[MUSIC] Music Album Browser

[digitaldesaster]

Music Album Browser (written in php)

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=SCYPpEBHrhM

http://rapidshare.com/files/147827290/mab_v05.rar.html

- scans your harddisk
- reads the id3-tags of your mp3
- generates playlists
- fetches missing covers from amazon.de
- supports *cover*.jp , *front*.jpg, *folder*.jpg within your mp3-folder
- supports three different menus
- simple static menu for about 40 albums
- php menu with supportf of searching for artist, genre, year(works only if id3-tags are correct)
- album flow menu (based on michael t's movie flow)

all scripts are very quick and dirty, feel free to customize and optimize the php code. no plans for future releases.


unzip to your harddisk (e.g. folder music)
copy your Albums to the folder MP3
for example my folder structure is

/share/music/mp3

- Artist1
- Album 1
- MP3 1
- MP3 2

- Album 2
- MP3 1
- MP3 2

use ftp client to set permissions for your folder to 777
correct the path to your folder in index.html

browse to index.html
follow instructions

you can set some parameter in the mab.php (eg. max. Album to import at once, fetch cover from amazon, read id3 tags)
be sure that the permissions for the used folder are set to 777
if you have problems set max. Album to 30 or 40, then restart the script as often as you need.

have fun
dd

[excal]

I can say this thing definitly works pretty well.

A couple key points i thought i'd mention from my own using experience.

1. As mentioned, definitly change the max albums to 30 in the mab.php file. (at the top).
-It seems to hang and give an error if you don't.
-No this doesn't mean you can only have a total of 30 albums. Simply run the scan...let it do the 30. After its done those 30....rerun the scan...after those 30...rerun the scan...untill you get to a white screen with a 3 line german message..then its found all your albums.

2. It will not work if you transfer the files via FTP. (atleast not with Filezilla). Transfer them via usb, or SMB, or what ever. Then use the FTP to change the files to 777. I'm not sure why this is the case...but it was for me, and i think Flash had the same problems too.

3. This is all done and created on your popcornhour....except to transfer the files onto your popcornhour, this doesn't require a PC to make the jukebox.

[FLaSH]

Yes, this is definitely a great peace of software

The php menu is my favorite.

Note: There are some characters which make problems in your MP3 folder names...e.g.

Code:

'

Regards,
FLaSH

[AlexNC]

does it support embedded artwork? All my music files have images embedded in them already, and I would rather that be used than the folder art.

[jtrosky]

This looks great! But, is there any way to navigate through the albums besides just scrolling through them all? I'm just thinking that it may be a little tedious if you have a few hundred CD's online! Is there any way to search or jump to a specific letter? I didn't see any navigation controls in the youtube video.

If not, hopefully it'll evolve! I just wished it used a YAMJ-style interface to make navigation a little easier. But, it's a great start! We have a few movie jukeboxes and a music jukebox is badly needed!

Thanks to the author!!!

[FLaSH]

Use the php menu instead of the flow menu, then you have a alphabetical navigation + year + genre

[digitaldesaster]

i used a php-class named getid3, if getid3 supports embedded artworks, it should be possible.

i think for someone with javascript skills (not me) it would be very easy to extend the navigation for letters and genres..
the flow-menu is only experimental..

im sorry, but i don't have so much time, as all sources are included perhaps someone likes to optimize the code..

cya
dd

[AlexNC]

If I add a new album, will I need to re-run the scan ... or does it automatically add it?

[jtrosky]

(10-06-2008 04:11 PM)digitaldesaster Wrote:  i used a php-class named getid3, if getid3 supports embedded artworks, it should be possible.

i think for someone with javascript skills (not me) it would be very easy to extend the navigation for letters and genres..
the flow-menu is only experimental..

im sorry, but i don't have so much time, as all sources are included perhaps someone likes to optimize the code..

cya
dd

Please, don't apologize! What you've done is absolutely wonderful!!! I didn't realize that there was a "normal" navigation method as well (using php menu). I was under the impression that the Movie-flow style was the only option there was and didn't realize it was acutally just another option (experimental at this point).

Again, great work! I hope you keep expanding on this as the PCH badly needs a better music interface!!!

Thanks again.

[excal]

@alex

Yes you'd have to re-run the scan.

@jt

I agree i'd like to see some way of sorting the list out. The coding is there in movie flow...its a matter of adapting it to this music thing.

I had already begun messing with the details page for the movie flow version...you can include more stuff then it does...unfortunately i haven't gotten a track listing to work yet.

I've also messed with adding the MAB setup scan right to the flow index. So that you don't have to leave the page to rescan your library.

all just experiments so far....

[jtrosky]

Hmm, any way to get this working with media NOT residing on PCH hard disk? I'd much rather keep my audio stored on my NAS device and stream it. Any way to do that using this app without a complete re-write? Just curious....

Thanks!

[excal]

i can't say for sure...but try pointing the home directory from MP3 to where ever you want.

[digitaldesaster]

(10-06-2008 08:11 PM)excal Wrote:  i can't say for sure...but try pointing the home directory from MP3 to where ever you want.

that would not work, somebody describes the problem here in the forum a few weeks ago, it is not possible to make a simple "dir" on usb-drive, wonder if nas would work..

its a problem with the rights of the php-user...

perhaps someone has an idea. also like to have my music on usb or something..

cya
dd

[jtrosky]

(10-06-2008 10:34 PM)digitaldesaster Wrote:  

(10-06-2008 08:11 PM)excal Wrote:  i can't say for sure...but try pointing the home directory from MP3 to where ever you want.

that would not work, somebody describes the problem here in the forum a few weeks ago, it is not possible to make a simple "dir" on usb-drive, wonder if nas would work..

its a problem with the rights of the php-user...

perhaps someone has an idea. also like to have my music on usb or something..

cya
dd

I'll see what I can do to get it working from a NAS... Actually, I guess I could always mount the "Music" directory from my NAS to a local PCH directory (via NFS) and make it work that way! I'll install the Music jukebox after work today and mess with it. I'll let you know what I find out.

Thanks again - glad to see someone working on the music functionality of the PCH! I actually still have my Dlink DSM-520 connected just for music, but I would much rather move that device to the bedroom for movies!

[excal]

So i was messing around with this thing last night, and trying to teach myself PHP (and failing misserably).

I was looking to find a way to make it sort the genre's and output a js file for each genre.

I think if i can do that i can rig the flow.html file up to use genre sorting.

What would be the best way to do this? with an array? or an if?

I tried
if ($genre=='Rock')
then i copied the fopen and such and renamed it selrock.js

but that doesn't seem to work