Best practice for creating a local library: DLNA? Folder structure?

[Underbridge]

Hi all. I'm planning to buy a WiiM Amp Ultra. I have a local MP3 library ripped from CDs stored on a NAS, but I want to recreate it in lossless FLAC to use with the new WiiM. I thought I would ask the community for guidance before I get too far along.

As I am starting from scratch, what is the best practice way of serving up the library to the WiiM? Should I use DLNA, or something else? The WiiM would be the main/only consumer of it. The NAS is old and due for replacement - Netgear ReadyNAS Duo V2. It doesn't support modern security protocols but it apparently has DLNA. I'll get a new one at some point, so that will have up to date features. As an interim step, I could just dump the library onto a drive plugged into the WiiM's USB port until then.

Also, the library structure. I have started using Exact Audio Copy, configured for lossless conversion according to guides I found online. I am ripping into a structure that looks like this:

• Artist 1
  • Album 1
    • Track 1.flac
    • Track 2.flac
    • Track N.flac
    • Cover.jpg
  • Album 2
    • Track 1.flac
    • Track 2.flac
    • Track N.flac
    • Cover.jpg
• Artist 2
  • etc.

EAC also creates a cue file and log file for each CD, which I have left there. EAC populates the main metadata tags, including CD Title, CD Artist, Year, Genre, Track Title, Composer.

The cover artwork JPG that EAC finds is usually 1400x1400, sometimes smaller.

Do I want artwork as a separate JPG like this, or embedded in the files? Not sure if EAC also embeds it, or how to tell.

Is the above the usual way? Is there anything else I should be doing or capturing to give the best experience?

I know the WiiM screen is small, but I might use the WiiM app on a Chromecast with Google TV to display artwork etc. on a nearby screen, and am looking forward to having that capability.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[d6jg]

So Lyrion can replace use of the WHA. Surely this is only in relation to selection of audio input. If I want to change EQ presets or anything like that, I (or other victims of my decisions) would still need to use more than one app... or possibly the WiiM remote.

Correct. WHA for settings related stuff. Material / Lyrion for choice of what to play.

 

[simbun]

Disk and track no. in a file name - hmmmm.

The tracks on an album consisting of two CDs with 20 tracks each can easily be numbered 1-40 omitting the CD no. info. Why transfer the physical limitation of CDs to files and folders? It‘s still one album - on both media.

Many audio tools (taggers and verifiers) require the correct disc and track number tags so it's not recommended to deviate from that.

I use foobar for tagging and don't browse by folder so I never really see the filesystem, so adding title and artist and other strings to make them unique seems completely unecessary e.g. How would you name track 1 on both CDs for the album Brothers using just track number?

 

[Aquaman]

Many audio tools (taggers and verifiers) require the correct disc and track number tags so it's not recommended to deviate from that.

I use foobar for tagging and don't browse by folder so I never really see the filesystem, so adding title and artist and other strings to make them unique seems completely unecessary e.g. How would you name track 1 on both CDs for the album Brothers using just track number?

Name one tool that REQUIRES disc no. entry. Track nos make sense. Anyway I wasn‘t talking about tags but the naming of files with CD and Track nos.

As I wrote earlier and aswering your qustion re. track no. 1 in Brothers, it would be Black Keys, The - Everlasting Light and Black Keys, The - Everlasting Light (Live) for file names and Everlasting Light and Everlasting Light (Live) for track titles. Easy.

 

[dtc]

I would also suggest putting the cover art into the flac file. It most cases it is reductant with saving the jpeg file in the folder, but it is nice to have when you move the files to other systems in case the jpeg gets lost.

 

[d6jg]

Much easier to configure your ripping software to do discno-trackno naming in some form and then forget about it for ever. No need to edit titles or append identifiers in text nor any need to use the renumbering tool in mp3tag or whatever.
In my screenshot the underlying album is Cream, Wheels of Fire. It was released as 2 separate albums - studio and live - but also as a double album comprising both. I have to be in a particular mood to play the live one. My tagging and Material presents me with the option to play all or either. You could do this with 01-40 numbering but it adds an unnecessary step.

 

[Aquaman]

I would also suggest putting the cover art into the flac file. It most cases it is reductant with saving the jpeg file in the folder, but it is nice to have when you move the files to other systems in case the jpeg gets lost.

Nothing ever gets lost with appropriate backups.

 

[Aquaman]

Much easier to configure your ripping software to do discno-trackno naming in some form and then forget about it for ever. No need to edit titles or append identifiers in text nor any need to use the renumbering tool in mp3tag or whatever.
In my screenshot the underlying album is Cream, Wheels of Fire. It was released as 2 separate albums - studio and live - but also as a double album comprising both. I have to be in a particular mood to play the live one. My tagging and Material presents me with the option to play all or either. You could do this with 01-40 numbering but it adds an unnecessary step.

Then make it two albums. No worries.

 

[dtc]

You might also want to look at dBpoweramp for ripping. I switched from EAC to dBpoweramp years ago because it was faster and had more options. You do have to pay for it however.

 

[dtc]

Nothing ever gets lost with appropriate backups.

Putting the album art in the file is just another form of backup.

 

[Aquaman]

Putting the album art in the file is just another form of backup.

No, it isn‘t. But everyone to his own. I‘m not on a mission here, merely expressing my views on the topic and what I like best.

 

[dtc]

No, it isn‘t. But everyone to his own. I‘m not on a mission here, merely expressing my views on the topic and what I like best.

Yes it is IMO - it backups up the cover art. No backup system is perfect. Just my opinion.

 

[d6jg]

Then make it two albums. No worries.

Ah but I have the others as well (CD rips) but this is from my original vinyl copy of the double album.

 

[slartibartfast]

Yes it is IMO - it backups up the cover art. No backup system is perfect. Just my opinion.

Cover art is easily replaced anyway. I quite often come across an album with low resolution art and replace it with a higher resolution.

 

[d6jg]

You might also want to look at dBpoweramp for ripping. I switched from EAC to dBpoweramp years ago because it was faster and had more options. You do have to pay for it however.

IMHO dbPoweramp is well worth the small investment but you do need to configure it a little to get the optimum results

 

[dtc]

IMHO dbPoweramp is well worth the small investment but you do need to configure it a little to get the optimum results

Yes - and just click the Add Cover Art to File option and it will save the cover art in the file for you automatically

 

[mrehorst]

I have been using Lyrion Music Server (in current and previous forms) for 20+years. I recently replaced my last squeezebox with a Wiim Amp Pro. I select music to play using the Squeezer app on my android phone and tablet. I also use SqueezeLite on a PC connected to the stereo system. There are zero issues with playing music served by LMS. As soon as a Wiim device is connected to wifi, the player apps (Squeezer and Squeezelite) see the Wiim device as a player.

My library, about 99% flac files, the rest being mp3s, is organized by genre, artist, year- album, then track - title. I use mp3tag to edit and write tags, and foobar2000 to scan and create replaygain tags. mp3tag has some very useful features including tag case correction, and track numbering (always use leading zeros!). Foobar2000 scans music at 1000x+ speed to figure out replaygain tags values.

I have a small PC running a headless install of ubuntu server that runs Jellyfin for video and LMS for audio. Media files are stored on external HDDs in a USB box. It has been working flawlessly for 5+ years with only updating every week or two.

 

[Underbridge]

Thanks all. I don't think I saw an answer to my earlier question, which I will expand on...

With Lyrion, are there options for contolling playback or selecting sources using the WiiM (Amp Ultra)'s touch screen?

What about the remote?

Can anyone point me to something online showing WiiM and Lyrion in action?

Can Lyrion be used to select all the sources that the WiiM can consume? Including internet radio, say for example (Australian) ABC Double J?

 

[Burnside]

Thanks all. I don't think I saw an answer to my earlier question, which I will expand on...

With Lyrion, are there options for contolling playback or selecting sources using the WiiM (Amp Ultra)'s touch screen?

No. Think of Lyrion as an external system which can send its audio to players like the WiiM. As a player, the WiiM has no control over audio selection.

What about the remote?

Normal playback controls like pause/play and volume will still operate.

Can anyone point me to something online showing WiiM and Lyrion in action?

See https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-pro-raspberry-pi-4-8gb.1150/ and other “squeezelite” related posts

Can Lyrion be used to select all the sources that the WiiM can consume? Including internet radio, say for example (Australian) ABC Double J?

Lyrion has an encyclopaedic collection of internet radio stations using its Radio Now Playing plugin, amongst others. Looks like ABC have a list of streaming URLs for their stations at https://help.abc.net.au/hc/en-us/ar...ind-direct-stream-URLs-for-ABC-Radio-stations so you could enter the URL for a particular station either into Lyrion or the WiiM home app.

 

[slartibartfast]

No. Think of Lyrion as an external system which can send its audio to players like the WiiM. As a player, the WiiM has no control over audio selection.


Normal playback controls like pause/play and volume will still operate.



See https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-pro-raspberry-pi-4-8gb.1150/ and other “squeezelite” related posts


Lyrion has an encyclopaedic collection of internet radio stations using its Radio Now Playing plugin, amongst others. Looks like ABC have a list of streaming URLs for their stations at https://help.abc.net.au/hc/en-us/ar...ind-direct-stream-URLs-for-ABC-Radio-stations so you could enter the URL for a particular station either into Lyrion or the WiiM home app.

There are 67 ABC (au) stations listed in Lyrion's Radio Now Playing plugin including Double J

 

[simbun]

Name one tool that REQUIRES disc no. entry. Track nos make sense. Anyway I wasn‘t talking about tags but the naming of files with CD and Track nos.

Disc layout (table of contents) underpins the MusicBrainz database, but "requires" was probably too strong a word for taggers - at least for the foobar MusicBrainz plugin - because you are still able to perform a less efficient and less precise albumartist + album search to retrieve metadata.

CUETools does require DISCNUMBER as does the use of the DISCSUBTITLE tag, so best practise is that TRACKNUMBER and DISCNUMBER reflect the physical media.

As I wrote earlier and aswering your qustion re. track no. 1 in Brothers, it would be Black Keys, The - Everlasting Light and Black Keys, The - Everlasting Light (Live) for file names and Everlasting Light and Everlasting Light (Live) for track titles. Easy.

So you've broken any possible automation at this point (because there will be naming conflicts), and you're left with a folder of files that are less useful than those named %discnumber%.%tracknumber%, because at least those could be used to order playback. I can't imagine a worse approach if I'm honest, but if it works for you, that's great.