Skip to main content
Contributor I
October 6, 2020
Question

subdirectories in music files path

  • October 6, 2020
  • 15 replies
  • 591 views

Is there away to tell sonos to recognize subfolders in when setting up Music Library Settings? 

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

15 replies

Airgetlam
October 6, 2020

I don’t think it needs to be specifically said, as I recall from the many years ago when I set up my library. All Artists in my library are in sub folders. Have you double checked the FAQ?

Bruce
October 6, 2020

There are several views in the Sonos Music Library. Take a look at the Folders view.

WSGAuthor
Contributor I
October 6, 2020

I think you are speaking about from the main screen just expanding the Folders heading? 

 

WSGAuthor
Contributor I
October 8, 2020

Well this died leaving me hanging. 

Reminds me of a story from the 1990s.  Up in Seattle area, a helicopter got lost in low clouds.  Saw ahead Microsoft HQ building and the pilot yelled through an open window, “where are we?”  The answer came back, “in a helicopter.”  Pilot turned to his passenger and said, typical answers from Microsoft.  The answers are correct but useless.

 

controlav
Lead Maestro
October 9, 2020

Your question has confused everyone that has tried to answer it.

Please restate the problem you are trying to solve, using different words. Ideally pictures too if it will help make it clearer for us.

Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.
WSGAuthor
Contributor I
October 9, 2020

Thank you. 

I do see that I was asking the wrong question.  Starting over again.

The “Search Music Library” box seems to look only at the directory I have for “Music Library” but none of the sub-directories.   That is what I was trying to address.



 

controlav
Lead Maestro
October 10, 2020

Thank you for re-starting your question.

Sonos recurses down through your directory structure from the share when building the index. It frankly wouldn’t be much use if it did not.

You are specifically talking about Search. What about Browse? Does that work on your library? Also the Folder option that will determine if the problem is with the library index itself, or with the search function.

Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.
WSGAuthor
Contributor I
October 10, 2020

Music on my HD is all in the following directory //desktop-1sha075/Music  with multiple sub-directories. 

As it turns out I have the symphonies of Nielsen in the sub-directory Music/Carl Nielsen.  I also have some of his chamber music here (This is where iTunes stuck it when I added it)
C:\Users\Bill\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Lieurance Woodwind Quintet\Romantic Masterworks

CLARIFICATIONS:  The chamber music was originally added to my iPhone because I was on the road and needed it to help me prepare for a performance.

If I type Nielsen in the search box the only thing that shows up in the stuff I loaded into iTunes.  No indication of anything at Music/Carl Nielsen.

THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE THERE ARE OTHERS.

October 10, 2020

You are aware that the folder structure on your drive is totally irrelevant to how Sonos organises the Music Library? 

It is organised using the file metadata and it is on this metadata that it searches.

PS. No need to shout. 

October 10, 2020

To illustrate the point in my previous post,  I suspect that the material from the original iTunes has 'Neilsen' in the Artist metadata field, but the files in Music/Neilsen do not. These latter files will not appear under 'Neilsen' for Artist in the Sonos Music Library. 

However, if you had a subdirectory Music/Motorhead, but the Artist field was populated as 'Neilsen', the files would be classified under Neilsen.

The only place where you would see Motorhead mentioned in the Sonos Music Library would be in the Folders view. No search would find 'Motorhead'.

I suspect that what you are attributing to missing subdirectories is actually caused by missing metadata.

I could be wrong, but I hope this answer doesn’t prove as useless as my original attempt.