Reorganizing changed tags

Pico Mitchell ●

Thanks for getting in touch. I'm so sorry you've run into an issue.

Would you mind sending me a screenshot of both of the prompts that you get so that I can see exactly what TuneSpan is trying to change back and forth?

The full path should be listed in each row, but if it's getting cut off, you can hover over the row and the full path will be shown. Please make sure the full path (of at least the same track) are included in both screenshots.

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Lothar Buettner ●

Hi Pico,

it's long time ago, but the problem still exists. Today I did Tag-changes with a video and did screenshots of all info-windows and of TuneSpan. TuneSpan comes up asking for Re-Organization, but after completion, the changes are not really done. And TuneSpan immediately asks again for Re-Organization, allthough I did no additional change, and afterwards all Tags are like before. Do you have any idea?

Many thanks!

Lothar

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Lothar Buettner ●

In the meantime I have discovered, that with the 1st Re-Organization - I changed the entries in Title, Series and Episode ID - but at the file location TuneSpan only changed the name of the folder and left the file name as it was. Perhaps that is why TuneSpan immediately askes to Re-organize again back to the original tags.

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Pico Mitchell ●

Thanks for getting back in touch. From looking over your screenshots, I'm a bit confused...

It looks like you changed the tag in iTunes and then TuneSpan prompted to update... that part is normal.

But then the tag was changed back in iTunes without any interaction from you? That part is not normal and would be an iTunes bug. TuneSpan never changes a tracks tags, it would only update the folder organization based on the current tags.

So, the second reorganization request from TuneSpan is expected, TuneSpan is just following whatever is listed in iTunes.

This seems like it may be an iTunes bug that TuneSpan is simply reacting to. Does that sound right?

If you modify the tag in iTunes but then do not reorganize with TuneSpan, does the tag still get automatically changed back in iTunes?

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Lothar Buettner ●

Sorry, to confuse you.

You Wrote:

It looks like you changed the tag in iTunes and then TuneSpan prompted to update... that part is normal.

My Answer

Yes, this is o.k.

You Wrote:

But then the tag was changed back in iTunes without any interaction from you? That part is not normal and would be an iTunes bug. TuneSpan never changes a tracks tags, it would only update the folder organization based on the current tags.

My Answer:

No. I did no additional changes in iTunes after TuneSpan reorganized. When I close TuneSpan after reorganization and open it again, TuneSpan ask again for reorganization without any changes done in iTunes. I only can avoid this second change, if I click: Do not remind me for reoirganization.

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Pico Mitchell ●

Thanks for the info. The bit that is confusing though is the image called "Info AFTER reorganization" which is a screenshot of the iTunes Info window with the original information in it...

This information would not be changed by TuneSpan. TuneSpan was only updating the folder organization based on whatever tags it read from the XML. So, it looks like the tags were reverted by iTunes before TuneSpan prompted to reorganize the tracks again. Is this correct?

If so, is that reproducible without any TuneSpan interaction? If you change these tags in iTunes do they get changed back automatically without doing any reorganization in TunePaan?

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Lothar Buettner ●

1. I changed the name of a video in iTunes.

2. When I start TuneSpan, it recognizes the changed tag (name) and offers to "reorganize". (1st screenshot)

3. When completed I checke in iTunes and the name of the video is changed.

4. I click "continue".

5. TuneSpan offers again to "reorgnize". (2nd screenshot). If I click "remind me later" it offers to reorganize each time when I start TuneSpan. After I give up, it reorganizes back to the original name and it is also changed back in iTune.

I am wondering, if I am the first user with this issue? In general I am very happy with TuneSpan. I use it to span all my more then 300 films and TV-shows to my NAS for streaming with AppleTV to my TV. It runs perfectly.

I hope you can help.

Thanks and best,

Lothar

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Pico Mitchell ●

Issues like this have come up in the past, but I thought they were all fixed in previous updates.

Based on these screenshots, this seems potentially new and different. The tags in the first bold row are different in each one, like TuneSpan is actually getting different tags back from iTunes each time.

Would you mind sending a screenshot of the Get Info window for this same track in iTunes?

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Lothar Buettner ●

I do not know, what you mean with "Get Info window"?

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Pico Mitchell ●

I'm meaning the Info window in iTunes when you select a track and click Command+I. Or via the Get Info item in the Edit menu.

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Pico Mitchell ●

I know it's been ages, but I've made some changes in TuneSpan 1.4 which should hopefully fix the constant offering to relocate issue. Please let me know if you're still getting the same behavior with the latest version of TuenSpan.

You can get the update on the Mac App Store: https://mas.tunespan.com

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Lothar Buettner ●

Hi Pico, did you receive my e-Mail with 5 videos attached, and could you open it?

Thanks and best,

Lothar

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Pico Mitchell ●

Thanks for getting back to me.

I'm sorry, I don't see any email from you. Maybe the video attachments were too large?

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Lothar Buettner ●

Do you have somewhere a Cloud-Drive, where I could upload these videos? Or can I just upload it here to this forum? These 5 videos are 360 MB in total

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Lothar Buettner ●

I uploaded the videos to my Google Drive. If you give me an email-adress, I will share this folder with you and you could download.

Unfortunately the issue, that TuneSpan does always re-organize back done changes still exists. Also after I installed the provided update. So, I have done 5 videos demonstrating the process and showing that issue. You should watch it step by step, start with TuneSpan_1of5 up to TuneSpan_5of5. I am curious, if you find out, that I do something wrong, or you recognize, a funny behaviuor of TuneSpan.

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Pico Mitchell ●

I'm sorry to hear the reorganization bug isn't fixed. There was one issue that I believe I fixed but I also knew there were reports of a few different reorganization bugs. Hopefully I can find a solution to yours and release a minor update for it.

Thanks so much for taking detailed videos. You can email me the link by using the Contact Developer menu item in the TuneSpan Help menu or by using the form at https://contact.tunespan.com (I'd rather not post my raw email on here to help avoid spam).

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Pico Mitchell ●

Through more testing with Lothar over email, we have found this issue is specific to the QNAP NAS and does not seem to be an issue with TuneSpan.

The same behavior does not happen when he tested spanning to another wired drive.

I have suggested getting in touch with QNAP to see if they know exactly what is going on with the NAS to cause this.

Lothar, please post here if you are able to disable it or at least figure out what is going on so others who may run into that same issue can find help here.

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Lothar Buettner ●

Hi Pico,

you are right: After I installed a new firmware for my QNAP-NAS the reorganization bug does not occur any more. TuneSpan recognize, that I changed a tag, asks for reorganization, does it and ... no further messages. The file remains changed as it should be.

Thank your for the conversation, which at its end leads to a solid solution. TuneSpan - and its developer :-) - remains a great tool!

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Pico Mitchell ●

So glad to hear that you've found a solution!

Thanks so much for posting back here to let me and future readers know :-)

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Lothar Buettner ●

TuneSpan on macOS Catalina

Hi Pico,

as you might remember, I am a "heavy" and very satisfied user of TuneSpan for my self-recorded movies, TV-show and Music. Everything runs fine and this is crucial for my >1000 videos.

A major change in macOS Catalina will be, that music, movies/tv-shows and podcasts are "distributed" (?) in separate apps (or not?). Is there anything to prepare, before I will upgrade to macOS Catalina to avoid any issues or even serious problems?

Thanks and best,

Lothar

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Pico Mitchell ●

Thanks for getting in touch. I’m sorry to say that TuneSpan is not currently compatible with the new Music, TV, Podcasts, and Books apps on Catalina.

While future functionality may be possible for the new Music and TV apps, it isn't possible for Podcasts or Books. Unfortunately I'm not yet certain if or when I'll be updating TuneSpan to support Catalina because there are quite a few complexities to work out to do it properly, and I have limited time to work on TuneSpan nowadays.

I have a bit more info about this listed on https://tunespan.com and also tweeted about it before Catalina was released.

It’s also worth noting that now that Apple has separate Music and TV apps (and they each have their own Media folder locations) it is possible to set TV to use a Media folder on an external drive while keeping the Music Media folder location on the internal drive, if that’s what you are looking to do. But, I know that’s not a solution for all the ways TuneSpan can be used.

I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.

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Lothar Buettner ●

Hi Pico,

I read the listed details on tunespan.com and understood, that there will be no issue with my videos (movies and tv-shows) and my music. So, I will re-span podcasts and audiobooks back to my mac and leave videos and music at the current location on my NAS. This would also mean, that I can continue to span videos and music, but not podcasts or audiobooks. I will be fine with this situation, and you conform, that I understand correctly, that this is your advice, and that this is the situation, which will run with TuneSpan on Catalina?

Thanks and best,

Lothar

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Pico Mitchell ●

This part is correct:

I read the listed details on tunespan.com and understood, that there will be no issue with my videos (movies and tv-shows) and my music. So, I will re-span podcasts and audiobooks back to my mac and leave videos and music at the current location on my NAS.

This part is INCORRECT:

This would also mean, that I can continue to span videos and music, but not podcasts or audiobooks. I will be fine with this situation, and you conform, that I understand correctly, that this is your advice, and that this is the situation, which will run with TuneSpan on Catalina?

About TuneSpan and Catalina:

TuneSpan is not currently compatible with any of the media apps on Catalina. Future functionality may be possible with Music and TV in the future, but I'm not sure when (or if at all) I will have a version of TuneSpan that works with Catalina. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

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Lothar Buettner ●

Hi Pico,

as I have so many videos spanned to my NAS (and I would like to continue), I need a way forward after migrating to Catalina.

If I would migrate to Catalina, could I use the folder at my NAS, where I spanned all media over the last 3 years, as my future default / standard location for all my libraries? And would this mean, that by default all media "automatically" will be stored in its related folder at the NAS? Or is this a question for Apple?

Thanks for your help ... and TuneSpan remains a great product!

Lothar

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Pico Mitchell ●

Yes, and also, now that the TV app is separate from the Music app, it is simple to set the default media folder location for TV to be on your NAS while keeping the default media folder for the Music app on your internal drive.

For that basic scenario, TuneSpan is no longer necessary.

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Lothar Buettner ●

... and perhaps another idea:

I suppose, there are many TuneSpan users, who are facing same or similar issues. Do you think, it makes sense, to start a forum discussion for all interested users, to share experiences and solution while / after migrating to macOS Catalina?

Best,

Lothar

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Lothar Buettner ●

Hi Pico,

can I use TuneSpan to move e.g. all music from the current location (= NAS) directly to a new span location, e.g. USB-disk, instead to respan to the mac and in a 2nd step from there to the USB-disk?

Thanks and best,

Lothar

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Pico Mitchell ●

Yes, of course :-)

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Lothar Buettner ●

Will my current Span-Location be continued, if I create another Span-Location, and can I continue with 2 Span-Locations, where I can select to span to?

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Pico Mitchell ●

The Span Location area opens a list if you click it. Past Span Locations are saved. You can use that list to add new Span Locations and switch between different Span Locations.

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Lothar Buettner ●

Thanks, Pico! It worked. I have transferred Audiobooks and Podcast to the separate USB-disk. I will do the same with music and leave TV-Shows and Movies at the NAS.

I not sure, how to "tell" Catalina, that the future place for videos will be at my NAS. I assume, after the update to Catalina, the default places will be configured. Can I then change in AppleTV the place (=NAS), and Catalina will find the media?

Sorry, that I ask so many questions. I have > 1000 videos and want to make sure, I can continue with them.

Thanks a lot and best,

Lothar

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Pico Mitchell ●

I recommend restoring Podcasts and Audiobooks back to the default Media folder on your local drive before updating to Catalina. This is because those apps change how their files are managed and will move them into a tucked away location in the hidden Library folder. Also, in my tests I found that the new Podcasts app will not find the files if they are not in the default location. So, restoring Podcats and Audiobook track to the default iTunes Media folder on the local drive is the best course of action.

The new Music and TV apps will find your external files just fine, and you will be able to set the default media folder location independently for each of those apps to your NAS or wherever you want. Newly added media will go to wherever the default media folder location. Is.

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Reorganizing changed tags

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