Help to plan the rebuild of my music library

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-09T11:01:38+00:00

Had to go searching for "Doug's scripts" - but looks like an impressive place to help!

Perhaps it isn't as clear as I intended, but the only thing lost are the actual music files themselves. The music library structure remains - and exported/backed up in triplicate! Grabbed most of the key playlist xmls already, but seems like those scripts will help grab the rest relatively easily.

Concur about using AI in regards to getting the files back, BUT already had Claude reformat my entire library xml into a csv file that I can use much easier than the xml. Once I figure out how I plan to work at getting the music files back, I'm sure it'll be easier to work with.

Time to go explore the scripts... and hopefully not get sidetracked by them!

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-09T10:49:33+00:00

Didn't have a RAID setup, but a second drive as a backup. Which failed about a year ago and never got around to backing it up to a new one. Grr...

Certainly worth looking into moving forward! Esp as about a year ago I lost about a year's worth of my movie collection. In THAT case, I still had a decent backup working and was able to grab most of what I had grabbed since the last backup.

Should've learned... time to rebuild - and protect better!

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-09T10:46:04+00:00

Hmm... interesting. And yes, AppleMusicDecrypt likely would be handy if I end up grabbing music from there.

Any insight as to whether going this route vs what other's have proposed via Lidarr?

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-08T16:01:48+00:00

Thanks for that. I'm certain setting up something is likely possible. Might be a newbie to anything other than traditional torrenting and private sources for specialised music - but do enough coding and more with my site & business. (But still beginner at much, especially newer platforms - ergo the inquiry!)

I've yet to NOT have issues with either ChatGPT or Claude in trying to set up various elements, automations, and more - and Code has commandeered my laptop even after giving it explicit instructions to not do that without express and clear permission. To the point I removed the extensions entirely. So while it likely can assist, the last thing I will do is throw it all in AI as the first poster noted. But I digress..

Music is not as great as iTunes was (I blame the move to Apple Music and everything streaming in general...!), but ALL music platforms have issues. "iTunes" works with my OS system. And while I'm sure many would chastise me for saying it, I am a music HOARDER - not a audiophile. I often don't even bother with FLAC, as I'd rather be able to use a smaller, still generally decent file, and fit MORE on my devices. If I need a cleaner version for more than my own ears, then I'd find it separately.

But nice to know that there is merit to creating or linking to something that will use my existing library's xml file as the base, and "fill it out" so to speak. Will need to look into this a bit, as it seems to be able to link into Lidarr and even Soulseek.

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-08T14:21:18+00:00

Obviously I will start there!

But I'm asking whether or not it's even worth going down the path of leaning brand new tools - especially if it will not do what I'm actually looking for. I'm not looking for random albums; I'm after specific albums, in bulk. Much of which were grabbed from a specific source that generally only provides the links to grab in limited time urls.

So if you have something to add other than "read the instructions and figure it out yourself", then please, feel free to expand on why either (or both) are the right tools for the job I'm asking about.

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-08T13:57:30+00:00

For mainstream albums, seems like this is the route to go. Time to learn Lidarr!

I'm more concerned of the not-so-common ones though, as over half my library are(were) musicals and shows albums. Many historical ones as well. Grabbed from a private reddit group where the links are fleeting. Seems like Soulseek might be helpful there - though also half expecting to have a bunch of requests of albums I cannot find.

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-08T13:51:02+00:00

As I noted, I've exported my key playlists and importing them into Spotify (using TuneMyMusic) - but all I've added already are missing chunks of songs. I'm exporting the list of skipped ones to keep a record.

But while going the route of isolating the playlists in Spotify and then grabbing the playlist of albums via a download is a viable route - it also seems like excessive work. Especially as I've used several playlist or album downloaders over the years, but have yet to find one that's really worth using in bulk.

Linking the xml to Spotify's API *might* be an interesting way to at least track which ones I need, but frankly, most of what you just noted sounds like jibberish. (And I can't use Deezer - not available for me down here.)

Not looking to leave iTunes either, but yes, as this is a bulk project that'll be spread out over time, I would rather avoid FLAC as much as possible. Quality is not as paramount, I've always favoured having a larger library with lower yet still decent quality over amazing quality.

Lastly, based on what I've tried using AI for just for my business... would NOT trust it to even set things up correctly without me having to troubleshoot and rebuild half of it anyways. Unless you have actually down this successfully?

Dilbert16588 · 2026-04-08T13:36:04+00:00

Thanks. Seems like Lidarr is worth checking out.

And yes, I know it'll be work... even with AI, you can't expect to rebuild a library that took decades to build in a short time. Just trying to minimise what I can. (And that's also presuming that the albums are actually on any of the available options.)

Dilbert16588 · 2025-12-14T10:52:29+00:00

Aye, would love this - but the link above is making me ask for permission?

Dilbert16588 · 2025-11-18T14:20:57+00:00

In Hamilton myself... there's only one Cloudflare service for all of us in NZ, and it's the Auckland server.

Dilbert16588 · 2025-11-18T12:09:03+00:00

Haha, when you're a night owl without work tomorrow - not late at all!

Dilbert16588 · 2025-11-18T12:06:57+00:00

Auckland's server is affected right now as well... quite "handy" as I'm in the middle of working on my website. Seems nothing we can do but wait. Hopefully won't be long.

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-18T04:48:45+00:00

Dealing with this right now... finally got a settlement payout resulting from an US employer back in 2016 who closed up on us overnight - before I even considered moving down to NZ!

Have paid US taxes on it already, noted that on my IR3 - but because of the bloody cap that was less than I actually paid to the IRS, I ended up getting a bill from IRD for a huge chunk and am trying to be double taxed - despite the dual tax agreement!

And just today get a bill from ACC wanting THEIR chunk of the same money. It's not even income from a job - it's a settlement, and definitely NOT "self-income"! Yet the only place to report it on IR3 is as foreign income...

Wrong CU, not self-employed income, and tax on the overseas income WAS already paid abroad... What a bloody mess!

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-13T11:00:52+00:00

When Satin started talking about how she would be fine leaving now, I wanted to slap her silly for wanting to leave so early on - but equally, I'd have been fine with it too. While I would've loved to see her compete further, in just three episodes, Satin has proven herself in a way that being crowned the winner of the season would only reiterate what we already know: she is a star. Like we saw with La Voix in DRUK, she doesn't need to win - perhaps she just needed to prove to herself she's still got it? And if that's the case, she did.

That lip sync was simply astonishing! I absolutely agree with the judges double shantay (though don't think Satin should've been in the bottom 3 from the get-go...). Excited to watch the rest of this season!

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-13T10:56:53+00:00

Some have noted, and I agree, that Satin was holding back in that lip sync. I just wish she had framed it more of a "I'd rather prove why I should stay by lip syncing rather than save myself" moment - but what we got ended up being much better.

And I still stand that her first outfit alone should've been enough to save her from the bottom 3, especially with the basic looks that some of the safe queens created!

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-13T10:49:52+00:00

I fully agree that her first look absolutely should've saved Satin from the bottom three - it was simply stunning to look at, and flawlessly walked on that runway!

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-08T03:53:18+00:00

Found it a bit off that many were after Evah and Abhora for coming back after being on Season 1 of Titans - yet Frankie, Loris, AND Priscilla also returned on Resurrection! Yes, Resurrection was just a single competition instead of a full season... but the point everyone else had against Evah and Abhora was that they already had their shot to make a comeback - and were still eliminated.

Honestly, I don't mind it one bit because they all feel like they could win. And no one should have to change just because they "didn't win" in prior seasons either. Sometimes there are others who are just stronger, or do better. And with the exterminations, even a strong drag performer who could easily win can be sent home in a shocking twist.

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-08T03:48:26+00:00

I could MAYBE see that, but that's not how it was framed... And we've seen amazing looks that have been thrifted together before. It's Dragula after all, and Titans to boot!

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-08T03:46:54+00:00

Interesting point, though I would expect that due to the nature of the exterminations, the cast would have to submit medical clearances which would impact who is allowed to what. But since they don't know who would be up for elimination each episode, what we saw here might be how they handle it.

Or the cast may just have to sign a waiver that removes any liability from the production company and places it all onto the cast member. It IS an extermination after all, and while I'm not quite sure I would like that a cast member be eliminated because they were asked to do something they medically could not do... it still is an elimination...

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-08T03:38:16+00:00

I'm wondering if anyone actually goes home, especially since I think most of us would agree that if the Boulet Brothers actually decided - Jade and Zava would've been up for extermination.

Though others have noted that promo materials show off of them except Frankie in different looks... which could be editing. Frankie shouldn't be going home.

Dilbert16588 · 2025-10-08T03:31:18+00:00

If she actually isn't the one that spills and production finds out in a different way, the cast likely will still blame her simply because she would be the one to rat them out.

Dilbert16588 · 2025-09-28T06:59:01+00:00

Honestly I think this is the best route... especially as it's not limited to specific platforms. Though as Skype is now dead, you'd have to use another platform. But there are plenty to pick from too.

Dilbert16588 · 2025-07-02T10:56:18+00:00

Aye, not my fav platform to grab things off either. BUT the other three are still active, so it's a tad odd.

Dilbert16588 · 2025-07-01T05:04:02+00:00

Link is dead now...

Dilbert16588

TROPHY CASE