[BORIStheBLADE]

In the wiki it says
"XBMC supports both basic playlists and smart playlists. A basic playlist is a normal text file that lists one or more media files (Audio or Video), and plays them in succession. You can either create your own or use existing playlists from other sources, such as a playlist generated from Winamp, iTunes, or other sources. Basic playlists can be created and edited directly from XBMC's GUI. "

It specifies the files need to go here. Linux: $HOME/.xbmc/userdata/playlists/

So I have all my music organized and have playlists made already in MediaMonkey. I took and copied all my music and a couple playlist files (.M3U) into my XBMC box.The playlist I put in the box went into the specified ;ocation in the wiki. With library mode off there is no access to playlists at all. In library mode the playlist files show up and when I click on the list songs in the playlist are there but it wont playback any songs. When I go to new playlist none of these playlist can been seen since the location of them isn't accessible through the editor.

Anyone manage to get their own playlist imported and playing music in XBMC?

Managing movies is way easier than music with XBMC...

[LAS0]

Only one idea: What about file paths in your .M3U playlists? Are they absolute or relative?

[BORIStheBLADE]

Only one idea: What about file paths in your .M3U playlists? Are they absolute or relative?

Not sure what the difference is. The playlist were made on another PC if that helps.

[LAS0]

Well, the absolute path is "full" - with drive letter or share name etc. So the system know exactly where the file is located (C:\My Documents\Music\song1.mp3).
Instead of this relative path has only a part of the absolute path. The rest of the path is "calculated/added" from the path where the .M3U file is located. So if the original .M3U file was in the same directory as media files there are maybe only file names (without path). So if you will move the .M3U file it will not work properly.

Take a look into your .M3U files (with any text editor) and you will see...

[BORIStheBLADE]

Well, the absolute path is "full" - with drive letter or share name etc. So the system know exactly where the file is located (C:\My Documents\Music\song1.mp3).
Instead of this relative path has only a part of the absolute path. The rest of the path is "calculated/added" from the path where the .M3U file is located. So if the original .M3U file was in the same directory as media files there are maybe only file names (without path). So if you will move the .M3U file it will not work properly.

Take a look into your .M3U files (with any text editor) and you will see...

Ok so I just looked at the playlist in a text editor and its shows the path of my PC I made it on. So When I put this playlist on my phone it works fine but it doesn't work the same in XBMC. Is there a way to have XBMC see it as relative path?

Thanks

[Ned Scott]

path subs (wiki)?

[BORIStheBLADE]

path subs (wiki)?

If I'm understanding you correct. I would need to change the path for every single song I have in the playlist? If so I'm sorry but that's just not going to happen. I would need to do this almost 1000 times when I add up all the playlist I have. Supporting imported playlist but needing to do this defeats the purpose..

Thanks for the help.

[alibaba011]

No it does not say to change the path. It says to create a file naming advancedsettings.xml into userdata folder which will do the path substitution for you. Sor your avancedsetting file will contain this:

<advancedsettings>
<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>SMB://192.168.1.19/Music/</from> <---your old path can be found inside your m3u playlist -->
<to>G:\Music\</to> <---your new path where your music is actually located -->
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution>
</advancedsettings>

[Ned Scott]

Aye, and using it like this for playlists is actually the original reason pathsubs were added to XBMC :)

Just about any situation where you need XBMC to pretend that one path is actually another.

[BORIStheBLADE]

No it does not say to change the path. It says to create a file naming advancedsettings.xml into userdata folder which will do the path substitution for you. Sor your avancedsetting file will contain this:

<advancedsettings>
<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>SMB://192.168.1.19/Music/</from> <---your old path can be found inside your m3u playlist -->
<to>G:\Music\</to> <---your new path where your music is actually located -->
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution>
</advancedsettings>

Aye, and using it like this for playlists is actually the original reason pathsubs were added to XBMC

Just about any situation where you need XBMC to pretend that one path is actually another.

OK I will give this a try when I get a chance. Thanks

[Jay La Funk]

Will Path Subs update on XBMC if you add tracks to the original playlists?

[Ned Scott]

When you use a path sub you are basically telling XBMC that one path is another, so it should work. For example, if my playlist says that my music is on...

G:\Bobs drive\music\tacos\

but I'm connecting from another location where that path looks like

SMB://BOBSPC/fileshares/

Then path subs can be used to make XBMC think that all of the SMB paths are actually local "G" drive paths. XBMC is accessing the files over SMB but thinks they're on a local drive. That way the original playlist can keep doing whatever it was doing before, even adding new music. No modification is needed to the playlist.

[Jay La Funk]

When you use a path sub you are basically telling XBMC that one path is another, so it should work. For example, if my playlist says that my music is on...

G:\Bobs drive\music\tacos\

but I'm connecting from another location where that path looks like

SMB://BOBSPC/fileshares/

Then path subs can be used to make XBMC think that all of the SMB paths are actually local "G" drive paths. XBMC is accessing the files over SMB but thinks they're on a local drive. That way the original playlist can keep doing whatever it was doing before, even adding new music. No modification is needed to the playlist.

I'm not trying to take over Boristheblades post with my questions but hopefully he might get info that would help him as well...

I have my music library on Z:\04 Music Library\ which is set up also on XBMCwith smb but all my playlists are in Z:\04 Music Library\(A) Playlists\ which I can't set up on XBMC so I set up the same playlist files in XBMC by a long winded method using Notepad++ with search & replacing file paths, worked well but would prefer to use your method with Path Subs, I delete & add tracks in my playlists using my iPad with the app Ipeng HD so if set a Path Subs file, would changing any of my playlists with Ipeng HD also automatically update on my XBMC if I had Path Subs correctly set up?, hope this makes sense, I'll try it out later when I get back...

Would this work?

<advancedsettings>
<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>smb://JAYNAS/Public/04 Music Library/(A) Playlists</from>
<to>Z:\04 Music Library\(A) Playlists\</to>
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution>
</advancedsettings>

[BORIStheBLADE]

When you use a path sub you are basically telling XBMC that one path is another, so it should work. For example, if my playlist says that my music is on...

G:\Bobs drive\music\tacos\

but I'm connecting from another location where that path looks like

SMB://BOBSPC/fileshares/

Then path subs can be used to make XBMC think that all of the SMB paths are actually local "G" drive paths. XBMC is accessing the files over SMB but thinks they're on a local drive. That way the original playlist can keep doing whatever it was doing before, even adding new music. No modification is needed to the playlist.

I'm not trying to take over Boristheblades post with my questions but hopefully he might get info that would help him as well...

I have my music library on Z:\04 Music Library\ which is set up also on XBMCwith smb but all my playlists are in Z:\04 Music Library\(A) Playlists\ which I can't set up on XBMC so I set up the same playlist files in XBMC by a long winded method using Notepad++ with search & replacing file paths, worked well but would prefer to use your method with Path Subs, I delete & add tracks in my playlists using my iPad with the app Ipeng HD so if set a Path Subs file, would changing any of my playlists with Ipeng HD also automatically update on my XBMC if I had Path Subs correctly set up?, hope this makes sense, I'll try it out later when I get back...

Would this work?

<advancedsettings>
<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>smb://JAYNAS/Public/04 Music Library/(A) Playlists</from>
<to>Z:\04 Music Library\(A) Playlists\</to>
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution>
</advancedsettings>

No problem here!

[Whiznot]

I know this is an old thread but I have a solution to easily convert music playlists when a different path is needed. I used absolute paths instead of relative paths.

On my Windows network I have a Raspberry Pi. At times I run Raspbian and other times I run Openelec. For Windows my playlists have a path of "F:\Music\" but I need a path of "smb://AMD780G/F/Music/" for Raspbian and Openelec.

The program Notepad++ can be used to easily edit the path of every song in every playlists with less than 20 keystrokes. Opened Notepad++ and drag the folder of M3U playlists to that Window. Each playlist opens in a Notepad++ tab. Click Search and then click replace. Type the old path in the "Find What" window and type the new path in the "Replace With" window. Click "Replace All In All Opened Documents." Click "File", click "Save All" and the playlists will work in the Raspberry Pi.