Can not use the CUE files

Help and Support
26

Hey @vdrn,

Why are you not using .mpdignore to instruct mpd what you want to be indexed? This has been discussed across Volumio’s forum.

The .mpdignore file is a very basic but important tool for controlling how Volumio (and MPD under the hood) indexes your music. Think of it as a “do not scan” list for the music library. Since this has not been mentioned in any of your previous posts:

Here is the 101-level explanation:

  1. What it is
  • .mpdignore is a plain text file you can place inside any folder in your music library.
  • Its job is to tell MPD (and therefore Volumio) to ignore certain files or folders when building the music database.
  1. Where it goes
  • It sits directly in the folder you want to control.
  • Example: If your path is /mnt/USB/Music/Album/, and you create /mnt/USB/Music/Album/.mpdignore, only that album folder will be affected.
  1. What goes inside it

  • Each line is a simple filename pattern you want MPD to skip.

  • Examples:

    • *.cue - ignores all .cue files in that folder
    • *.log - ignores all .log files
    • Artwork/ - ignores the Artwork subfolder

  • Wildcards (*) work like in a shell:

    • track*.flac would ignore all FLAC files starting with “track”.
  1. Why it matters
  • Helps prevent Volumio from indexing files that are not real audio tracks, like .cue, .txt, .log, or temporary files.
  • Reduces database bloat and avoids weird issues where non-playable files confuse the library scanner.
  • Especially useful when you have 1-file albums with .cue sheets and do not want Volumio to treat them like separate tracks.
  1. How it works in practice
  • When Volumio scans the music library, it checks each folder for a .mpdignore file.
  • Any matching files or folders listed there are skipped entirely.
  • This means they will not appear in the Volumio UI and do not take up database entries.
  1. Important notes
  • It does not delete files. It only tells the indexer to skip them.
  • Changes only take effect after a library rescan.
  • It affects only that folder and its subfolders.

In short, .mpdignore is a simple safety filter for your library scan. If you are trying to avoid Volumio touching .cue files, logs, or archives that cause issues, this is your first tool to use.

Kind Regards,

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