# Advice on starting a new database please?

**URL:** <https://discourse.beets.io/t/advice-on-starting-a-new-database-please/938>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [September 27, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/advice-on-starting-a-new-database-please/938 "2019-09-27T12:52:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mbc0](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.beets.io/mbc0/32/301_2.png) [@mbc0](https://discourse.beets.io/u/mbc0)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/advice-on-starting-a-new-database-please/938/1 "2019-09-27T12:52:19Z")

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Hi,

I am a new user coming from bliss and would like some advice on setting up please?

I currently have very large 3 Music sections

Artists & Bands  
Compilations  
Soundtracks

rather than having things jumbled up in one folder should/can I create 3 different databases? or is there a better way to organize this?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

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**Author:** ![adrian](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.beets.io/adrian/32/4_2.png) [@adrian](https://discourse.beets.io/u/adrian)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 2:13pm UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/advice-on-starting-a-new-database-please/938/2 "2019-09-27T14:13:38Z")

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I’d keep the organization if I were you! You can configure beets to sort things into top-level folders if you like. Take a look at the `paths` section of the configuration—you can automatically tell soundtracks to go in the `Soundtracks` directory, for instance.

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**Author:** ![mbc0](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.beets.io/mbc0/32/301_2.png) [@mbc0](https://discourse.beets.io/u/mbc0)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 11:09am UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/advice-on-starting-a-new-database-please/938/3 "2019-09-28T11:09:55Z")

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Thank adrian 🙂

I have managed to make some progress with this and so far loving it! I think I have the organization sorted into those three categories, only 2 things I cannot work out at the moment is why it is encoding mp3’s? I only want it to encode lossless files to mp3. I thought these arguments would skip encoding any mp3’s 320 or less? and why it is leaving the original files? I have it set to move

plugins: fetchart embedart convert scrub replaygain lastgenre chroma web discogs  
directory: /music  
library: /config/musiclibrary.blb  
art\_filename: folder  
threaded: yes  
original\_date: no  
per\_disc\_numbering: no

convert:  
auto: yes  
ffmpeg: /usr/bin/ffmpeg  
opts: -ab 320k -ac 2 -ar 48000 -joint\_stereo 0  
max\_bitrate: 320  
threads: 12

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adrian](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.beets.io/adrian/32/4_2.png) [@adrian](https://discourse.beets.io/u/adrian)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/advice-on-starting-a-new-database-please/938/4 "2019-09-28T13:44:36Z")

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Please try the `never_convert_lossy_files` config option to the convert plugin. In fact, it might be a good idea to read [the plugin’s docs](http://docs.beets.io/en/stable/plugins/convert.html) again.

The thing about leaving files behind is tracked in this issue:

> <https://github.com/beetbox/beets/issues/2947>

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mbc0](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.beets.io/mbc0/32/301_2.png) [@mbc0](https://discourse.beets.io/u/mbc0)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:38am UTC](https://discourse.beets.io/t/advice-on-starting-a-new-database-please/938/5 "2019-09-30T09:38:14Z")

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Thank you, that worked a treat!