Feature Request for <Album Artist> Property

[MusicFanChris]

I am using Media Monkey Standard Edition (Unregistered) 5.0.4.2693 on Windows 11

The <Album Artist> property is very useful for saving audio files but it doesn't work well between how the files are listed on the file system and how the files are listed in Media Monkey. For instance The PussyCat Dolls is listed under P in Medial Monkey but will be listed under T on the file system along with all the other folders starting with T. Also many people (I include HMV Stores in this) catalogue artists as Last name, First name. Thus Bill Withers is listed under W not B. Media Monkey lists Bill Withers under B.

It would be really useful if Media Monkey differentiated between the <Album Artist>, the Folder name for Album Artist, and the Media Monkey listing for <Album Artist>. For example for the Artist Bill Withers, I would want <Album Artist> correctly stored as Bill Withers. However I would want the Folder named Withers Bill (or even Withers_Bill) and I would want Bill Withers to be listed under Withers Bill in the Album Artist listing. For The Pussycat Dolls, I would want <Album Artist> correctly stored as The Pussycat Dolls. However I would want the Folder named Pussycat Dolls The (or even Pussycat_Dolls_The) and I would want The Pussycat Dolls listed under P ingnoring The (The Pussycat Dolls) in the Album Artist listing (as it currently does).

I'm not a MediaMonkey developer or software developer so cannot suggest how this could be achieved in the software. However from a user perspective I think it would be good to have these options in the properties section for the Album (Properties section for multiple files). These could be options to add a <Album Artist> folder name (if different from the default) and add an <Album Artist> list name option (if different from the default). This would allow the most flexibility to deal with all the various options of 'The artist' type names, 'people' artist names and 'band' artist names not beginning with The.

I have given some thought to breaking the <Album Artist> into multiple fields and letting these be ordered in a properties field but this just seemed way too complicated!

Thank you for the opportunity to make a feature request (suggestion).

[Lowlander]

You can't switch first last name, but you can move prefixes to the end with $MovePrefix(<Album Artist>) .

[kncuk1969]

If you have tagged with MusicBrainz then you will have the AlbumArtistSort field in you metadata, which you might be able to use in a custom tag and then use that in your naming scheme.

[MusicFanChris]

Hi Lowlander,
Many thanks for the helpful reply. When I checked my configuration I have this set for displaying which is why I guess The Pussycat Dolls is appearing under P as I wanted. I followed your advice and tried the $MovePrefix(<Album Artist>) field in the Destination field when ripping a CD. It worked OK in a fashion inserting a comma in the Artist directory name thus The Kinks became Kinks, The as per the documentation. Not really what I wanted but yes it is useful.

I think having optional free format fields for these would be the best option (as per my original post) as it would allow everyone to use what they want if they want. I would also allow any anomolies or preferences to easily be addressed at an individual artist level as the overide would be available for each artist. Thus Media Monkey would behave as wanted in all cases. It does require more typing for the user if they want to make use of the feature but worth it in my personal view. I do understand the desire though to have global format properties then are a set once for everything.


Kncuk thank you for the information regarding MusicBrainz tagging. I have MusicBrainz set in the configuration but I never know where the tags are really comming from when I rip CDs or move folders into Media Monkey. I have looked for the AlbumArtistSort field in the various lists of audio metadata tags but cannot see it there so not sure if I've not tagged using MusicBrainz or if I'm not looking in the right places.

[Lowlander]

That would be this request: https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=2915

[MusicFanChris]

Hi Lowlander,

Thank you for the link and information.

I think the essence of my request has been lost as its primarily about the name used when creating the artist folders as well as how things appear with the sort functions. Given the responses so far this look like a closed door and not something that is going to change. Time for me to recognise a no when I receive it. I will continue to name the AlbumArtist manually when ripping and storing albums into files. That way I will have the folders named the way I want.

Thank you for your time with dealing with my feature request.

Best wishes
Music Fan Chris.