Migration of existing library to NUC SSD

I am about to migrate my Roon Core to a NUC with internal harddrive. Is there any way of ensuring that I keep the date added list in its current form when I migrate the Library to the new SSD? I do find that feature to be one of the most useful ways to use Roon

Are you ‘migrating’ the Roon library or your music files?

If it’s just the library, then no problem.

As I understand it, I migrate the library database as part of the setup process but I also want to migrate the library files fro the current external HDD to the internal SSD. In the past these kind of changes have eliminated the usefulness of the date added feature as the date becomes the date of migration rather than initial adding

Yes, that’s true.

I have used a syncing program, GoodSync, that doesn’t change the file dates. It seemed to work at one time. However, the last time I moved music files using it, GoodSync created new directories, with new dates, on the new media (while leaving the file dates alone) and that caused Roon to see them as new adds. YMMV.

If Roon would only look at the file dates, then there would be no problem using a syncing program. I suppose there’s a legitimate reason for not doing it that way.

BTW - I also used to look at my music based on last added date, but no more.

Thanks Slim…I suppose its the value of a “recent additions” category to remind you what you have just downloaded from TIDAL or elsewhere before they disappear into the wider library where you have to remember what they were before you can find them again. Is there a way to use a recent additions playlist to pull those files together?

Yeah, not that I know of, although I don’t use playlists much. I suppose you could use tags, at least temporarily or until you considered an add no longer recent. Seems like a pain, tho.

At least, anything you add after the migration will show up sorted the way you want. So, it might be just a temporary, minor annoyance.

Maybe other members have other ideas.

I just created a recent additions playlist going back to the last migration but playlists seem to work in tracks rather than albums so its slightly more of a pain to play them back…I dont use playlists much either. Is there a way of turning a playlist into album view? Or can I create a genre?

Any other ideas welcomed…

No, you can add entire albums to playlist. I have done that.

I’m probably missing something here, but surely the “date added” (to your Roon Library) is something that is held in the Roon database? If you move your music files from one storage location to another, even if the new location creates new file copies (rather than preserving the original “date file created” attributes), then providing you have followed Roon’s guidelines for music library migration, your original “date added” is preserved.

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That hasn’t been my experience. When I moved files from my NAS to an external USB, the directory/file dates were changed and that affected Roon’s display by date added.

I don’t remember if I moved the core at that time, but every time (including that time, if it was appropriate) I have backed up and restored Roon library, as one should.

Dunno. It’s too late for me, but if there’s some secret I like to know what it is.

The secret is to edit the existing storage path for the watched location, rather than delete it and add a new one I think. That has worked for me.

Yeah, that might be it. The old NAS location is still in my storage list, albeit ‘Disabled’.

@diw, you seeing this?

Didn’t there used to be some setting, somewhere, that further detailed how ‘date added’ was defined? It seems there used to be a choice between 'file date" and something else, but now I can’t find that setting.

Settings/Library/Import:

Come to think of it - using the File Creation Date is probably the safest setting. The File Modification Date is when the file was last accessed in the OS, and probably not going to give you what you want in most cases. Although Roon Import timestamp might be the best for Roon, if you have preserved the Roon database…

I was able to save whole albums to the "recent additions " playlist but they are shown as individual tracks grouped by album, which is not quite so convenient. I will follow the Roon Migration process and keep everything crossed…thanks for all the advice

Aha, I use file creation date because when I first installed Roon I imported a lot of pre-existing albums. So, of course, I wanted to use file creation date.

Now, that all pre-existing albums are imported and well in the past, using the Roon import timestamp is more suitable, particularly if I move the music files again. One never knows.

@diw, this is probably better for you, also. Try it. You can always set it back again.

Thanks for the insight. I forgot where that setting was.

Weirdly I have now found two existing playlists called “recent additions” not knowingly created by me which do appear to have recent additions going back some time…where did these come from?

In your sleep, maybe?

I don’t have that playlist.

always possible but as I dont use playlists in Roon its a mystery…most of the ones in the playlist folder are imported from TIDAL and are playlists I have used on the iPhone