Is there a way to download MB site source code to start a personal MB server from scratch?
Thanks… There’s no build for Windows though.
No windows build.
But you can setup Ubuntu in a virtual machine (on Windows) and then use the step-by-step-instructions for a docker container installation.
Yeah, but this seems to be a lot more work than making my edits live (not to mention that I have below average knowledge of the scripts and database languages used, that would also take time to learn). But I’ll try this when I have the time. I was expecting something like a web program that you can upload into a web host and open on a browser or an executable file.
If you install the docker container you will get the same GUI as you see it here at the official MusicBrainz website.
The question is what you want to achieve with your “personal MB server”?
If you want to use the data “offline” for your own purposes, you will need to learn some database basics (like SQL queries) and the database scheme eather way.
The official MB server also don’t accept any edits entered on copies or replication servers. It will only feed your “personal MB server” with data, if you enable some kind of replication.
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If you would setup a personal copy of MB edits done there would not be available in the live server. If you want to contribute this needs to be done in the live server.
You should be able to setup the docker install on Windows as well. But you need to be aware that the MB server is a massive database and a fully functional setup with database, replication, frontend and search is rather complex.
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I don’t want MBs database. I want to start from scratch and just enter data for artists and songs I have. I’ve been using Kodi and I haven’t had any problem with tags because MBs tagging system is well supported but I want to be in control of the data, [like how the artists are named, (artist credit would create new artist folder for every name), differentiation of LPs, EPs and Singles are so messed up, Changes take weeks to be applied and, since this is a community driven site, edits will also depend on other editors likings, opinions or understanding of the guidelines, (sometimes it just gets frustrating). I am also not planning to submit any edits. It’s just for tagging purposes.
I have OCD, and just looking at how incomplete and messy MB is can sometimes give me sleepless nights just trying to fix/clean-up (it’s really not healthy).
In KODI’s settings go and turn off the option to lookup data online. In the section where you add your Sources, edit that and don’t allow it to “Fetch additional information during scan”. Make it only read data from your music files.
Perfect your own tags using Picard and MP3TAG. If KODI only reads your music files it does not matter the “mess” that you see in the MusicBrainz database.
Also if you want to learn to mess with any database, then learn to hack the KODI music database. ( MyMusic82.db )
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I’m not sure if I understand your goal:
You want to enter YOUR data with YOUR syntax in an empty MB database and then let KODI tag your music files with the help of your self-entered data?
If yes, I would ask you: Why you don’t write your data directly in your music files - for example with the help of Mp3tag or any other metadata tool? Why take a detour via a database?
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I am tagging files using Picard. Kodi reads from those tags. I want to be able to connect Picard to my own personal MB.
I have thousands of songs. With Picard it’s automatic. I would just edit the database, and update it if I get new information, but I want those info to be readily available and not have to enter it manually every time.
I am archiving. Example, I have a whole album of rare recordings in MP3 128. If I’m not using Picard I would have to tag them manually, (complete information if possible). Then I found a new source MP3 320, With Picard I could just re-tag them with the info from my MB automatically. If I found a flac hi-fi, then a hi-res flac, the data will just be there to be automatically re-tagged to a better quality recording.
This is completely up to you.
This is not as easy as you may think. If you try to edit something using the GUI on your mirror server, you get this answer:
Forbidden Request
Sorry, you are unable to perform that action on a mirror server.
In order to log in or make changes to the database you must visit the main server at https://musicbrainz.org/
You would have to enter your information through a PostgreSQL database manipulating tool and I’m not sure how easy it would be to trigger all the dependencies, views and indeces.
Especially if you say:
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That sounds like you should look into Picard’s settings, e.g. enable “use standardized artist names”. And make sure to use e.g. the albumartist for folder names and not the track artist.
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Yeah, that’s why I said
but, any ways, thanks for the replies.
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Breaking point, maybe. But since, I started tagging using Picard, I did have many sleepless nights trying to update databases to be as complete as possible. lol, it has become an addiction. I just have to stay away… 
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You can also copy paste your manual tags from old to new copy (foobar2000 and Mp3tag at least do that).
Make your music files and KODI your local database and just use Picard as a reference source.
I also am a bit out there on a spectrum or two. (Like many editors here 
). I don’t always agree with what Picard does to my files. So I make my own edits to my tags and then set the Read Only flags.
KODI will then read that tag data, and I also hack and adjust KODI’s database to again comply to my needs.
This way I control what I see in my Media Centre. But I can also turn round and look into Picard\MusicBrainz or Wikipedia or that fan site and update my own local database where I access my tunes.
No public database will ever have the “correct” data for people like us. We’ll always want to make some changes. But trying to setup a local MusicBrainz server is like having a local copy of Wikipedia… a bit too large to control what you are actually trying to achieve.
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Thanks for this, I’ve been tinkering with the options for a while and didn’t realize this.
I have foobar2000. I didn’t know it could do that. I’ll try next time. Thanks.
Yeah, I think MB is not for me. It’s the only standard Kodi uses though. I’m trying JRiver now for my music since it sounds better than Kodi to my taste. It’s using YADB as tag source, I’m figuring out how it works.
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It depends on the music you are in to. Some areas are better than others. But don’t fully discard it, just use it as one of many sources.
The key is to perfectly tag your files to your tastes and then you can jump between players as often as you like. If the files hold the ultimate reference data then you are in more control.
KODI will let you over-ride its choices. It just feeds from MusicBrainz as a good default. If you tell it to read your tags and NOT lookup on line then it respects your tags.
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