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Topic: Command line mp3 tagger (Read 11644 times) previous topic - next topic
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Command line mp3 tagger

I need to add cover art to my mp3 collection. I am using VortexBox so I need a command line utility not a GUI utility.

1. It needs to be able to add cover art to mp3 files
2. The utility needs to support ID3v2.3 format
3. The images need to work in Windows 7

#3 has been a big problem. I can find a few perl libs that can add cover art to mp3s but when I go into Windows 7 the cover art looks jumbled up. the cover art also doesn't work in Windows Media Player. It looks find a few other applications.

Any ideas?

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #1 –
Lame.exe --longhelp:
Code: [Select]
--ti <file>     audio/song albumArt (jpeg/png/gif file, 128KB max, v2.3)


Or MetaMP3?

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Akkurat on
Lame.exe --longhelp:
Code: [Select]
--ti <file>     audio/song albumArt (jpeg/png/gif file, 128KB max, v2.3)


Or MetaMP3?


Thanks Lame works well for cover art but it re-encodes the file and deletes the id3 tags. You would need to pull all the id3 tags then put them back in when done. I just want a simple program to add an image without re-encoding the files or changing the tags.

MetaMP3 is for windows/DOS not Linux.

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #3 –
Quote from: agillis on
Thanks Lame works well for cover art but it re-encodes the file and deletes the id3 tags.

Oh, it does that? Stupid. Why the f it does that anyways? Also, that "128KB max" I just realized made me think WTF. What if you use the --ti switch the same time with the rest of the switches?

Quote from: agillis on
MetaMP3 is for windows/DOS not Linux.

Ok, didn't realize that you want a linux solution. Doesn't that VortexBox tag cover art? What about "Changing how your VortexBox rips files"? (this if the above "use all switches together" works)

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Akkurat on
Quote from: agillis on
Thanks Lame works well for cover art but it re-encodes the file and deletes the id3 tags.

Oh, it does that? Stupid. Why the f it does that anyways?
Because LAME is an de-/encoder with tagging capabilities, not a dedicated tagger.  LAME will accept MP3 as a source to re-encode, so if you pass it an MP3 file it will re-encode it, creating a new file with no tags, unless requested (with switches).  I suspect any encoder that will accept its own file format as the source would do the same.

Unfortunately it looks from that document like the VortexBox config file is not flexible enough to do what you're after, although the document may well be lacking, as it seems to not cover all sections.
I'm on a horse.

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #5 –
There is some project at sourceforge, which seems to do exactly what you want:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/id3v2/

I don't know how good it is, I've never tried it. So, make backups before re-tagging.

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #6 –
Yeah, I saw that one linked from id3.org, but it concerned me that it hadn't been developed for almost six years.

Here's another option: http://eyed3.nicfit.net/
I'm on a horse.

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Synthetic Soul on
Because LAME is an de-/encoder with tagging capabilities, not a dedicated tagger.

That's a poor excuse IMHO. What about FLAC? According to the FLAC front page, it's a de-/encoder too, no mentions of tagging. Still it is way better than IMHO poor and weird LAME when it comes to tagging. Both flac.exe and metaflac.exe have good and working tagging support. And just because LAME doesn't have a separate app for (advanced) tagging, it doesn't mean that it can have a limited/weird tagging features and no criticism.

Quote from: Synthetic Soul on
LAME will accept MP3 as a source to re-encode, so if you pass it an MP3 file it will re-encode it, creating a new file with no tags, unless requested (with switches).  I suspect any encoder that will accept its own file format as the source would do the same.

Sorry to disappoint you but at least FLAC doesn't* act that stupidly**. You got to admit that the tagging in LAME is a bit limited/poor. Otherwise we wouldn't have this and I guess many other topics. Also it's a bit worrying that LAME cmd line taggers are outdated in both win and linux.. AFAIK.

* Tried this: flac.exe --picture="|image/jpeg|||cover.jpg" test.flac -f  (overwrite) (or: -o output.flac) = as (I) expected, re-encoded and added cover picture while retaining all metadata. FLAC

** While this "clear tags" is a feature which FLAC could have on by default (it wouldn't be a problem or silly because FLAC has good tagging support anyways without re-encoding (EDIT: and I presume that if it would be on by default, there would be a switch to turn it off)), it being on by default in LAME with no way to turn it off is silly because there is no tagging without re-encoding.

@agillis: the eyeD3 seems to be a good app; some people recommend it in interwebs (tried to find still developed tool for you.. no success). Try that and good luck I guess.

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #8 –
Quote
Tried this: flac.exe --picture="|image/jpeg|||cover.jpg" test.flac -f (overwrite) (or: -o output.flac) = as (I) expected, re-encoded and added cover picture while retaining all metadata.


It is a very bad idea to reencode MP3 files just to add/remove tags.

BTW, Lame doesn't remove ENC_DELAY/ENC_PADDING samples from the input mp3 file when it does mp3->mp3 reencoding.

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #9 –
I'm sorry to intrude, but where can one find the definitions of all those strings EAC uses for tagging, such as "%m" and "%g%?

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Akkurat on
That's a poor excuse IMHO. What about FLAC? According to the FLAC front page, it's a de-/encoder too, no mentions of tagging. Still it is way better than IMHO poor and weird LAME when it comes to tagging. Both flac.exe and metaflac.exe have good and working tagging support. And just because LAME doesn't have a separate app for (advanced) tagging, it doesn't mean that it can have a limited/weird tagging features and no criticism.

How does this extremely petty bickering in any way help the OP?  Please don't further take this topic off-topic by answering; it's a rhetorical question.  If you do anyway, I can almost guarantee it will be binned, so don't bother.

Go over the descriptions of TOS #2, TOS #5 and TOS #7 in this post if you have any questions, Akkurat.

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #12 –
I'm wondering whether the main issue here is #3: images working under Windows 7.  When you say that LAME worked well, were the images fine in Windows 7/WMP?  Have you ever managed to embed album art which works in Windows 7?

I had a play with eyeD3 on my Slug running Debian.  I don't have Windows 7 to test on though.  File attached.

[attachment=5772:losing_sight.mp3]
Edit: Sorry, that was using:

Code: [Select]
eyeD3 -a "Mutiny Within" -t "Losing Sight" --add-image=folder.jpg:FRONT_COVER losing-sight.mp3

Edit 2: ... and it doesn't work in WMP 11.  However, the following does:

Code: [Select]
eyeD3 --to-v2.3 -a "Mutiny Within" -t "Losing Sight" --add-image=folder.jpg:FRONT_COVER losing-sight.mp3

[attachment=5773:losing_sight_2.3.mp3]
I'm on a horse.
 

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #14 –
Quote from: lvqcl on
Quote
Tried this: flac.exe --picture="|image/jpeg|||cover.jpg" test.flac -f (overwrite) (or: -o output.flac) = as (I) expected, re-encoded and added cover picture while retaining all metadata.

It is a very bad idea to reencode MP3 files just to add/remove tags.

I agree totally. But, left me wondering, how did my FLAC test relate to that? Did I miss something? Thanks. In case it was a misunderstanding, I didn't/don't advocate re-encoding just to add/remove tags, not with Mp3 or FLAC. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

Surely I'm allowed to follow this through with this 1 post? Aren't just 1, one, follow-ups not allowed? (both rhetorical, not starting OT) Greynol, chill down, honestly, put the past behind. And no, that previous thing didn't help the OP at all, you're right. I tried to help very hard though with other stuff (don't have linux to play with ATM, otherwise I'd have tested it.. fortunately Synthetic Soul got it, good job).

Command line mp3 tagger

Reply #15 –
eyeD3 seems to work well. Thanks.

We will be using it in VortexBox 1.2