I have a couple hundred MP3s. I want to compile them into an easy-to-read alphabetized list of files, sorted by artist, complete with song lengths, that I can print out and refer to as needed.
Currently, I go to My Music files folder, right-click “Rename” on a selected MP3 file, then press Ctrl + C simultaneously to copy the file name, then go into a waiting Microsoft Word file where I paste the name into the document.
While this method is effective, it is only slightly less tedious that typing the names out one by one. This would go a lot faster if I could find a way to copy multiple files at once and paste them.
Is there a better way to do this, either by adding steps to the above method or using some other way?
I personally haven’t done this, so other people may have more experience in this. Until they show up, here are some ideas.
Maybe what you really need is some freeware or shareware that catalogs MP3 files, for example the programs “All My MP3s” and “Music Label 2001 7.02”. A search might turn up something you like. Try http://www.zdnet.com or http://download.com . It’s also possible that your MP3 player might have a feature to help you with this.
If that doesn’t work out, here are a couple of very basic ideas just to satisfy your immediate need of not copying or typing the name of each individual file.
Assuming you’re running Windows, open an MS-DOS prompt, navigate to the directory where all your files are, and enter a command like “dir > mp3list.doc”. The “>” indicates that the output of the directory command is re-directed into the specified file. You can then edit it as you wish.
Another way is to bring up Winamp and copy as many files as you want into the playlist window. Then press ctl-alt-G. This formats the playlist into HTML, which you can save (without individual file timings, though). You could then copy the source into a Word document.
If you have Excel or Works, setting up this list as a spreadsheet might work for you.
Building on Zertron’s method:
If you put them all in Winamp you can double click on List Options and go to Generate HTML playlist.
You can copy and paste this. It’s very fast.
Here’s what I did.
[list=1][li] Opened Windows Explorer and selected a directory. Selected all files in that directory (a total of 125).[/li][li]Dragged-and-dropped the files into the Winamp playlist box. My hard disk ran for a few seconds, then they all appeared. (You might want to sort the playlist at this point.)[/li][li]Clicked someplace on the playlist box to make sure it was active.[/li][li]pressed ctl-alt-g. IE started with the playlist page displayed. (There is a link to click on to save it).[/list=1]There are alternates to pressing ctl-alt-g. Assuming you’re using the base skin, you could either[/li][list=1][li]click on the playlist “misc” button,[/li][li]select “misc opts”,[/li][li]select “generate HTML playlist”.[/list=1]or[list=1][]right-click on the playlist “misc” button,[/li][li]select “misc” on the pop-up menu that appears,[/li][]select “generate HTML playlist”.[/list=1]If this still doesn’t work, we’ll need to know exactly what you did and what happened (or didn’t happen).
I use Winamp version 2.72, and have nearly 300 files. I’ve never had a problem making lists though.
First open all the files you want to list in the main Winamp window.
Click “MISC”; “SORT LIST”; “SORT LIST BY FILENAME”
Then click “MISC”; “MISC OPTIONS”; “GENERATE HTML PLAYLIST”.
Winamp should automatically open your web browser and display the list. (At least it did with IE 5.5) Either save the HTML page as is, or copy the text to a Word .doc.
muppetsoup, I didn’t know that. That’s a good tip.
A playlist I made has the following format for each selection:
#EXTINFseconds:info from ID3 if present, file name
So it even has the selection length (in seconds).
I have Win98 and I just tried this. The saved listing is the same as the displayed listing: 8.3 name at the beginning of the line, and the long name at the end of the line.
But I tried your method with a small sample: 100. I’ll cut that to fifty this time.