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Topic: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag (Read 4886 times) previous topic - next topic
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Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

I use Exact Audio Copy (EAC) for CD extraction to MP3 files and MP3Tag for cleaning up tags and filenames. I find that EAC saves the file names correctly per my specification, which is %albumartist%\%albumtitle%\%cdnumber%-%tracknr2% %title%, and the main screen in EAC shows the "CD Artist" correctly; however, EAC does not populate the Album Artist (TPE2) tag at all. It leaves that field blank. That creates problems when I try to use that field in MP3Tag and other programs. I could use MP3Tag to correct the problem, but I'd rather have EAC populate the Album Artist tag correctly in the first place, if possible. Does anyone have any idea how to solve or diagnose this problem? Thanks.

By the way, if there's a better place to post this question, please let me know.

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #1 –
Be helpful if you provided the tag settings from the
Compression Options > External Compression tab

"Add ID3 tag" uses the information in the CD Performer box to populate the ALBUM ARTIST tag. This can be changed if tagging via the Additional command-line options.
The reasoning is that the ALBUM ARTIST tag should only exist when there are various track artists. When the CD Artist and Track artist are the same for every track, the tag isn't needed.
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #2 –
Is this what you asked for?
Code: [Select]
-V0 --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "%artist%" --tt "%title%" --tg "%genre%" --tl "%albumtitle%" --ty "%year%" --tn "%tracknr%/%numtracks%" %source% %dest%
I don't see a "CD Performer" box, just a "CD Artist" box. That is filled in in EAC, but doesn't transfer to the tag I've mentioned in the mp3 file.
It's been a couple of years ago that I set EAC up, but need to start using it (or maybe dbpoweramp?) now. I've forgotten what this all means. Thanks.

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #3 –
Code: [Select]
--tv "TPE2=%albumartist%"
Code: [Select]
-V0 --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "%artist%" --tt "%title%" --tg "%genre%" --tl "%albumtitle%" --ty "%year%" --tn "%tracknr%/%numtracks%" --tv "TPE2=%albumartist%" %source% %dest%


Code: [Select]
--tv "TPE2=%albuminterpret%"
when using the "CD Performer" box in the picture



https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=EAC_placeholders
https://svn.code.sf.net/p/lame/svn/trunk/lame/USAGE
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #4 –
I see it now, thanks. I guess I need to do more research to figure out how the various sources use CD Artist vs. CD Performer. Your suggested fix will definitely help.

By the way, for the future, how do I paste an image from the clipboard into one of these posts?

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #7 –
I now understand that command line option and it's going to help out greatly. Thanks again.

Is there any way to get EAC to show the values of all placeholders it's found for the CD about to be ripped (the one in the CD drive), without having to rip it first, then look at the ripped file in MP3Tag? I'd like to refine my tag options using additional --tv options and showing what EAC has for placeholder values in advance of ripping would sure help?

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #8 –
Most of the placeholders correspond to items on the main screen.
CD info is above and to the right. Track info is inside the center window.
https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=EAC_placeholders
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #9 –
I'm getting "excess arg" and other errors with my new settings. Maybe the field contents or the expanded/translated command line exceeded a limitation. Does either EAC or Lame truncate when maximum field lengths are exceeded?

My new Lame command line setting in EAC is:
Code: [Select]
V0 --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "%artist%" --tt "%title%" --tg "%genre%" --tl "%albumtitle%" --ty "%year%" --tn "%tracknr%" --tv "TCOM=%composer%" --tv "TALB=%albumartist%" --tv "TPOS=%cdnumber%" %source% %dest%

Below are one of the error messages and my compress options screen (I hope).XX

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #10 –
The VBR quality setting should be
Code: [Select]
-V0
not
Code: [Select]
V0
LAME doesn't understand what that is (hence the "excess arg" error).

You should not have the "Add ID3 tag" option ticked when adding ID3 tags via the "Additional command-line options". You're writing some tags twice (one method overwriting the other).
The "Use CRC check" need not be checked when using "User Defined Encoder". (the setting is ignored)
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #11 –
I'm sure that's going to work, thanks. The -V0 error was a copy/paste error on my part.

My logic, based on a guess, was that checking "Add ID3 tag" would add all tags that EAC knew or at least all that somebody thought were important. Then adding specific tags as individual options would make sure that at least those tags that I considered important were added. Perhaps that logic is flawed. If it is, do you know how I could accomplish that goal?

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #12 –
I've seen the approach before. It was done by starting with
Code: [Select]
-V0 %source% %dest%
setting up ID3 options on the next two tabs then adding additional tags to the "Additional command-line options" that were missing i.e.
Code: [Select]
-V0 --tv "TALB=%albumartist%" %source% %dest%


I'll look for the thread later. I don't remember the outcome.
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #13 –
I'm doing some experimenting and I thought you might find this interesting. The image shows two rips with identical settings, except with Add ID3 checked or unchecked. Both used:
Code: [Select]
-V0 --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --tv "TPE2=%albumartist%" --tv "TALB=%albumtitle%" --tv "TPOS=%cdnumber%" --tv "TRCK=%tracknr2%" --tv "TIT2=%title%" %source% %dest%
XX

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #14 –
Looks about right.
Remember I said that one method overwrites the other. Actually it is "Add ID3 tag" that overwrites the "Additional command-line options" tags.
If the CD Performer box is populated, "Add ID3 tag" overwrites TPE2 with that value.
If the CD Performer box is empty, "Add ID3 tag" overwrites TPE2 with a blank.

"Add ID3 tag" is also using the equivalent of
Code: [Select]
"TPOS=%cdnumber%/%totalcds%"
which overwrites TPOS
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #15 –
Thanks. 'Very helpful. I'll go back to the drawing board on my approach...this time with new information.

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #16 –
So, it looks like to get the maximum amount of tagging out of EAC and in the formats I want, it seems like my choices are:
  • turn on "Add ID3 tag", don't enter any tag names on the command line, and use another program (MP3Tag) in a second step to look up and add the TPE2 frame and change the TPOS from x/y to x; or
  • turn off "Add ID3 tag" and code every single frame name manually on the command line.
Does that seem correct?

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #17 –
yes

1. You can add CD Artist to TPE2 by copying/pasting the data from CD Artist to CD Performer.
You can add custom TXXX User defined text information via the command-line while using "Add ID3 tag" but you would need to manually add the data to the command-line. You can also add any ID3 tag via the command-line that "Add ID3 tag" cannot write but again you would need to manually add the data to the command-line. Not worth it unless you want identical custom information added to every rip. (I still haven't found that thread I was looking for but I now remember the OP was adding custom information)
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #18 –
Thanks so much for all the expert help. I've given up trying to get EAC/Lame to do the tagging I would need to then be able to use MP3Tag to clean up tagging and file naming. For some reason, MP3Tag doesn't find the albums well with EAC's tagging, but MusicBrainz Picard does. So now I'm trying using the EAC Add ID3 tag option alone at RIP time, then going to MusicBrainz Picard to do the tagging and file name clean-up. We'll see how that works.

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #19 –
Well, I remembered why I disliked Picard so much and am back with EAC/Lame/MP3Tag. I believe EAC keeps an internal database of tracks it has found, even if the are "deleted" or the "Clear Current CD Information" option is run on the track. Where is that database? Previously documented locations don't seem to be valid any more. I'm running EAC 1.6 on Windows 10. For my testing, I'd like to be able to completely wipe out that database, without having to uninstall/reinstall. Then I can test EAC/Lame's tags to see if I can get them good enough so that MP3Tag will find albums through its connection to MusicBrainz.

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #20 –
Look in %APPDATA%\EAC\
The database file is CDDB.sdf in current versions.
korth

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #21 –
Thanks; you've been extraordinarily helpful.

I'm adding tags manually in the EAC Lame Additional command-line options box. --tv "TPUB=%publisher%" doesn't seem to work. Is there anywhere a complete list of all EAC/LAME/ID3v2 placeholders and options that will or won't work?

Re: Exact Audio Copy does not populate the Album Artist tag

Reply #22 –
reference back to the "External Compression placeholders in 1.0b2 and later"
https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=EAC_placeholders
%publisher% is not listed as a placeholder available for the command-line options.

edit: Most of the "Common metadata" within the chart corresponds to text boxes on the EAC main screen.
korth