Multiple Artist Albums
Media Center comes with a number of tools to help automatically identify compilation albums that include various artists.
Album Artist (auto)
See Using Album Artist and Album Artist (Auto) for more details.
Automatic Assorted
When you rename files (right click > Library Tools > Rename Files from Properties), the window that appears provides the option to "Use Assorted for [Artist] on multi-artist albums". This is just under the Directories Rule. When selected, the files will be saved in a directory called Assorted if you have included the [Artist] rule in the directory rule.
Example:
Artist: Stackabones, Album: Best of Truck Driving Songs
Directory Rule:
Base path: M:\Music\
Rule: [Artist]\[Album]
"Use Assorted [Artist] on multi-artist albums" is checked.
Result:
M:\Music\Assorted\Best of Truck Driving Songs\Filename rule
Complete Albums
Media Center can automatically display complete and incomplete albums. An album is considered complete if all the files with the same [Album] value in the same directory:
- are sequentially numbered tracks starting at 1
- have at least 2 files or 10 minutes of audio
- are Audio and have a non-empty [Album] value.
View Schemes for Multiple Artist Albums
Create the following scheme to view Multiple Artist Albums:
- Right click on Audio in the tree.
- Select Add View Scheme.
- Click "Add", Standard View Item, and add the following:
- Album Type (shows multiple vs. single artist albums, and whether they are complete or incomplete). Note: you may have to scroll up the list to get Album Type. Press Ok.
- Repeat, and add Album
- Or display fields for each of the items displayed in #3: Album Type, Album Artist (auto), Complete Album, Album.
You can now quickly view your Multiple Artist albums, and better yet, you can view all of your complete and/or incomplete albums. Complete albums are indicated by a "1", and "0" displays incomplete albums.