# beets config

> The purpose of beets is to get your music collection right once and for all. It catalogs your collection, automatically improving its metadata as it goes using the [MusicBrainz](http://musicbrainz.org/) database. Then it provides a bouquet of tools for manipulating and accessing your music.

Stored at `$HOME/.config/beets/config.yaml`

```yaml
directory: /mnt/chawley/Music
library: /home/chawley/musiclibrary.blb

import:
    # write metadata to music files
    write: yes

    # move imported files from source to the music directory
    move: yes
    copy: no
    delete: no

    # use auto-tagging where possible
    # do not require confirmation on strong matches
    autotag: yes
    timid: no

    resume: ask
    incremental: no
    none_rec_action: ask
    log:

    quiet: no  # enable with command line option
    quiet_fallback: skip
    default_action: apply

    singletons: no
    languages: #howto
    detail: no
    flat: no

# use the release-date of the original (first) release of an album?
original_date: yes

# on multi-disk releases, assign track numbers for the whole album.
# If "per disk", make sure tracknames do not collide ("paths" setting).
per_disc_numbering: no

# files matching these patterns are deleted from source after import
clutter: ["Thumbs.DB", ".DS_Store", "*.m3u", ".pls", "*.jpg"]

# files/directories matching one of these patterns are ignored during import
ignore: [".*", "*~", "System Volume Information"]

# Paths ----------------------------------------------------------------------

# Paths and filenames for music files
# relative to music directory
paths:
    default: $albumartist - $year - $album/$albumartist - $track - $title
    singleton: Non-Album/$artist - $title
    comp: $album ($year)/$track - $artist - $title

# replace special characters in generated filenames
replace:
    '[\\/]': _
    '^\.': _
    '[\x00-\x1f]': _
    '[<>:"\?\*\|]': _
    '\.$': _
    '\s+$': ''

path_sep_replace: _

# filename for the album art
art_filename: cover  # results in "cover.jpg"

max_filename_length: 0  # unlimited


# General --------------------------------------------------------------------

# use mutliple threads during import
threaded: yes
timeout: 5.0
verbose: no


# User Interface -------------------------------------------------------------

color: yes
list_format_item: %upper{$artist} - $album - $track. $title
list_format_album: %upper{$albumartist} - $album
time_format: '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'
terminal_encoding: utf8

ui:
    terminal_width: 80
    length_diff_thresh: 10.0


# Auto Tagger ----------------------------------------------------------------

match:
    strong_rec_thresh: 0.1      # match 90% or better for auto import
    medium_rec_thresh: 0.25
    rec_gap_thresh: 0.25
    max_rec:
        missing_tracks: medium
        unmatched_tracks: medium
    distance_weights:
        source: 2.0
        artist: 3.0
        album: 3.0
        media: 1.0
        mediums: 1.0
        year: 1.0
        country: 0.5
        label: 0.5
        catalognum: 0.5
        albumdisambig: 0.5
        album_id: 5.0
        tracks: 2.0
        missing_tracks: 0.9
        unmatched_tracks: 0.6
        track_title: 3.0
        track_artist: 2.0
        track_index: 1.0
        track_length: 2.0
        track_id: 5.0
    preferred:
        countries: []
        media: []
        original_year: no
    ignored: []
    track_length_grace: 10
    track_length_max: 30
```

## Reference

*   [Beets is the media library management system for obsessive-compulsive music geeks.](https://beets.io)
*   [Getting Started](http://beets.readthedocs.io/en/v1.4.2/guides/main.html)
*   [Path Formats - Template Functions](http://beets.readthedocs.io/en/v1.4.2/reference/pathformat.html)
*   [Somebody's beets config sample](http://akeil.net/listings/beets.config.yaml.html)

---

*   Beets config is located at `$HOME/.config/beets/config.yaml`
*   Import directory of music with: `beet import <directory-name>`
*   Delete album with: `beet rm -a "Jon Oliva" -d` (`-a` for album and `-d` to delete the files and not just the database entry)