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Contributor II
Oct 26, 2026 4:18 PM UTC
Answered

Message "Can't Update Library".

I’m getting the message that I "Can't Update Library". I’ve exceeded the 65,000 song limit, as I do regularly. Previously, when that happened, I could check the end of the library on Sonos and compare to my subdirectories to see what didn’t get included. That would give me a target to know how much to delete. Now it looks like everything is accessible even though I get the error message. Nothing appears to be missing even after the error message. I suppose the answer is to keep deleting until I don’t get the message unless anyone has another thought.

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Grand Maestro
Oct 26, 2026 5:41 PM UTC

In addition to the 65000 hard limit, there is an index space limit. Using long meta data (track title, artist name, etc.) may hit the space limit before 65000 tracks. The indexer continues until a limit is reached or all files are included. I use very short track file names in order to conserve index space. Track number is sufficient if each disc is stored in its own foulder. 

You have virtually no control over processing order, but I notice that file shares are processed in order and a file share is fully processed before moving to the next. The indexer asks for a list of files to process. The presentation order can be chaotic as far as the human is concerned and tends to be associated with the physical order on the drive and this can depend when the file was added or updated on the drive.  Displaying files by date may give you a hint about which files are at risk or which files are now beyond a limit.

Duplicate tracks can add to the confusion because only the first encounter will be included in the index and it’s not always obvious where the duplicate is stored. (A typo could store a duplicate in an unexpected folder.)

You may be able to somewhat manage things with separate shares, such as “dad”, “kid1”, “kid2”, “holiday1”, “holiday2”, etc. and only include currently needed shares. 

 

3 replies

Airgetlam
Oct 26, 2026 4:38 PM UTC

Not offhand, no, but my library hasn’t reached that size. Have you submitted a system diagnostic within 10 minutes of reproducing the issue, and called Sonos Support to discuss it? It’s possible the numbers you’re looking for could be in that diagnostic. 

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Bruce
Smilja
Oct 26, 2026 4:56 PM UTC

​@John_449, Have you tried Plex? It doesn’t have any track limits.

Plex on Sonos | Sonos

Requirements for using Plex for Sonos | Plex Support

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»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
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Grand Maestro
Oct 26, 2026 5:41 PM UTC

In addition to the 65000 hard limit, there is an index space limit. Using long meta data (track title, artist name, etc.) may hit the space limit before 65000 tracks. The indexer continues until a limit is reached or all files are included. I use very short track file names in order to conserve index space. Track number is sufficient if each disc is stored in its own foulder. 

You have virtually no control over processing order, but I notice that file shares are processed in order and a file share is fully processed before moving to the next. The indexer asks for a list of files to process. The presentation order can be chaotic as far as the human is concerned and tends to be associated with the physical order on the drive and this can depend when the file was added or updated on the drive.  Displaying files by date may give you a hint about which files are at risk or which files are now beyond a limit.

Duplicate tracks can add to the confusion because only the first encounter will be included in the index and it’s not always obvious where the duplicate is stored. (A typo could store a duplicate in an unexpected folder.)

You may be able to somewhat manage things with separate shares, such as “dad”, “kid1”, “kid2”, “holiday1”, “holiday2”, etc. and only include currently needed shares. 

 

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