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Sync Files with the Beatcloud

In this guide you will learn how to sync audio and database files with the Beatcloud.

Prerequisites

Why sync files with the Beatcloud?

Syncing your audio files gives you a reliable backup of your tracks and allows you share them with your DJ friends.

Syncing your database files also improves reliability since you may lose, damage, or corrupt your database. Additionally, you may want to allow other users to import tracks using your tags, beatgrids, hot cues, etc. contained within that database file.

How it's done

Note: if you want to first preview which files will be uploaded or downloaded by the --upload-music or --download-music commands, you can append the flag --dryrun.

Uploading music

  1. Move new audio files to the desired location under <usb_path>/DJ Music/
    • Note that it is required that you put all your music files under this path
    • It's highly recommended that the top-level folders under DJ Music are usernames so that the Create Spotify playlists from other users' uploads feature works as expected
    • It's also highly recommended that folders under DJ Music follow the convention <username>/<broad genre>/<date>/ to improve the organization and usability of the Beatcloud; for example:
      • I may decide I dislike Bob's taste in Techno so I would configure the download_exclude_dirs option to be ["bob/Techno"]
      • I may decide I only want all of Sally's music and Bob's music uploaded on 2023-04-04 so I would configure the download_include_dirs option to be ["sally", "bob/*/2023-04-04"]
      • As you can see, having a structured music collection gives users a high degree of flexibility when it comes to syncing others' tracks; it also pairs well with other features like Create Spotify Playlists From Other Users' Uploads and Sync Tracks From Spotify Playlists
  2. Configure upload_include_dirs or upload_exclude_dirs (only one may be specified at a time) to include or exclude specific paths
  3. [Optional] If you want to notify a Discord server of your uploaded files, make sure you first setup a Discord webhook
  4. Run the command djtools --upload-music

Downloading music

  1. The same points above about including and excluding paths apply to download_include_dirs and download_exclude_dirs.
  2. Run the command djtools --download-music

Uploading collection

  1. Export an up-to-date copy of your collection (e.g. create a Rekordbox XML)
  2. Ensure the collection_path option points to this collection
  3. Run the command djtools --upload-collection

Downloading collection

  1. Set the import_user option to the username of another user in your Beatcloud
    • This username must exist as a directory in the Beatcloud under <bucket_url>/collections (it will if this user has ever run --upload-collection)
  2. Run the command djtools --download-collection

Note: you can set import_user to your own user value to retrieve a backup of your collection.