AlbumArtist and multiple tag values

[rpatriarca]

Hi there. I am experimenting on a rather complex tagging scheme for a customer. I have devised a solution, but I face a peculiar behavior of MinimServer which is preventing me to adopt it.
To explain the issue, I refer to some sample files tagged this way:

ALBUM Le due Regine

ALBUMARTIST Callas
ALBUMARTIST Tebaldi

COMPOSER Verdi
COMPOSER Gounod
COMPOSER Bellini
COMPOSER Puccini

DATE 1952
DATE 1954

That is, a standard Album tag, two values for the AlbumArtist tag, four for the Composer tag, and two for the Date tag.
Now, if I use this tag format property string:

Album.displayFormat={$album^$date^ (^)}

I correctly get:

Le due Regine (1952, 1954)

If I then change the tag format property string to this:

Album.displayFormat={$album^$composer^ (^)}

I still correctly get

Le due Regine (Verdi, Gounod, Bellini, Puccini)

However, if I use the following string:

Album.displayFormat={$album^$albumartist^ (^)}

I only get:

Le due regine

Log files talk about conflicting tags:

restarting MinimServer[Tethys]
starting MinimServer[Tethys]
Warning: conflicting ALBUMARTIST values ignored for file Callas/Le due Regine/01 - TEBALDI - Gounod - Faust - Come vorrei saper del giovin... c'era un re.flac
first conflicting value: Callas
second conflicting value: Tebaldi
...

So my question is: why do multiple AlbumArtist tags conflict, and multiple Composer do not? Is there a way to solve this and employ multiple AlbumArtist tags successfully?

Thanks in advance,
Roberto

[bbrip]

If you search the forums here you will find that the UPnP protocol does not support multiple AlbumArtists, therefore MinimServer does not support it either. The workaround is simple, just use the "artist" tag or any custom tag you may wish to create to cater for the situation.

bbrip

[rpatriarca]

(26-06-2014 12:45)bbrip Wrote:  If you search the forums here you will find that the UPnP protocol does not support multiple AlbumArtists, therefore MinimServer does not support it either.

Aww... I feared something like that. Now I'll have to think of something else.
Thank you for your kind answer!

Bye,

Roberto

[simoncn]

(26-06-2014 12:45)bbrip Wrote:  If you search the forums here you will find that the UPnP protocol does not support multiple AlbumArtists, therefore MinimServer does not support it either. The workaround is simple, just use the "artist" tag or any custom tag you may wish to create to cater for the situation.

bbrip

A small clarification: the UPnP protocol doesn't prohibit multiple ALBUMARTIST values for a track or album, but many UPnP control points and servers make the assumption that multiple ALBUMARTIST values won't occur. MinimServer treats the ALBUMARTIST value specially in various ways (see previous posts for more details) and doesn't allow more than one ALBUMARTIST value for an album.

[rpatriarca]

(27-06-2014 16:43)simoncn Wrote:  MinimServer treats the ALBUMARTIST value specially in various ways (see previous posts for more details)

Thanks for this clarification. I wonder if this "speciality" of the AlbumArtist tag can explain another issue I am facing now that I decided to copy this long-sought-after Minim configuration from my "testing environent" (a Windows PC running MinimServer 0.8 update 31) to my "production environment" (a remote Qnap NAS).

I installed MinimServer 0.8.1.1 for Qnap - ARM version - and Java 8 as explained in your recent post. Then I copied my configuration file from Windows to the remote device (unfortunately I cannot use MinimWatch on it) and edited it where necessary. Basically, I just retained minimserver.udn, minimserver.configVersion and minimserver.contentDir from the original config file, and replaced everything else with lines from my Windows configuration.

Both servers (windows and Qnap) run on the same set of music files, but the output I get when browsing with the same control point (Kinsky for Windows) is quite different.
As far as I can see, there are two issues. One, major, is this error line in minimserver log:

MinimServer: incorrect tag 'AlbumArtist' for option 'displayRole' in property 'tagCustom'

referring to the following configuration line, which works fine on Windows:

minimserver.tagCustom = Composer.displayRole\={artist}, AlbumArtist.displayRole\={artist}

To allow Minim to start I have to remove the second part of the line, and that explains most of the differences in rendering when I browse the library.

The second issue, minor, is that the following configuration line seems to have no effect on the Qnap server, although it does not result in an error:

minimserver.tagValue = composition.default\={album}

The main issue has again something to do with the AlbumArtist tag, but I don't know how to interpret the fact that the same configuration works fine on Windows. Have you got any hint?

Thanks again, and keep up the wonderful work!

Bye,
Roberto

P.S.: as soon as MinimServer's flexibility will allow me to satisfy my customer I will make a donation... you deserve any penny.

[Dieter Stockert]

(27-06-2014 16:43)simoncn Wrote:  MinimServer [...] doesn't allow more than one ALBUMARTIST value for an album.

Why not?

[bbrip]

(28-06-2014 09:12)rpatriarca Wrote:  

(27-06-2014 16:43)simoncn Wrote:  MinimServer treats the ALBUMARTIST value specially in various ways (see previous posts for more details)

Thanks for this clarification. I wonder if this "speciality" of the AlbumArtist tag can explain another issue I am facing now that I decided to copy this long-sought-after Minim configuration from my "testing environent" (a Windows PC running MinimServer 0.8 update 31) to my "production environment" (a remote Qnap NAS).

-----


MinimServer: incorrect tag 'AlbumArtist' for option 'displayRole' in property 'tagCustom'

referring to the following configuration line, which works fine on Windows:

minimserver.tagCustom = Composer.displayRole\={artist}, AlbumArtist.displayRole\={artist}

To allow Minim to start I have to remove the second part of the line, and that explains most of the differences in rendering when I browse the library.

The second issue, minor, is that the following configuration line seems to have no effect on the Qnap server, although it does not result in an error:

minimserver.tagValue = composition.default\={album}

The main issue has again something to do with the AlbumArtist tag, but I don't know how to interpret the fact that the same configuration works fine on Windows. Have you got any hint?

Thanks again, and keep up the wonderful work!

Bye,
Roberto

P.S.: as soon as MinimServer's flexibility will allow me to satisfy my customer I will make a donation... you deserve any penny.

I think that is related to the very same issue: You just cannot have 2 or more entries for AlbumArtists. It doesnt help aliasing them as "Artist". Your best option is to copy the content of your AlbumArtist tag to the Artist tag using a program such as mp3tag (or Metadatics if you are on Mac). After that, either delete the duplicate AlbumArtists or set the aliasTags property AlbumArtist:nil so MinimServer does not read them and therefore does not throw errors at you. Its pretty easy and straightforward and shouldnt stop you donating Simon

MinimServer is BY FAR the most flexible music server you will ever come across.

bbrip

[simoncn]

(28-06-2014 14:03)Dieter Stockert Wrote:  

(27-06-2014 16:43)simoncn Wrote:  MinimServer [...] doesn't allow more than one ALBUMARTIST value for an album.

Why not?

This is because MinimServer treats the AlbumArtist value specially in various ways and this special treatment assumes there is no more than one AlbumArtist value for an album. Many other servers and control points make the same assumption.

[simoncn]

(28-06-2014 09:12)rpatriarca Wrote:  Thanks for this clarification. I wonder if this "speciality" of the AlbumArtist tag can explain another issue I am facing now that I decided to copy this long-sought-after Minim configuration from my "testing environent" (a Windows PC running MinimServer 0.8 update 31) to my "production environment" (a remote Qnap NAS).

I installed MinimServer 0.8.1.1 for Qnap - ARM version - and Java 8 as explained in your recent post. Then I copied my configuration file from Windows to the remote device (unfortunately I cannot use MinimWatch on it) and edited it where necessary. Basically, I just retained minimserver.udn, minimserver.configVersion and minimserver.contentDir from the original config file, and replaced everything else with lines from my Windows configuration.

Editing the configuration file isn't recommended. It is very easy to make a mistake (for example, by deleting lines that are needed).

Even though it's slightly more work, a better approach is to use MinimWatch to enter the property values individually.

What is preventing you from using MinimWatch? It is important to resolve this problem if you are trying to do advanced configuration of MinimServer. Trying to do this using a text editor is not supported and is likely to cause problems and unexpected results.

Quote:Both servers (windows and Qnap) run on the same set of music files, but the output I get when browsing with the same control point (Kinsky for Windows) is quite different.
As far as I can see, there are two issues. One, major, is this error line in minimserver log:

MinimServer: incorrect tag 'AlbumArtist' for option 'displayRole' in property 'tagCustom'

referring to the following configuration line, which works fine on Windows:

minimserver.tagCustom = Composer.displayRole\={artist}, AlbumArtist.displayRole\={artist}

To allow Minim to start I have to remove the second part of the line, and that explains most of the differences in rendering when I browse the library.

Have you installed the latest update (update 31) on your QNAP? Without this, you will get the problem you have described.

Quote:The second issue, minor, is that the following configuration line seems to have no effect on the Qnap server, although it does not result in an error:

minimserver.tagValue = composition.default\={album}

This would happen if you haven't installed the latest update on the QNAP.

[rpatriarca]

(28-06-2014 16:53)bbrip Wrote:  I think that is related to the very same issue: You just cannot have 2 or more entries for AlbumArtists. It doesnt help aliasing them as "Artist".

Well, I have no AlbumArtist at all in my files right now. What I do is the opposite: build up an AlbumArtist line from other tags.
The AlbumArtist line is the only (except for Album) displayed by Kinksy on iPad. I need it .

Quote:Its pretty easy and straightforward and shouldnt stop you donating Simon

MinimServer is BY FAR the most flexible music server you will ever come across.

It is. And deploying it in my customer's environment is only a matter of time. Simon will surely have his well deserved money (I don't use Minimserver myself, as for my own basic needs my old version of Twonky is still ok).
Bye!

Roberto