B2 Export and how to export your hidden Mp3 files.

[Edwyn Corteen]

Hi all

A heads up for those who have used the FLAC+MP3 compression and how to backup your files.

I have just done a complete export of my B2 after changing my file settings to FLAC+MP3 compression, this has worked but, as expected, no MP3 files have been saved. Currently if my HDD dies I would be left with leaving my B2 switched on for two weeks or so with the new HDD in to regenerate all the MP3 files!

Currently the only way to save these MP3 files is to make a Playlist of all your albums and use the Playlist function Export MP3, not the most obvious or user friendly method! This additional Playlist function is not mentioned in the Menu Overview on the website!

The only alternative is to use an external NAS drive and save all your files there, I used this method in conjunction with Microsoft Synctoy, but my NAS drive has currently failed :(.

This is explained in the notes from Martin when this new function was released.

26th June 2020

There is a new compression mode that compresses music to FLAC and MP3. The MP3 files are hidden and don't play or get backed up but there is companion function "Export MP3s" in the Playlist Menu that will export the hidden MP3s to USB - this is useful for sending music quickly to an MP3 player or USB storage for playback in the car for example.

The compression function will convert WAVs and previously converted FLACs to hidden MP3s - but it is very very slow. What you end up with is a collection of FLACs and a hidden mirror copy of them as MP3s.

Any plans to make backing up MP3s easier?

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Edwyn,

I have been thinking about this situation also.  I have two work-arounds in the event of a B2 HDD failure.

1.  I use 'robocopy' (a M/S Windows HDD mirror copy feature) through NAS, so I have a mirror copy of the B2 'music' folder on my backup server.  'Robocopy' copies all folders and sub folders, so the 'mirror' folders are also backed up. The NAS based restore of the entire collection would take about 60 hours using a wired Cat5 connection.

2.  I purchased 'dBpoweramp' and used this to generate the 'mirror' folders and tracks in the same way as the 'flac+mp3' option.  The difference is that using 'dBpoweramp' to create the 'mirror' files runs through my entire collection in about 9 hours instread of 35 days.  This means that I can take an 'Export' and 'Import' it, taking about 8 hours to restore, then run 'dBpoweramp, taking 9 hours.  The entire recovery would be done in 17 hours.

I have tested both options and they both work well.  Option 2 is a lot quicker, but requires a bit more effort.  Option 1 is slower but it is a 'one click of the mouse' operation.

It would be very useful if 'Export' and 'Import' were updated to have an option to include the 'mirror' folders but I am happy in the meantime to have these work-arounds.

Regards,

Peter.

[Edwyn Corteen]

Hi Peter

Your methods are very good, but as I said my NAS has currently died and only the techies amongst us will have one, I have also looked at online cloud services but these seem rather expensive!

Synctoy works similarly to robocopy but I think is easier to use (and free!).

Hopefully if Martin gets bored he will update the export function so all files are saved!

[Daniel Taylor]

I had the impression that the Export MP3s command, even though it was in the Playlist menu, would export all the shadow MP3 files.  Apparently, that's wrong.  Would someone please confirm.

At any rate, it should be an easiy matter to create a playlist of All music, and then run the Export MP3s command on that playlist.  To do that these are the steps I used to create the playlist:

1. Create new playlist (I named it All Music Playlist)

2. Combine playlists

3. Append > All Music to All Music Playlist

Done

Now all you have to do is run the Export MP3s command.

[Edwyn Corteen]

Hi Daniel, yes you need to produce an All music playlist and then use the export playlist function, when you try it you will see that you are asked to choose a playlist before you can set it going.