Tips for organizing data (music/photos/movies) on unRAID disks

[vj]

Hi,

 

Sorry for this long post.

 

I finally got a unRAID server going (1 parity drive and 1 disk drive) and moved some files over and is working fine for me. Now, I am getting ready to move all my data over to the unRAID disks and would like some tips on how best to organize the data. From the various posts, I realized that many of you are using unRAID for photos, music and movies and would have found out that organizing data in a certain way is better than others. I also, realize that there are many different ways for doing this and people will have their own ways for organizing data and therefore some suggestions may or may not be suitable for me. But, currently, my organization skills are pretty weak and would like some suggestions. During this process, I plan to organize the data while moving it. I have also listed out how I have done it until now.

 

Hence, the main question is what would be the best (most appropriate) directory structure for photos/music/movies? I have Linux (ubuntu) and window (XP, vista) desktops and would want to be able to view/play these on all of them. The final goal is to make a HTPC, but that goal is only for 2009.

 

Here is what I want to do with music and some questions regarding music:

1. Play music using different media players - Windows Media Player, ITunes, J River Music Juke Box etc.

2. Need individual, separate playlist for each user. Hence, I guess, it would be better to store the playlist on the individual PC. But, is it possible to have a centralized playlist repository on the unRAID server?

3. Play same file on different PCs at the same time - not a absolute must, but would be nice. Won't see this happening often, but it could. Are there any issues with files getting locked?

4. What format would be the best to save the music files - mp3 or some other format?

5. My current music organization (for those that I ripped from my CDs) is:

- genre/language

- Artist

- Album

- track 1

- track 2

:

- track N

This causes problems when I have compilations or download individual music tracks or if I do not know the section where the music falls under.

6. Also, I want all music in one album on same disk, so I guess, I will have to use split-level. Currently, not a problem since, I have only one disk.

 

Questions on photo organization:

1. I have currently saved all my photos based on date. Example:

- 2006

- 20060501

- 20060502

...

- 2007

- 20070501

- 20070502

...

- 2008

- 20080501

- 20080502

...

 

This is easy to store, but a pain when you are looking for a certain photo. There are family photos, photos of games for each kid, trip/vacation photos and thousands of generic daily photos that my wife keeps taking that do not fall under any category. What works best?

2. I want to be able to use any photo tool to view the data. My wife uses one called Zoombrowser which came with Canon digital camera and she likes that very much.

 

 

Questions on Ripped movies:

1. Is it better to store movies as one big ISO file or as individual files with VIDEO_TS, etc. folders?

 

Questions on moving files from camcorders:

1. I guess, it would be better to store only the finished movies/DVDs on the unRAID server. Should I keep the avi files that are created when capturing data from the camcorder?

2. I have an old Hi-8 Sony camcorder which could only connect using Firewire connection. The camcorder still works fine and playback very well, but the DV output is not working anymore. Any ideas how to capture the data onto the PC? My newer camcorder has the small tapes and cannot play the old larger tapes.

 

 

Thanks!

 

VJ

[WeeboTech]

For music I use the following folder structures.

 

I need the top level classification so I can separate my radiostation tunes from my own personal ones.

Just would'nt be right playing my new age or old disco classics on a Progressive Metal radiostation. 

 

 

Genre (or classification)

  Artist

    Album

      Named as: Artist-Album-Tracknum-Title.mp3

and for compilations

Genre (or classification)

  Album

      Named as: Album-Tracknum-Artist-Title.mp3

 

> Play same file on different PCs at the same time - not a absolute must, but would be nice. Won't see this happening often, but it could. Are there any issues with files getting locked?

 

Should not be an issue.

 

> Need individual, separate playlist for each user. Hence, I guess, it would be better to store the playlist on the individual PC. But, is it possible to have a centralized playlist repository on the unRAID server?

 

I would store them on the unRAID server. Just make sure all your mappings are the same.

 

 

 

For Photos, I use event as my first level of classification.

Thereafter I may use Year if it's something I do on a frequent basis.

 

[vj]

WeeboTech - Thanks for the suggestion. For Music, I am doing very similar to what you are doing, so, that will not be very difficult to accomplish. As for photos, I am liking the way you have suggested and I might just do that.

 

I hope there are others who are doing things differently and may provide more suggestions.

 

Thanks!

 

VJ

[NAS]

my top tip for music is Musicbrainz picard tagging and identification.

 

once all your files are tagged neatly you can pick any structure you want and organise it into folders in minutes.

[WeeboTech]

I made a slight mistake.

 

Genre (or classification)

  Artist

    Album

      Named as: Artist-Album-Tracknum-Title.mp3

and for compilations

 

Genre (or classification)

  Compilations

      Album

        Named as: Album-Tracknum-Artist-Title.mp3

 

 

I forgot I have a level called Compliations.

 

This way all music in the same genre or classification of use starts at one tree.

Then there is an Artist folder for Artist / Album structure.

THen three is a Compliation folder for Album .

For me I like to listen to CD's in Album order so everything is always arranged with Name using the tracknumber.

This lets me do folder based navigation (I never really use tags).

When I want to copy to my devices, I just copy whole folders of what I want to listen to.

 

For singles (napster, etc, etc) I arrange them as

 

Assorted

  70s

  80s

  90s

  Rap

  Cuntry

  ShowThemes

 

In there they are just named by Artist - Title.

When I buy a CD that has the song I delete them from this folder.

 

[NLS]

Heard (and even tried to use) Musicbrainz before... but I am too afraid of this thing destroying my real data.

 

(maybe I will need some private-over-the-net training NASUser)

 

Then MediaMonkey rulez.

 

Arranging by genre is not really needed since correct tags are all you need.

 

I suggest arranging by artist/album since you need SOME folder structure to prevent apps reading huge folders over the LAN (I know its a problem with my MediaPortal)...

 

 

[jimwhite]

agree with MediaMonkey.... I never use the player or anything, but I think it's the best all-around tagger there is... once tagged and filed, any decent app like jRiver Media Center can organize the database any way you's like

 

[vj]

Thanks for the input. I never knew until today that there are auto-tag tools. I will check mediaMonkey and MusicBrainz. I hope they tag foreign language music - such as Indian.

 

 

VJ