Rename Music with Metadata

Rename music files using their metadata with this tool.

Table of Contents

1. Description
   1. Interactive mode
   2. Batch mode
2. How to use
   1. Installation
   2. WPF App
   3. Interactive mode
   4. Batch mode
3. API Reference
   1. Console
   2. Directory Selector

Description

It allows users to specify properties to use for renaming and directories with files they want to rename. Apart from that, all invalid path characters are removed to ensure renaming operation will be successful. There is default file skip.txt for words user want to remove from final filenames. Renaming is done automatically after specifying all required settings.

Currently only Album, Artists and Title properties are available. This tool features two modes used for renaming files: Interactive and Batch.

Technologies

• C#
• .NET
  • Extension methods
  • Reflection
  • Resource file(s)
• NuGet Packages
  • Newtonsoft.Json
  • Microsoft.Toolkit.Mvvm
  • Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection
• Markdown

Back to the top

How to use

Installation

Before using this project, you need to compile it, for example using Visual Studio or Rider.

Executable filename that can be used to launch will be MusicMetadataRenamer.exe for console version and MusicMetadataRenamer.Wpf.exe for WPF application.

WPF App

You can use the WPF version, which has Directory, Property and SkipFile selection.

Note: Directory selection needs a non-empty directory because of unavailability of FolderOpenDialog.

It shows output from changes to settings but currently does not show any output from renaming files.

It also allows users to save current settings to .json file to load them later.

You can see the user inteface here:

Interactive mode

First available mode of the console version is the Interactive mode, started when program is launched without arguments. It allows to check/use available options for each step involved. All steps feature a Help command used to check available commands and their descriptions and usage.

Currently it starts at PropertySelector step used to select which properties to include in new filenames and their order in filenames. To complete this step, simply type Complete command.

Then app proceeds to DirectorySelector step. It allows user to specify which directories to include during processing of filenames. To complete this step, simply type Complete command.

After that comes the last, skip-able step - to skip it press Enter. But if you want to specify different file with words to skip than skip.txt, then you should enter its path and then press Enter.

That's all! Application will rename files at given path(s).

Batch mode

Second mode is triggered when application is launched with single argument - path to a JSON file containing action definitions. Example of such a file is included in Actions.json.

For list of possible definitions and commands, see API Reference

Back to the top

API Reference

Console

• To enable Silent mode - no console output

  • Enter BeSilent Command in Interactive Mode during any of first two steps:

  • Or use the following JSON object:

  {
    "Actions": [
      {
        "ActionClass": "Console",
        "ActionName": "BeSilent"
      }
    ]
  }

• To disable Silent mode - re-enables console output

  • Enter DontBeSilent Command in Interactive Mode

  • Or use the following JSON object:

  {
    "Actions": [
      {
        "ActionClass": "Console",
        "ActionName": "DontBeSilent"
      }
    ]
  }

Directory Selector

• To add directories to processing list:

  • Enter Add <directory-without-spaces> [<another-one>] [...], for example:

    Add C:\Music D:\Music

    or with spaces:

    Add "C:\Music\Example - 1" "C:\Music\Example - 2"

  • Or Use the following JSON object:

  {
    "Actions": [
      {
        "ActionClass": "DirectorySelector",
        "ActionName": "Add",
        "ActionParameters": [
          "C:\\Music\\Example - 1",
          "C:\\Music\\Example - 2"
        ]
      }
    ]
  }

• To clear directories-to-process list:

  • Enter Clear

• To complete directory selection step:

  • Enter Complete

• To clear console screen

  • Enter ClearScreen

• To display help for all or selected commands

  • Enter Help to display help for all commands

  • Enter Help command1 [command2] [...] to display help for given commands, for example:

    • Enter Help Add Remove Clear to display help for Add, Remove and Clear commands

• To display directories-to-process list

  • Enter List

• To Remove directories from directories-to-process list

  • Enter Remove directory1 [directory2] [...]

    • Enter Remove C:\Music\Pending to remove C:\Music\Pending directory from the list

Back to the top