How to change a folder name?

Help
1

Hello,

I start using Beets and one thing I do not understand. I would like change a name of folder after importation. For exemple I get “Name Album” and I would like change it with “Name Album EP”.

Can you please help? I try Google, search the command line, but nothing yet.

Thanks.

EDIT : I want change this name after an import, not changing the config, it’s different.

EDIT 2 : Looks like I have t use update but really I go no were…

2

You will probably have to use the paths, item_fields and album_fields config options.

This is the way I currently do it but I doubt it’s the most correct/effective one.

  1. Defining custom paths templates:
paths:
  comp: $label_or_albumartist/$catalogue_or_album%aunique{}/${track_identification}_${artist}_${title}
  default: $label_or_albumartist/$catalogue_or_album%aunique{}/${track_identification}
    %if{$multiple_artists,_${artist}}_${title}
  singleton: $label_or_albumartist/%if{$broadcast,${album}/}${artist}_${title}

My top level directory is either the label or the _albumartist or the _artist. There’s a corresponding label_or_albumartist logic definition in item_fields:

item_fields:
  label_or_albumartist: |
    if label:
      return label.lower()
    elif albumartist:
      return f'_{albumartist.lower()}'
    elif albumtype == 'broadcast':
      return f'_{artist.lower()}'
    else:
      return '_lost_'

Don’t forget you can use any custom field and (I think) you could also use them here if you need tighter control.

1 Like
3

I am sorry, my explanation was wrong I guess.

I do not want a script to change a bunch of folders.
I do not want change the names of folder when I call import.

I just need to change, sometimes, a few folders in my collection.

If I rename a folder and try to access to this by beet command, it’s won’t work.
I understand that besause I change a name which he have on BDD.

So just change a name, with one command line, to change the folder and the BDD.

I tried something like (just an exemple) beet update -a myalbum -m "new folder"
And get some error “No matching albums find”.

Thanks.

4

Here’s the thing: the “philosophy” in beets is that filenames are generated from a set of rules you define, rather than being manually specified. So the thing you might want is to change the $album field on your music, which is included in your path formats.

For example, you could try beet modify -a Name Album album='Name Album EP' to do what you said in your original post.

@snejus’s suggestion is also good: it’s a more advanced way to define rules to accomplish the general pattern of the filenames you want.

5

Hmmm, ok, I am not sure I understand everything but let say ok now.

I would like to try your exemple beet modify -a AlbumName but I still get an error : No matching albums found. I guess, until I will not use this command without error I will struggle for nothing…

What I have to write exactly with AlbumName? For exemple, if I try beet list pentecost, I get my album.
If I use “pentecost” with the update option, error… What I do wrong?

EDIT

> beet list pentecost                                                                                                  
Anathema - Pentecost III EP - Kingdom                                                                                              
Anathema - Pentecost III EP - Mine Is Yours to Drown In (Ours Is the New Tribe)                                                    
Anathema - Pentecost III EP - We, the Gods                                                                                         
Anathema - Pentecost III EP - Pentecost III                                                                                        
Anathema - Pentecost III EP - Memento Mori / Horses / 666

I already change the album name, but just on “space” of Beet (not the folder).

> beet update -a pentecost -M "1995 Pentecost III EP"                                                                  
error: No matching albums found.

EDIT 2 : I forgot, but I tried event with the flag Fields, still the same error.