2. pc-audio
  3. 1176955471

Feel let down by your audio software choice?

4 years ago when I started ripping my CD collection to a bunch of WAV files onto my hard drives, I researched the options carefully. I chose MusicMatch, which at the time was consistently one of the best-rated jukebox software. Indeed, I find it continues to organize my collection well, and I love the Audio DJ feature.

Unfortunately, MusicMatch is no longer supported. Supposedly it's going to be integrated with Yahoo's product (which I find much inferior). The alternative, iTunes, I use on my Mac but it, too, lacks some of the features that I would want in a music management software.

And, of course, now I have WAV files that MusicMatch organizes well, but iTunes has a limited ability to read the metadata (tags) in those files, which make them difficult to port over to iTunes. To complicate matters, Slim Devices Squeezebox does not support MusicMatch.

What I really want is a product that allows for easy management of large amount of (potentially uncompressed) music data, that can have pieces of that full collection selectively (and automatically) exported to different "libraries" in a compressed format for synchronization with one or more portable players. Is it that hard for the industry to see that there's a niche for that kind of product?

I just feel let down by the leading software in music management.

Michael
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xsufentanil
edesilva
768 posts
 
I swear foobar built a database. Like I said, its been a long time. I figured it was built like iTunes, which reads the information out of the tags into an XML database, then supplements the database with non-tag items like album art, last played, etc.

I just poked around with google... Have you tried this:

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t35661.html
bigamp
219 posts
 
Hmm...That's what I tried and it didn't work. I'll try again this weekend and post a reply.

In this thread, I'm av newbee (appropriate):

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=54193
bigamp
219 posts
 
Michael: Try JRiver MediaCenter. It may have the features you're looking for. I believe it has a 30 day trial period. I use it with 100+ uncompressed WAV files. It automatically tags WAV files and retrieves cover art. I've found it to have the most detailed and cleanest sound when used in Direct Sound mode-better IMHO than foobar.
sufentanil's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
sufentanil OP
782 posts
 
Thanks for the suggestion, bigamp. I haven't tried JRiver MediaCenter yet, so I'll have to give it a try. I'm presently using MediaMonkey in a process of reorganizing my data files into a directory structure and lossless format that I believe will be more universally usable by other software.

Michael
jonahsdad
9 posts
 
I also use JRiver Media Center. Fine audio, lots of features, fast database. I've got about 6000 Flac tracks in it and retrieves quickly. Good Theater view too. It's on a dedicated PC hooked up to the stereo via a USB DAC.

I also use Foobar for quick playing,if I'm working at the office computer and want to use minimal resources.

I think Media Monkey is good also. Frankly, Media Center is just prettier.
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