subgroup by genre.

I also agree that if the mAirlistDB is structured in a good way, a one-folder-all-music is working, just looks a mess in the file explorer…

8

Not in windows maps , inside mairlist I have sub maps.
But my first goal is to place all the ramps, the next project could be rock, disco, ect

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