this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
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easy way to manage audio metadata / file organization? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) by laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world
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With Lidarr being not very functional due to the Unable to communicate with LidarrAPI - Lidarr API "Internal Server Error" 500 | Invalid response received from LidarrAPI | HTTP Request Timeout · Issue #5498 · Lidarr/Lidarr I have been thinking about getting rid of it altogether. I have only started using it recently and don't like it.

What I use Lidarr for:

  • Find metadata for music
    • organize files in a consistent way base on metadata
    • obtain album art
    • create .nfo or other files
  • Identify desired music and instruct download utility to get it (this is optional for me--- I can handle myself if needed)
  • Do the above via a web interface which can be browsed nicely

I don't like about Lidarr:

  • The not-really-open-source nature of it, e.g. this current problem, where you are reliant on their external server to run your own home server. I feel this might be a more pervasive issue in the Arrs but not sure of all the implications
  • How unsupported it is to include work that the lidarr servers don't know about. There will never be a metadata database which includes all music. There is just too much music in the world!
  • no audiobook/podcast support

I also have Jellyfin going for the actual serving/streaming of the music. Am not sure if it is able to fully manage the metadata and files?

Lots of options in the awesome-selfhosted list.

I could use a linux desktop app if it was better than a selfhosted server.

Thoughts?

UPDATE after 2 days and 16 total comments on the thread

As suggested by many people, I gave MusicBrainz Picard a try. It is actually quite straight forward functionality-wise. You do have to babysit it for sure, but it gets fairly close a lot of the time.

It would be very much improved by coming with more presets for file naming. Constructing them is obtuse python stuff. Something like how Trash Guides gives you naming schemes that account for many possibilities. No reason the user should need to do all that on their own from scratch.

Being native linux applications is a big plus, it is smooth to run. Would be nice to have some workflow aides like keyboard shortcuts available.

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[–] MysteriousSophon21@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

For audiobooks specifically, I've been using the soundleaf app with audiobookshelf and it's been amzing for metadata management and organization without any of the external api dependency issues you're having with Lidarr.

[–] laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 16 hours ago

So do you add the books in bulk to the library then use the iOS app to scrape and apply the metadata?

[–] gccalvin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

I haven't tried it, but Metadata Remote is a web-based metadata editor.

Personally, I use MP3Tag with custom actions to set the tags, and MusicBrainz Picard to move files. My music isn't on MusicBrainz, so I do the tagging myself, which usually doesn't require too much effort from me.

[–] laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 15 hours ago

Well it looks like just what I wanted! I'll put it on my "when I get comfortable with Docker" list. Which due to it's rapid growth, is becoming a "reasons to get comfortable with docker" list.

Looks pretty new, since June or July this year. I will admit I am suspicious of projects making claims like "Learning curve ✅ None". I find they tend to assume a lot of prior knoweldge. I will check it out in a while, I think.

BTW the link you posted has tracking, not sure if that was on purpose.

[–] freebee@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago

For getting nice metadata musicbrainz is the best out there imo. Sort your collection, anything new you add, run it through musicbrainz. If your music is missing from musicbrainz: add it! It is the most complete, free accessible database there is. Discogs for example is more complete but not the same level of free to access.

Beets is supposed to be good but I find it complicated, steep learning curve.

[–] 51dusty@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I use beets. highly configurable, good documentation. cli, though. I think someone was working on a browser plug-in...🤔

[–] laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I tried beets but it takes so long to do any task. Even if I just ask it to look up 1 album. beet import /path/to/album I got frustrated trying to learn it.

Was surprised about being unable to find any --verbose argument so I could at least see what was going on. Does it just take forever to do anything?

[–] NebulaNymph@programming.dev 5 points 2 days ago

I'd recommend going through the documentation for beets, they have great guides on using the auto tagger and importing music!

(If it is 'taking forever' to look up 1 album there is likely an issue with your config or beets install, following the docs can help with this!)

Beets Docs

[–] Brkdncr@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago

I’m using Picard musicbrainz.

[–] non_burglar@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

This is a difficult problem to solve, because everyone has their own (valid) way to name, organize and tag music.

That's why lidarr is so disappointing to many folks.

Most of us use a couple of tools, I personally use MusicBrainz Picard.

[–] lIlIllIlIIIllIlIlII@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

I stopped to retag and rename music files. Right now I prefer them to be as original as possible because preservation reasons. I shoud look for an alternative using sidecar files. In the past I used Musicbrainz Picard.

[–] splendoruranium@infosec.pub 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I stopped to retag and rename music files. Right now I prefer them to be as original as possible because preservation reasons.

Aren't you then just preserving some random music ripper's organizational preferences or default settings?
Either way I don't see any issues with adding more tagged information. More information always more good 😁

[–] laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 16 hours ago

In a physical archive, effort is made to retain as much original relation between the materials as possible. The order of books on a shelf, items placed inside other items, etc. If there is an envelope containing a bunch of press clippings, notes, photos etc, you don't disassemble it to be filed by date and type, completely apart from each other. You keep them together, in order.

[–] lIlIllIlIIIllIlIlII@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

Yes, random rippers preferences. The issue is that if you modify the file you lost traceability. And if you want to share the same files with a group of people you want the files to be static. The information can be out of the audio file, the sidecard I mentioned before. In photography it is used xmp format for sidecar. It seems that could be used this format for music too, I have to check it.

[–] laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

in theory if you wanted to you could use hardlinks to retain the original file structure while also having a nicely organized version available. most of the Arrs support this although TBH I do not trust them with the files I wish to preserve in this way. Since there's not too many of them I just zip up copies of anything I want to retain exactly and let the software work with a duplicate. And hardlinks of course would still be subject to editing like retagging.

Of course if you are accustomed to your library being organized in this manner and it suits you, then there is no reason to change. :)

[–] lIlIllIlIIIllIlIlII@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

Yes, I am aware of hard links. But renaming is not the main issue. The main issue is retagging. Thanks anyway.