iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

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rknox
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:34 am

iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

Post by rknox »

Recent versions of iTunes create certain standard subfolders under the specified iTunes Media Folder. For music, which is my primary interest, ripped titles and/or imported files & folders are placed by default in the "Music" folder under the iTunes Media Folder. Hence I have a large library of music organized under the Music folder. Now that I am using iHomeServer, I want to use the watch folder to add additional new ripped CDs. However, when Watch Folders detects my new music, it places the new titles directly under the iTunes Media Folder, NOT in the Music folder under iTunes Media Folder. Shouldn't the Watch folder handler put music under the Music folder to be consistent with the way iTunes is organized? Is there a way to force this?

Thanks,
Ralph
bizmodeller
Posts: 458
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 8:40 pm

Re: iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

Post by bizmodeller »

The Watch Folder mechanism, itself, does not move or copy files. When new media is detected by a Watch Folder, we initiate an 'Add media track' operation with iTunes. What happens next is up to how iTunes is configured.

If iTunes is configured to not copy added media to the iTunes Media Folder, then the media will stay where it is and a reference to the media's current location will be added to your library.

If iTunes is configured to copy added media to the iTunes Media Folder, but not to keep the iTunes Media Folder organised, then I believe you'll get the symptoms you are seeing - where added media is appearing directly under the iTunes Media Folder.

If iTunes is configured to copy added media to the iTunes Media Folder _and_ to keep the iTunes Media Folder organised, then you should get the media that was found by the Watch Folder copied to your iTunes Media Folder and organised into album folders under the Music folder.

Please can you open iTunes manually on the computer running iTunes using the iHomeServer Management Console and go into the Edit / Preferences menu / click 'Advanced' and let me know what the following options are set to:

Keep iTunes Media folder organised
Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to the library

best wishes
rknox
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:34 am

Re: iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

Post by rknox »

Hi,
Thanks for your response to my question. I double checked both options (keep iTunes media folder organized and Copy files to ... library). They are both checked. My understanding of the configuration is as you have described, which is why I was surprised that new music which I had placed in the Watch Folder was being placed directly under the iTunes Media Folder.

Thanks,
Ralph
bizmodeller
Posts: 458
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 8:40 pm

Re: iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

Post by bizmodeller »

I haven't come across that before so am not sure to be honest.

What I would suggest next is to go back into iTunes interactively on the desktop and attempt to add a new media file using the File / Add menu within iTunes. If this file goes into the iTunes Media folder directly (and not the Music subfolder) then it will help us understand whether the issue is an iTunes issue or an iHomeServer/iTunes issue.

One random thought is maybe there is a problem with the permissions on the Music subfolder which is making iTunes unable to write to that folder? Might be worth checking out in Windows Explorer?
rknox
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:34 am

Re: iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

Post by rknox »

I imported another album folder in interactive mode. In fact it also placed the contents directly under the ITunes Media Folder, which is strange.
I am running iTunes 11.1.5.5. The ITunes Media Folder is a share called iTunes on my whs v.1 server. Under that are the standard Books, Music, Movies, Downloads etc. My entire music collection was imported previously and sits under Music. I use other streaming / programs to access the same music library, so it is important that all music sit under the Music folder.

On a side note, I noticed on another setup I have (local machine), the folder structure now has a "iTunes Media" folder underneath iTunes. Has Apple changed the default structure again? Is my naming of the iTunes Media Folder "iTunes" confusing iTunes?

Ralph
bizmodeller
Posts: 458
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 8:40 pm

Re: iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

Post by bizmodeller »

So the issue sounds like an iTunes one, and I'm not sure of the root cause.

Can you double check the permissions of the Music folder to ensure that the user running iTunes does have permissions to write and create directories under it?

>On a side note, I noticed on another setup I have (local machine), the folder structure now has a "iTunes Media" folder underneath iTunes. Has Apple changed the default structure again? Is my naming of the iTunes Media Folder "iTunes" confusing iTunes?

I think this has been the case for a long time - certainly our test servers. The structure is a main folder called iTunes (which contains the iTunes database files and preferences files) and a subfolder called "iTunes Media". It's remotely possible this is confusing iTunes, however, we have an iTunes set up where we have moved the iTunes Media folder to a folder just called 'iTunes' and it's fine.

To clarify - is your iTunes Media folder actually pointing at your iTunes folder (the one that contains the XML files?) If so - I haven't tested this - but yes I can imagine that could be confusing iTunes. Maybe could you screenshot your file/folder structure and post it here? Thanks
rknox
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:34 am

Re: iTunes Media Folder / Watch Folders

Post by rknox »

A quick follow-up on this issue. I went back into iTunes and toggled the relevant settings. Everything started behaving correctly with music files now being placed under the Music subfolder under iTunes. It has been several months now with no further problems.

Ralph
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