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Topic: Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure? (Read 9305 times) previous topic - next topic
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Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

I've just got a new car audio system (Honda CR-V), which plays MP3s.  I've got a large USB drive that I want to use, but will need to shrink my 7000 FLAC files to MP3 for it to work in the car.  An added wrinkle is that the file navigation system on the car is shocking bad, so I want to change the file structure.

Currently, my FLAC file structure is as follows:
Root/Music/Artist/Album/MusicFile.flac

Given the UI limitations on the car, I'd like to do a batch conversion, that removes the album folder and structures it like this:
Root/Artist/MusicFile.mp3

Does anyone out there know how to do this?  Ideally with software that's free or at least inexpensive?

Thanks!


Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #1 –
You convert by tags, you can do whatever you want. For example you can use one of these on your foobar2000 MP3 converter profile -> Destination -> Name Format:

Code: [Select]
%artist%\[%tracknumber%. ]%title%

or
Code: [Select]
%artist%\%title%

or
Code: [Select]
%album artist%\[%tracknumber%. ]%title%

or
Code: [Select]
%album artist%\%title%

etc.

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #2 –
^ Install free foobar2000 and its "Free Encoder Pack": http://www.foobar2000.org/

Drop a small sample of your FLACs on main window > right-click > Convert > "..." > Set "Output format" to MP3 at whatever quality setting you want > Set "Destination" to folder of your choice and try the "Output style and file name formatting" options provided to you by eahm until you get what you want.  Run the rest of your library.

Wiki: http://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title...2000:Foobar2000

BTW, if your car player can't read proper tags it probably will default to playing tracks in alphabetical order.  If you want to maintain the flow of albums you'll need to get creative with including a tracknumber prefix in the "MusicFile" name as suggested above.

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #3 –
It's a pain, cars are so behind with tagging and music organization. I have to use this for my wife's brand new (not even an old car) Honda Odyssey:

Code: [Select]
[%genre%]\[%artist% ][%date% ][%album% ][D%discnumber% ][%tracknumber% ][%title%]


About the foobar2000 Free Encoder Pack: "Please note that this pack includes only encoders that we are legally allowed to distribute; that excludes MP3 and AAC encoders."

Get the lame.exe file from here: http://www.rarewares.org/mp3-lame-bundle.php

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #4 –
Thanks eahm and Apesbrain.  Very helpful.  I'll have a bash with this tonight.

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #5 –
Foobar2000 worked wonderfully and thanks for the tips on structuring. I think it's a limitation with the exFAT formatting requirement of the car but I found that it will only allow just below 650 folders, which means that it sees artists from A-N. I realized that as I've got the Artist name at the beginning of each file, I could simply taken out of the folders completely.

So another question: does anyone know of an app that extracts files from folders and places them at the root level?!

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #6 –
You could just go on that folder, press F3 (search) -> *.* cut the files and paste them onto the root.

Are you sure it's not better to move them with foobar2000 with another renaming scheme? What car do you have?

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: eahm on
You could just go on that folder, press F3 (search) -> *.* cut the files and paste them onto the root.

Are you sure it's not better to move them with foobar2000 with another renaming scheme? What car do you have?


did you mean just run Foobar as a conversion, but altering the file path to be without an Artist sub folder (I.e. At Root)?

Since I posted the other thing that occurred to me was that it'd be ideal if I could simply promote files from folders where there's a single file (which I suspect is a lot of them) and have all those folders that have multiple files stay the same, so that I can take advantage of limiting play to a single folder/artist, if wanted (as you can limit play to within a particular folder). But now I think I'm probably going beyond practical limitations and reasonableness.

The car is a new Honda CR-V VTi-S (middle of the range).  It's crazy how far car audio lags and the limitations you come up against with compatibility and file formats.

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: justgus on
I think it's a limitation with the exFAT formatting requirement of the car but I found that it will only allow just below 650 folders, which means that it sees artists from A-N. I realized that as I've got the Artist name at the beginning of each file, I could simply taken out of the folders completely.


Another way is to have the artists placed folders that are named for the initial letter only, i.e. all "A"s in the "A" folder, etc. The string functions in foobar2000 can be used to do this.
lossyWAV -q X -a 4 -s h -A --feedback 2 --limit 15848 --scale 0.5 | FLAC -5 -e -p -b 512 -P=4096 -S- (having set foobar to output 24-bit PCM; scaling by 0.5 gives the ANS headroom to work)

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: justgus on
Quote from: eahm on
You could just go on that folder, press F3 (search) -> *.* cut the files and paste them onto the root.

Are you sure it's not better to move them with foobar2000 with another renaming scheme? What car do you have?


did you mean just run Foobar as a conversion, but altering the file path to be without an Artist sub folder (I.e. At Root)?

Since I posted the other thing that occurred to me was that it'd be ideal if I could simply promote files from folders where there's a single file (which I suspect is a lot of them) and have all those folders that have multiple files stay the same, so that I can take advantage of limiting play to a single folder/artist, if wanted (as you can limit play to within a particular folder). But now I think I'm probably going beyond practical limitations and reasonableness.

The car is a new Honda CR-V VTi-S (middle of the range).  It's crazy how far car audio lags and the limitations you come up against with compatibility and file formats.

NOT "right click - Convert" BUT "right click -> File Operations -> Move to".

Honda is what I was afraid you were going to say, the car is amazing but the audio management is a goddamn mess. We bought a new Odyssey and wow, I am still looking for a good way to copy the files for travel since we don't want to keep touching the skip, volume etc.

I didn't even know about the 650 limit.

This is my Car configuration:

Conversion
Format: FDK AAC VBR 3 (~100 kbps) + ReplayGain calculated automatically after conversion + Manually apply to the file. Honda doesn't read the tags and you always have the lossless backup to reconvert if something doesn't work properly.

Destination: this is what I am still working on.

It used to be:
Code: [Select]
[%genre%]\[%artist% ][%date% ][%album% ][D%discnumber% ][%tracknumber% ][%title%]

and this is what I use now (still have to use it really):
Code: [Select]
[%artist% ][%date% ][%album% ]\[D%discnumber% ][%tracknumber% ][%title%]


One simple change/removal of the genre tag changes how you organize, play, travel, feel. It changes everything, I still have to test it but I think this new way will work better.

Try and see.

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #10 –
[/quote]
NOT "right click - Convert" BUT "right click -> File Operations -> Move to".

Honda is what I was afraid you were going to say, the car is amazing but the audio management is a goddamn mess.
[/quote]

I found the "Move to" this morning and have it all sorted. Moved all files out sub-folders and auto deleted the folders. It's all working and now have 6000 tracks, whicoh is fantastic. Foobar is excellent.

I agree that the audio in the Honda lags terribly. Feels like you wind the clock back by 5 years when you turn it on.

Now if only I could find out how to 1) disable the security screen that you have to accept each time you turn the car on and 2) find a way to disable the lock out on the screen when you're driving so that I can use google maps rather than the lackluster Honda link map option.

Thanks for all your help!

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #11 –
Lag? It's extremely fast! I did a test once and the radio read like 15.000 songs in few seconds. The tags management is what is not really well done.

I don't know how they manage to sell radios that don't even browse by genre or artist but at least give me something that read EVERY FOLDER and not just the ones with files inside, all this mess is caused only because of this. I could easily get over everything else if I could read empty folders.

The security warning stays there for 2-3 seconds? Who cares about it.

Batch FLAC --> MP3 conversion with a different file structure?

Reply #12 –
Quote from: eahm on
Lag? It's extremely fast!


I meant "lag" in terms of how far behind the capability of the audio system, i.e. issues with formatting and poor UI.  Sorry for the confusion!

Quote from: eahm on
The security warning stays there for 2-3 seconds? Who cares about it.


I think it may be an issue for the Aussie version of the car, but the security screen, if you don't click to accept, it locks you out.  You have to click the "back" button, then click accept, before you can use the screen.  V annoying!