Tag: itunes

Winamp 5.666 change media library location

One of my previous posts guided you to the process of moving your library location from drive X to drive Y with the aid of a HEX-editor. This was tested for Winamp version 5.61. It was a rather complex approach, since iTunes XML import did not work in that version.

I have tested this again with Winamp version 5.666 and XML export/import works perfectly.

  • Make a backup copy of  your Winamp profile (c:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\Winamp\*)
  • Open Winamp
  • Remove everything from your current playlist
  • On the media library tab, click local library
  • Click Library button and export media database

Open the generated XML file, and with a program like notepad++, you can find & replace the <key>location</key> values to the new location. Save the file

  • Reopen Winamp
  • Remove everything in your library
  • Close and reopen Winamp
  • On the library button, choose import media database and point to the new XML file you created

That’s it!

 

Move your music library from Winamp to iTunes

In a previous post I helped you to switch your music library from iTunes to Winamp, without losing any metadata (such as last play date, play count, rating…). Now Winamp has stopped releasing new versions, some might want to switch back sooner or later. I’ve made the switch as a kind of experiment to see whether it would be possible to keep (the most valuable metadata). iTunes won’t be able to please me in the near future, but as time goes by, it might be the only easy way to sync with my old iPod Classic and iPad.

What do you need?

– Winamp 5.666 (media library required, standard Winamp installation)
– Your favorite txt notepad software with find/replace features (Notepad++, GVim, …)
– iTunes 11.2.2.3

It will please you to hear that moving the library back to iTunes is less complicated than the reverse option.

Steps

Start up Winamp

Winamp export media database

The default view has a button called ‘library’ at the bottom of the left column (media library column). Click, and choose ‘export media database’. This will create an iTunes XML library database.

Start up your favorite txt editor

Open the XML file created by Winamp in the previous step. Replace F below with the drive letter on your system. Find:

<key>Location</key><string>file://localhost/F:%5

Replace with

<key>Location</key><string>file://localhost/F:/

(so the only thing that needs replacement is %5 to /)

Save and close XML file

Start up iTunes

iTunes import XML database from Winamp

File (Alt + F) > Library > Import playlist… Choose the XML file

If you have lots of media files, this will take some time.

Moving your music library from iTunes to Winamp.

It took me a long while to find a decent alternative for iTunes. First of all I wanted to get rid of Quicktime. It’s a player that really likes to hijack file associations. Still, I managed to live with that. Unfortunately the iTunes software keeps getting bigger with no benefit whatsoever. In my case I just need a mediaplayer (music player) for Windows that manages a music library and makes it easy to synchronize with my iPod Classic. I don’t need any other software stuffed down my throat containing drivers, connectors, features, ads,… for Apple hardware which I’m not planning to buy!

Moving from one player to another would be very easy if you hadn’t been upgrading like a good citizen into one of the latest iTunes releases where you followed the candytrail into the sealed fortress. Continue reading “Moving your music library from iTunes to Winamp.”

Raken we dan nooit van iTunes verlost?

Mijn pogingen uit het verleden om iTunes eruit te gooien en te vervangen door iets anders zijn nog steeds niet gelukt. Het probleem blijft nog steeds om alle kostbare (!) meta-data in een ander programma te krijgen én de functionaliteit te behouden om te synchroniseren met een iPod.

Op dit moment probeer ik opnieuw Winamp, maar nog steeds gebeurt niet alles vlekkeloos, maar Winamp komt van alle alternatieven toch het dichtst in de buurt. Continue reading “Raken we dan nooit van iTunes verlost?”

Enter Songbird, Exit iTunes of eerder WinAmp of MediaMonkey?

Songbird
Songbird logo

Het ging niet lang meer duren, zo bleek al uit een van mijn vorige berichten. Ik heb iTunes nu definitief naar de prullenbak verwezen en Songbird geïnstalleerd. Wat een verademing, of toch niet helemaal?? Continue reading “Enter Songbird, Exit iTunes of eerder WinAmp of MediaMonkey?”