SongKong 8.0 Bandwagonesque released 22nd November 2021

SongKong 8.0 Bandwagonesque released 22 November 2021

 

 

This is a major release that now supports Acoustid Albums, Discogs Performer credits and improved filters in the Browse By section of the report

 

Acoustid Albums

SongKong has always been able to generate Acoustids and use these to lookup recordings in MusicBrainz albums. However the Acoustid database is significantly larger than the MusicBrainz database and there are many Acoustids not linked to MusicBrainz, Acoustid includes its own basic metadata but does not provide a concept of album lookup only single songs can be looked lookup.

But we have now imported the complete Acoustid database into Albunack and now we are now able to analyse the Acoustid database and reconstruct Acoustid albums for Acoustids tracks. We limit this to generating Acoustid Albums for Acoustids not currently linked to any MusicBrainz Ids, and only if we can construct a complete album and we have the basic metadata (artist, title, album title, tracknos) for every track of the album.

If SongKong can match to complete albums rather than individual Acoustid tracks we get better results, and gives us much better coverage of live bootleg albums and self-published albums.It also helps SongKong to match to MusicBrainz in cases where the user has no metadata so cannot do a direct metadata match to MusicBrainz and the MusicBrainz album does exist but does not have any Acoustids linked to so cannot be identified just by using Acoustids.

This gives us over 1 million new albums that we did not have before

 

Discogs Performer Credits

We have always supported performer credits from our primary data source of MusicBrainz but we only supported predefined roles from Discogs such as Producer, Engineer and Composer. We now supported musical performers from Discogs as well at both release and track level, this wil greatly increase the number of performer credits that SongKong adds.

 

 

Browse By Filters improved

The report allows you to browse by Artist and Album, Album, Composer/Work and Folder. We have now improved the filters for all these types supporting filtering by if the tracks have been modified, if there is a MusicBrainz album match, and if there is a Discogs album match for all browse by sections, this makes it very easy to use the report to find changes of interest. 

  

 

 

SongKong 7.4 Dawnrazor released June 9th 2021

We are pleased to announce the release of SongKong 7.4 Dawnrazor. 

 

 

This release contains a number of fixes mainly related to file renaming and song only matching

Bug

SONGKONG-2237 Rename seems to sometimes use excessive cpu indicating going into some kind of loop

SONGKONG-2235 Setting New Filenames in Grouping:0

SONGKONG-2233 Single song grouping ignore the Only match if all tracks in album were matched

SONGKONG-2232 If re-rename an album with multiple discs it seems to rename the album folder (1), (2) for each disc

SONGKONG-2231 Sometimes seems to be unnecessarily rename files to a worse name when have duplicate songs within the original folder

SONGKONG-2230 Long running Delete Duplicates failed on closed connection when does actual duplicate deleting.

SONGKONG-2228 Single Song Matcher, double check acoustid sources when only matching single track on album

SONGKONG-2225 CoverArt Indexing Error

SONGKONG-2195 Windows:Empty Database not always occurring on update to later version

Improvement

SONGKONG-2239 Preferences file should be saved in Alphanumeric order

SONGKONG-2198 Add additional rename masks starting with DiscNo, TrackNo so keep track order when viewed Alphabetically

Jaikoz 11 Cranes released May 20th 2021

We are pleased to announce a major Jaikoz release

Previously all preferences were stored in settings,jai, this was an encrypted Xml file and it was a bad idea. As a developer had to modify the Xml schema every time I needed to add a new preference which was cumbersome. For customers because it was a large Xml file and it was encrypted, this was the main reason for slow Jaikoz start up times, and if the file became corrupted it would just have to be deleted losing all modifications you had made to preferences.

That has all gone now, and most preferences are now stored in settings.properties. but we have columns.properties, id3columns.properties, audiocolumns.properties, manualcolumns.properties for storing the columns displayed in the main edit window.

Jaikoz now comes with predefined filename masks, and these can be modified and new ones added just like in SongKong. All renames masks are stored in renamemask.properties, and this is exactly the same as the one provided for SongKong.

There are substantial changes to renaming files from metadata in this release, but if you also have SongKong then you’ll see we have basically introduced the SongKong way of file renaming to Jaikoz.

Roon 1 is a high-end music player that is a popular alternative to a uPnP Server (such as Asset or MinimServer). It comes with tools to automatically identify your music files, and offers a nice browsing experience making use of data from MusicBrainz and AllMusic.

But its automatic identification only goes so far, so many Roon customers have made use of SongKong to improve the results they get with Roon, now are adding support for Roon to Jaikoz as well !

 

Jaikoz 11 supports a number of new fields

These can be autopopulated from a match:

ENGINEER_SORT (Engineer Sort Name)
PRODUCER_SORT (Producer Sort Name)
MIXER_SORT (Mixer Sort Name)
DJMIXER_SORT (DJ Mixer Sort Name)
SECTION (Multi level Work)
ALBUM_VERSION (MusicBrainz Release Disambugation Comment)
IS_LIVE (MusicBrainz Live secondary type)
ALBUM_YEAR (Release date of album)
ORIGINAL_ALBUM_YEAR (Release date of earliest version of album the song was matched to)
IS_HD (If Audio is 24bit or greater or dsf format)
IS_GREATEST_HITS (If single artist compilation)

These can currently only be manually modified:

RECORDING_START_DATE
RECORDING_END_DATE
RECORDING_LOCATION
ROON_ALBUM_TAG
ROON_TRACK_TAG

Bug

JAIKOZ-1299 Track Scorer always assumes that if track has matching acoustid must be a good match.

JAIKOZ-1292 Mp4 file handles not always being closed

JAIKOZ-1282 MacOS BigSur PrefTabs Problem

JAIKOZ-1281 Match to Specified MusicBrainz Album/Advanced Release Search always leave the year column blank

JAIKOZ-1280 linux:fpcalc execute not set

Improvement

JAIKOZ-1303 Add support for Bits per Sample in AudioHeader

JAIKOZ-1302 Add support for IS_HD field

JAIKOZ-1300 Add ALBUMYEAR field

JAIKOZ-1298 Add support for IS_GREATEST_HITS field

JAIKOZ-1297 Add support for LIVE field when matching from MB

JAIKOZ-1296 Allow Artist,AlbumArtist (and sort field) to be saved as multiple values instead of one value with joins

JAIKOZ-1295 Add OperaFormat to support MinimServer/Roon differences for multi level works

JAIKOZ-1290 Convert all settings from Settings.jai to plain text setting.properties file

JAIKOZ-1289 Add Album based Original Release Date for Original Albums rather than Track Based

JAIKOZ-1288 Roon:Add support for additional Roon fields

JAIKOZ-1287 Roon:Add InvolvedPeople field that maps to TIPL for ID3 but INVOLVEDPEOPLE for Flac

JAIKOZ-1286 For ID3 map Performer field to user defined PERFORMER field

JAIKOZ-1285 Add PRODUCER_SORT, ENGINEER_SORT, DJMIXER_SORT, MIXER_SORT fields

JAIKOZ-1284 For ID3 format add roles such as PRODUCER, ENGINEER, ARRANGER, DJMIXER, MIXER as individual fields

JAIKOZ-548 Put 'JThink' as publisher in windows registry

JAIKOZ-512 Replace Genre blacklist with White lists/Grey lists.

New Feature

JAIKOZ-422 Convert settings files to plaintext file

SongKong 7.3 Schmilco released 15th March 2021

We are please to announce the release of SongKong Schmilco, named after the 10th album by Wilco

 

 

We introduced a couple of bugs in the last release so they needed fixing, the main one was that Manual Edit would no longer save changes in some cases.

We also have some other fixes in this release, and there is one improvement.

There is a change to the Use Windows Compatible Characters option. This is typically used on linux systems (such as Nas servers) to ensure the files are still readable by Windows, because Windows is more restrictive on what characters can be used in filenames. But Windows also cannot differentiate between two filenames that are only different in case, it is case insensitive. Linux is case sensitive so you could end up with two folders with the same name except case and it that situation only one would be visible to Windows.

So now if SongKong renames a file but the folder path is the same as an existing folder (except for case) then we use the existing folder path instead of creating a new folder. Note enabling the option will prevent additional folders being created with same case-insensitive name, but if you already have multiple folders with the same case-insensitive name it will not delete the existing folder, this would have to be done manually.

 

Improvement

• [SONGKONG-2200] - Consider existing folders names in a case sensitive way if Use Windows Compatible Characters is Enabled

Bug

• [SONGKONG-2183] - Small number of files being processed twice
• [SONGKONG-2201] - Edit Songs can fail with Unknown Error:com.jthink.songkong.analyse.analyser.FileRenamer.getMaxFileLengthAllowed(FileRenamer.java:640)
• [SONGKONG-2202] - Mp4 file handles not always being closed
• [SONGKONG-2204] - Save error UnixPath.normalizeAndCheck() with some files
• [SONGKONG-2206] - Discogs Song Group matcher is uneccessarily saving songs one by one if Discogs match failed but already matched to Mb

 

 

 

SongKong 7.2 Cassadaga Released March 8th 2021

We are please to announce the release of SongKong Cassadaga, named after the 8th album by Bright Eyes

 

 

This release is a complete rewrite of the SongKong’s renaming feature. There are no new options and only minor changes to the Errors and Warnings tab but it should do renaming considerably better. Especially when SongKong has to shorten the name because the Windows 259 character limit is enabled, and when you have duplicate copies of the same song so that the duplicates have to be renamed.

It also resolves an issue with the MacOS Prefer Tabs option when running on the MacOS Big Sur operating system.

Improvement

• [SONGKONG-2191] - Split Rename File and Metadata Counts
• [SONGKONG-2197] - Melco:Add ability to log at higher debug levels to check permissions access

Bug

• [SONGKONG-1827] - If have MovedMatched & RenameFiles enabled may prevent file being saved if other exists with same name
• [SONGKONG-1845] - When rename albums containing many layers of folders the artwork sometimes gets lost
• [SONGKONG-2121] - MacOS Big Sur:Fix to resolve Prefer Tabs issue
• [SONGKONG-2151] - Incrementing files names only uses odd numbers
• [SONGKONG-2152] - Ignore Move Matched folder if same as Base Folder
• [SONGKONG-2163] - Folder with duplicate files moves files from folder when moves out duplicates files
• [SONGKONG-2184] - Shows ID3v23 changed message when it should be ID3v24 changed message
• [SONGKONG-2185] - Problem with case-sensitivity and filenaming with blink-182
• [SONGKONG-2186] - Windows:When SongKong checks a network file if local can null pointer on attributes and return true instead of false
• [SONGKONG-2187] - Windows:If unable to rename all files in folder because of shortening failure files can get split
• [SONGKONG-2192] - If two separate groups refer to same songs can be inteference if files being renamed
• [SONGKONG-2193] - Undo Changes can pick up folder starting with same name
• [SONGKONG-2194] - If music in one folder is split into two folders (e.g Disc 1, Disc 2) then should move any associated files to both
• [SONGKONG-2196] - Hide Warning: Nashorn engine is planned to be removed from a future JDK release from each file rename

 

 

SongKong Eliminator released 12th February 2021

We are please to announce the release of SongKong Eliminator, named after the 8th album by ZZ Top

 

 

This release fixes a number of issues with matching box sets, before this release SongKong could handle multidisc releases upto 4 discs, but could not properly match larger boxsets. The Box set algorithm has been completely rewritten for better matching

We also introduce a new feature for Roon users, sometimes Roon users use the ROONALBUMTAG to keep thew discs of a boxset together, even if they edit the disc to use the original albums the boxset is comprised of. We can now do this automatically with the Add RoonAlbumTag to albums identified as box sets checkbox on the Format tab

There are also many bug fixes and minor improvements in this release.

Improvement

• [SONGKONG-1015] - BoxSets:When matching against multiple disc release match to discs with same no of tracks first
• [SONGKONG-2010] - Classical Files more likely to fall foul of 255 char limit per path segment causing duplicates
• [SONGKONG-2161] - Roon:Add support for ROONALBUMTAG (for boxsets)
• [SONGKONG-2175] - If existing Genre metadata includes Classical then mark songs as Classical

Bug

• [SONGKONG-2153] - Filename clashed warning does not update the Errors and Warning progress indicator
• [SONGKONG-2155] - NullPointer saving artwork if writing song to root
• [SONGKONG-2156] - RemoteGui:Allows Move Matched folder to be set to blank even if MoveMatched is enabled
• [SONGKONG-2157] - Ensure if Is Move Matched is enabled but Matched Folder is blank then option ignored.
• [SONGKONG-2159] - Use Windows Compatible Characters is only applied to filename not the folder part of path
• [SONGKONG-2160] - Sometimes failed save gives misleading PrepareStatement Error
• [SONGKONG-2162] - Roon:SongKong not recognizing boxset folder structure
• [SONGKONG-2164] - folder.none issue
• [SONGKONG-2166] - ArtistRelationshipsAndCredits.addInstrumentsFromPerformerRoles Error trying to remove Vocals
• [SONGKONG-2167] - Unable to do complete byFolder section of Report:null
• [SONGKONG-2169] - When SongSaver task is cancelled for taking too long message doesnt say what group was cancelled
• [SONGKONG-2170] - SongKong limits BoxSet identification to 10 folders
• [SONGKONG-2176] - Classical album split into four folders because of duplicate filenames due to Windows total filepath restriction
• [SONGKONG-2178] - Not creating credits correctly when performer play multiple instruments on one track

 

 

SongKong Magdalene 7.1 Released 22nd January 2021

This release is very much focused on improving integrating with the roon 20 music player and server. You can load your music library into roon and it will try and automatically match them to its database, but you will get better results if you run SongKong on your music files first

Although focused on roon most of the improvements have been applied in a general way that can be useful for many non-roon applications, and we also have some MinimServer specific improvements

We have also add a new roon category 16 to the forum. There are some new articles about SongKong with Roon, but all you really to do to get good results is use the new Roon, Fix Songs profile

 

 

Improvement

• [SONGKONG-952 2] - Save a SongKong Id to files so can be found even if moved by iTunes, and know if has been processed.
• [SONGKONG-1018 2] - Give option to make Artist separate values like Artists field
• [SONGKONG-1259 1] - Roon:Use INVOLVEDPEOPLE instead of PERFORMER
• [SONGKONG-1741 5] - Roon:Add Recording Date and Location
• [SONGKONG-1898] - Add Sort Fields for important Non Performer Roles.
• [SONGKONG-1921 1] - Roon: Add roles such as PRODUCER as both individual field and INVOLVEDPEOPLE on all formats
• [SONGKONG-2025 3] - Roon:Look at better integration with ROON Section tag
• [SONGKONG-2135] - Add option to FixSongs to Ignore Previously Checked Files that were Not Matched.
• [SONGKONG-2136] - MinimServer:For ID3 write performers to a PERFORMER field
• [SONGKONG-2137] - Roon:Modify ORIGINAL_ALBUM_DATE mapping to ORIGINALRELEASEDATE so picked up by Roon
• [SONGKONG-2139] - Classical matcher check for Genre =Classique
• [SONGKONG-2140] - Roon:Added support for roon VERSION field
• [SONGKONG-2141] - Roon:Added support for roon LIVE field
• [SONGKONG-2148] - Need a way to empty specific fields
• [SONGKONG-2149 1] - Roon:Add ARTISTATIST_SORT/ARTISTS,ARTISTS_SORT to never populate for Classical
• [SONGKONG-2150] - BrowseByArtist needs to allow for AlbumArtist could now being multiple value

Bug

• [SONGKONG-2143] - IS_SOUNDTRACK field not getting added whe matched to MusicBrainz
• [SONGKONG-2144] - Undercounting number of fields by one when writing Flac files without a VENDOR string