Unable to re-import non-album library tracks

[binarymelon]

I'm not sure i'm this is a bug or my expectations are just wrong. I've been having a hard time wrapping my head around beets so far, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's me.

I'm trying to re-import a few songs I incorrectly imported as Tracks and they ended up as Non-album. When I try and list with the query it returns the expected files, but import gives nothing. Tracks tagged properly with an album do seem to work.

# docker exec -it beets beet ls artist:="Band Aid" -f '$path'
/music/Non-Album/Band Aid - Do They Know It Christmas_.mp3

# docker exec -it beets beet ls artist:="Band Aid 30" -f '$path'
/music/Band Aid 30/Do They Know It’s Christmas_ (2014)/01 - Do They Know It’s Christmas_ (2014).mp3

# docker exec -it beets beet import -L artist:="Band Aid"

# docker exec -it beets beet import -L artist:="Band Aid 30"

/music/Band Aid 30/Do They Know It’s Christmas_ (2014) (1 items)

  Match (100.0%):
  Band Aid 30 - Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2014)
  MusicBrainz, Digital Media, 2014, GB, Virgin EMI Records, None, None
  https://musicbrainz.org/release/57293f2c-1f27-4d4e-abd8-173408a43eb7
  * Artist: Band Aid 30
  * Album: Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2014)

# docker exec -it beets beet -vv import -L artist:="Band Aid"
user configuration: /config/config.yaml
data directory: /config
plugin paths: []
Loading plugins: chroma, convert, embedart, fetchart, lastgenre, musicbrainz, replaygain, scrub, web
fetchart: google: Disabling art source due to missing key
fetchart: lastfm: Disabling art source due to missing key
lastgenre: Loading whitelist /lsiopy/lib/python3.12/site-packages/beetsplug/lastgenre/genres.txt
Sending event: pluginload
library database: /config/musiclibrary.blb
library directory: /music
Sending event: library_opened
Sending event: import_begin
Parsed query: AndQuery([MatchQuery('artist', 'Band Aid', fast=True)])
Parsed sort: NullSort()
Sending event: import
Sending event: cli_exit

# docker exec -it beets beet -vv import -L artist:="Band Aid 30"
user configuration: /config/config.yaml
data directory: /config
plugin paths: []
Loading plugins: chroma, convert, embedart, fetchart, lastgenre, musicbrainz, replaygain, scrub, web
fetchart: google: Disabling art source due to missing key
fetchart: lastfm: Disabling art source due to missing key
lastgenre: Loading whitelist /lsiopy/lib/python3.12/site-packages/beetsplug/lastgenre/genres.txt
Sending event: pluginload
library database: /config/musiclibrary.blb
library directory: /music
Sending event: library_opened
Sending event: import_begin
Parsed query: AndQuery([MatchQuery('artist', 'Band Aid 30', fast=True)])
Parsed sort: NullSort()
yielding album 613: Band Aid 30 - Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2014)
...

I expect the yielding album... is the distinction, but I'm wondering if it's intentional and/or if I'm doing something wrong.

Any help would be appreciated.

[amogus07]

You have to use the -s option to import singletons. But I agree, it's unintuitive, and it should also be possible to convert existing singletons to albums, not just the other way around.

[binarymelon]

So to convert to an album, you would need to remove the tracks from the beets library and re-import?

[amogus07]

Yes, as far as I know. Feel free open an issue about this if there isn't one already.