proper fix plus delete artist actually removes files

src/migration/m20260325_000019_allow_duplicate_artist_names.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+use sea_orm_migration::prelude::*;
+
+#[derive(DeriveMigrationName)]
+pub struct Migration;
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait]
+impl MigrationTrait for Migration {
+    async fn up(&self, manager: &SchemaManager) -> Result<(), DbErr> {
+        // Drop the unique index on artist name — different artists can share a name
+        // (e.g., "Clara" the Italian singer and "Clara" the Brazilian singer)
+        manager
+            .drop_index(
+                Index::drop()
+                    .name("idx_artists_name_unique")
+                    .table(Artists::Table)
+                    .to_owned(),
+            )
+            .await?;
+
+        // Replace with a non-unique index for lookup performance
+        manager
+            .create_index(
+                Index::create()
+                    .name("idx_artists_name")
+                    .table(Artists::Table)
+                    .col(Artists::Name)
+                    .to_owned(),
+            )
+            .await
+    }
+
+    async fn down(&self, manager: &SchemaManager) -> Result<(), DbErr> {
+        manager
+            .drop_index(
+                Index::drop()
+                    .name("idx_artists_name")
+                    .table(Artists::Table)
+                    .to_owned(),
+            )
+            .await?;
+
+        manager
+            .create_index(
+                Index::create()
+                    .name("idx_artists_name_unique")
+                    .table(Artists::Table)
+                    .col(Artists::Name)
+                    .unique()
+                    .to_owned(),
+            )
+            .await
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(DeriveIden)]
+enum Artists {
+    Table,
+    Name,
+}

src/migration/mod.rs

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ mod m20260320_000015_add_subsonic_password;
 mod m20260323_000016_remove_orphaned_artists;
 mod m20260323_000017_create_work_queue_and_scheduler;
 mod m20260324_000018_add_track_tagged;
+mod m20260325_000019_allow_duplicate_artist_names;
 
 pub struct Migrator;
 
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ impl MigratorTrait for Migrator {
             Box::new(m20260323_000016_remove_orphaned_artists::Migration),
             Box::new(m20260323_000017_create_work_queue_and_scheduler::Migration),
             Box::new(m20260324_000018_add_track_tagged::Migration),
+            Box::new(m20260325_000019_allow_duplicate_artist_names::Migration),
         ]
     }
 }

src/queries/artists.rs

@@ -21,14 +21,19 @@ pub async fn upsert(
     }
 
     if let Some(existing) = find_by_name(db, name).await? {
-        // Update musicbrainz_id if we have one now and didn't before
         if musicbrainz_id.is_some() && existing.musicbrainz_id.is_none() {
+            // We have an MBID now and the existing record doesn't — update it
             let mut active: ActiveModel = existing.into();
             active.musicbrainz_id = Set(musicbrainz_id.map(String::from));
             return Ok(active.update(db).await?);
         }
+        if musicbrainz_id.is_none() || existing.musicbrainz_id.as_deref() == musicbrainz_id {
+            // No MBID provided, or MBIDs match — return existing
             return Ok(existing);
         }
+        // MBIDs differ — this is a different artist with the same name.
+        // Fall through to insert a new record.
+    }
 
     // Try to insert — if we race with another task, catch the unique constraint
     // violation and fall back to a lookup.
@@ -48,7 +53,15 @@ pub async fn upsert(
         Err(DbErr::Exec(RuntimeErr::SqlxError(sqlx_err)))
             if sqlx_err.to_string().contains("UNIQUE constraint failed") =>
         {
-            // Lost the race — another task inserted first, just look it up
+            // Lost the race on MBID unique constraint — look up by MBID first, then name
+            if let Some(mbid) = musicbrainz_id
+                && let Some(existing) = Artists::find()
+                    .filter(artist::Column::MusicbrainzId.eq(mbid))
+                    .one(db)
+                    .await?
+            {
+                return Ok(existing);
+            }
             find_by_name(db, name)
                 .await?
                 .ok_or_else(|| DbError::Other(format!("artist '{name}' vanished after conflict")))