Question external storage, more files in one folder or more folders less files each?

the13bats

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Dec 29, 2013
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I use an external ssd for my music collection i DJ with,
On the ssd formatted to exfat for versatility across systems. I have several folders for example one folder has playlists. Thats not a concern.

The reason for this post is which is better, for example 4 folders with 5000 + - music files ( mp3/mp4 ) each or one folder with all the music files which as it grows could hit maybe 40k song files before running out of space on the ssd,

Or is even 5000 in one folder pushing it?
Thanks for some info on this one,

Many thanks,
B
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
I use an external ssd for my music collection i DJ with,
On the ssd formatted to exfat for versatility across systems. I have several folders for example one folder has playlists. Thats not a concern.

The reason for this post is which is better, for example 4 folders with 5000 + - music files ( mp3/mp4 ) each or one folder with all the music files which as it grows could hit maybe 40k song files before running out of space on the ssd,

Or is even 5000 in one folder pushing it?
Thanks for some info on this one,

Many thanks,
B
The OS is inefficient with too many files in a folder. 100 folders with 50 files each or 20 folders with 250 files is more efficient.
 

the13bats

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Dec 29, 2013
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Well this got complicated, "Better" as in works best for what i do with it.
i very seldom open the folders in IE what i do is in the DJ program type in the song title and those songs pop up in a list, i almost never open a folder and search it song by song.
However 2 folders have about 5k songs each and no issues so far.
 
I have 34,000 mp3 songs spread across about 1400 folders subdivided by artist name. So an average of about 25 songs per artist. Many with 4 or 5, a few with 400. I need to be able to use File Explorer to eye-ball scan all files in a folder.

I could of course have 34,000 songs in one folder, but that wouldn't be ideal for my purposes. It might well be fine for your purposes.

You mention a "DJ program".

You have apparently determined that 5000 files in a folder does NOT slow down access to any given song when using the DJ program to search by title. The searched title "pops up in a list"....I assume plenty quick enough for you.

Therefore--I don't see any reason for you to change things. It might make sense for you to change things IF your DJ program did not search and sort quickly enough.

I subdivide into 1400 folders because I am constantly manicuring the 34,000 songs using File Explorer and I could not bear waiting on FE to open 34,000 songs in a single folder.

Some "music related" applications I use would take 8 or 10 minutes to open a single folder of 34,000 songs. Unbearable.

I can navigate to any of my subfolders within perhaps 10 seconds in File Explorer and I can find a single song title among the 34,000 in about 1 second with an ordinary search tool.....just as you can with your DJ program.
 
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the13bats

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Dec 29, 2013
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Thanks all! And Thanks Lafong, that i can grasp, okay on my mp3s yeah i have a folder for almost every artist 1000s and some folders might only have one file others might have 100 plus, then mp4 video i have at the moment a few folders with 5k files each and thinking about it have ever opened any in IE because i do everything through the ( virtual dj ) program, the ssd is samsung t7 i have several never any issues and never any pause when i enter a title to search for.
Your reply got me curious i tried to open a video folder in IE no issues opened basically instantly and my home comp is a dinosaur dell t7500 win7 and it has only usb 2 at the club the gear is up to date so i guess ill just keep my video folder at about 5k each for now.
Many thanks!