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Topic: Anyone use Easytag? [Linux] (Read 8721 times) previous topic - next topic
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Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Anyone use the linux ID3 tagging program "Easytag"?

It is supposed to be really good, and when loadded up it really does seem grerat, but for the life of me I cant get it to stop autochanging the ID3 tag info.

Every time it loads up MP3's it must see something wrong with the tags and autocorrects/changes them (except for MP3's that I allowed it to change, or ones without any tags), even with every option in the preferences disabled. The visible info is the same though when loadded in another program that can read the tags, but it is doing something as the md5sums are different.

Please help, I want to use this program, but I gotta know what is going on and what its doing. And also want thye ability to just use it to change one aspect of a tag (like add a picture) without having it do anything to the rest of the tag, which wont happen as it is now cause it is auto doing something everytime it loads files.

I get this creeping feeling it is tryin to insert "made in Easytag" in some space in the tag that doesnt apply to normal visible fields. And thats just lame if thats the case


Please help

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #1 –
Hi!

I use EasyTag on windows (gtkw32) every day, and i think this is the most powerful tagging tool ever. Although the most of my music is stored in flac files, some times i deal with mp3 too, and i noticed the same thing what you've just described. I did some comparsions and as i saw, EasyTag just do some tag correction, rearranges and completes the tags at the end of the mp3 files. I dont think that you should worry about some "made in Easytag" stamps, or such messy things.

If anyone knows anything more about this question, i'd like to hear that too!

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #2 –
IIRC, Easytag will auto-fix ID3v2 tags that have been incorrectly encoded by other tag editors. I think it also auto-updates the ID3v2 tag to the latest version too.

I admit that it was somewhat annoying at the start for me as well (Entering into the wrong directory, then quickly selecting the correct directory, but getting that "There are changes to some files..." dialog), but I eventually got used to it.
"It's the panties fault! The panties made me a pervert!"

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #3 –
Hm ok thats cool, kinda just arranges the data better in the tag I guess without changing the actual information displayed. Since files ripped in Grip/Rubyripper with those programs auto generating the tags, all come up as red in Easytag

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #4 –
I Solved the Problem! Its a program Bug!

Test this out, The checkbox "Automatically convert old ID3v2 tags" in "ID3 Tag Settings" doesnt work. It always is in that mode, unchecking it doesnt do anything.

Also, whatever ripping program you have probably only adds ID3v2 tags, while This programs default will add ID3v2 AND ID3v1 tags to each file, and even if you uncheck the auto convert older tags option, it still wants to, BUUUUUUT if you uncheck the ID3v1 areas checkbox alone, it will no longer show them all as red! since it doesnt see a need to add anything. (given your ID3v2 tag area is set to whatever sub version your ripper usses, wither its ID3v2.3 or ID3v2.4)

Now that thats settled, I dont mind setting it to ID3v2.4 and having it auto update them now that I know what it is actually doing.

Please, anyone who has this try what I posted and let me know if this is a universal issue with the "Automatically convert old ID3v2 tags" so we can report it knowing full well it isnt a isolated case

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #5 –
I use easytag sometimes, but it is sort of cumbersome and not well designed or intuitive so I only use it when foobar2000's freedb doesn't work.  I have problems with easytag unselecting files when I do a freedb query on them, so after easytag finds the cd in freedb, it warns that there is a different number of tracks selected, even though I selected all tracks.  The problem is intermittent but quite frequent.  I advise just using foobar2000 under wine.  It is indispensable for adding replaygain tags to mp3s, linux still seems not to have any intuitive tools commandline or otherwise that utilize replaygain tags for mp3s non-destructively.  I really wish mp3gain would add this functionality.  Before anyone tells me to code it, I have no coding experience, or I would...sorry to gripe. 
A nice tool for doing one track at a time is amarok's musicbrainz plugin, which uses audio fingerprinting.

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #6 –
I used EasyTag under Linux but now I use Mp3Tag under Wine. Main reason - EasyTag does not display all tag fields, but only some of them. It has no ability to show ReplayGain tags or any tags by any other (somtimes exotic) taggers or rippers. Also, current version in my Ubuntu still doesn't support ID3v2.4. But in general EasyTag is a good tagger and many my music files was tagged and renamed by it before I switched to Wine+Mp3Tag (and foobar2000 for replaygain scanner).

So, for full control over Tag content I recommend Mp3Tag. It's also possible to check presence (or absence) of any hidden tag fields after EasyTag conversion.

And also it's possible to send bug report to developer if you think you found a bug and latest version of the program doesn't fix it.

Edit: some cleanups.

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #7 –
Quote from: iGold on
So, for full control over Tag content I recommend Mp3Tag. It's also possible to check presence (or absence) of any hidden tag fields after EasyTag conversion.


I have to agree.

I'm not a Linux basher by any means. I use Arch, Ubuntu and Windows spending most of my time in Arch. But I still am very often disappointed by the native applications available in Linux. Seems like if someone went to the trouble of building an app like EasyTag, it would at least support APE with the ability to read / write arbitrary tags. It looks good on the surface, but it is extremely limiting. The only arbitrary tag reader / writer I am aware of is Ex Falso that comes with Quod Libet, but I don't really like it much given the alternative of using MP3Tag under Wine. The mutagen backend is what powers Ex Falso, and I hope more developers use it to create powerful, feature rich taggers like MP3Tag. 

MP3Tag is excellent and it runs fine as far as my experience goes under various Wine versions. I have it running in Arch + Wine 9.44 (latest) right now.

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #8 –
Quote from: FooForThought on
Quote from: iGold on

So, for full control over Tag content I recommend Mp3Tag. It's also possible to check presence (or absence) of any hidden tag fields after EasyTag conversion.


I have to agree.

I'm not a Linux basher by any means. I use Arch, Ubuntu and Windows spending most of my time in Arch. But I still am very often disappointed by the native applications available in Linux. Seems like if someone went to the trouble of building an app like EasyTag, it would at least support APE with the ability to read / write arbitrary tags. It looks good on the surface, but it is extremely limiting. The only arbitrary tag reader / writer I am aware of is Ex Falso that comes with Quod Libet, but I don't really like it much given the alternative of using MP3Tag under Wine. The mutagen backend is what powers Ex Falso, and I hope more developers use it to create powerful, feature rich taggers like MP3Tag. 

MP3Tag is excellent and it runs fine as far as my experience goes under various Wine versions. I have it running in Arch + Wine 9.44 (latest) right now.


Yea, though to get full function you need a windows dll file to be placed in the directory. It usses some dll file from windows to display jpeg files, so without that you cant view album art (also makes adding it difficult ;P)
But once you place the file in the right spot all works excellent.

Still rather use a native Linux app though. What is an arbitrary tag?

Im mainly just looking for the ability to easily add album art to an entire "album" and most if not all of my music has tags already from Grip/Rubyripper.

[edit]
Also iGold, the newest version of Easytag in the unstable Debian apt repository has support for ID3v2.4 tags

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Zaskar on
Still rather use a native Linux app though. What is an arbitrary tag?

I would prefer native as well. But native that suits my needs isn't available. As for "arbitrary" tags: maybe that name itself is arbitrary. It has been used in other related discussions by other people to indicate "custom" or "user-defined" or "non-standard" tags, so I adopted the term's use. Perhaps I over-estimated its common usage and should stick with "custom" tags.

At any rate, I have several "arbitrary" or "custom" tags that I use, but the most important is "sub-genre".

Quote from: Zaskar on
Im mainly just looking for the ability to easily add album art to an entire "album" and most if not all of my music has tags already from Grip/Rubyripper.

If you can live within the constraints of the options, and you can get to the bottom of the possible bug you've uncovered, EasyTag is a solid choice in a field of limited choices. Still, you might install Quod Libet just to see Ex Falso in action for comparison. I haven't used Ex Falso much; I only tested it for a short time to see if it could deal with the arbitrary tags.

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #10 –
Quote from: FooForThought on
Quote from: Zaskar on

Still rather use a native Linux app though. What is an arbitrary tag?

I would prefer native as well. But native that suits my needs isn't available. As for "arbitrary" tags: maybe that name itself is arbitrary. It has been used in other related discussions by other people to indicate "custom" or "user-defined" or "non-standard" tags, so I adopted the term's use. Perhaps I over-estimated its common usage and should stick with "custom" tags.

At any rate, I have several "arbitrary" or "custom" tags that I use, but the most important is "sub-genre".

Quote from: Zaskar on
Im mainly just looking for the ability to easily add album art to an entire "album" and most if not all of my music has tags already from Grip/Rubyripper.

If you can live within the constraints of the options, and you can get to the bottom of the possible bug you've uncovered, EasyTag is a solid choice in a field of limited choices. Still, you might install Quod Libet just to see Ex Falso in action for comparison. I haven't used Ex Falso much; I only tested it for a short time to see if it could deal with the arbitrary tags.

Did some digging about on Ex Falso, looks cool, but doesnt do Embedded Album Art :/

And i did find the source of the Easytag bug  Just imagine the checkbox for "auto update older version tags" (somethin like that) isnt there, and it is just always on. As clicking it off doesnt do anything. And work with the individual tag checkboxes below individually. If you dont want ID3v2.1 or 2.3/4 tags, gotta uncheck them individually, as the global option doesnt work. If you have only ID3.2.3 tages for instance, uncheck the ID3v2.1 tag option and makesure the 2.3/4 tag options are set to use the 2.3 tags, BAM it wont see your mp3's as red/bold anymore and wont auto change them.

Maybe the checkbox IS working, but not labled 100% clearly, id have to test it, but maybe by the way its worded it means that if your only using a ID3v2.1/2/3 tag, and have it set to .1-2 versions higher, it will update it, as the v2.1 tags section in there is for adding them in addition to the normal 2.3/4 tags, unless you uncheck those.

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #11 –
What advantages does EasyTAG have over Ex Falso? I did have EasyTAG installed but I got rid of it months ago because Ex Falso seemed to do everything fine and it came with Quod Libet (which I find excellent.)

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Zaskar on
And i did find the source of the Easytag bug

I understood that from your previous posts. But this is the part that hasn't been addressed yet:

Quote from: Zaskar on
Please, anyone who has this try what I posted and let me know if this is a universal issue with the "Automatically convert old ID3v2 tags" so we can report it knowing full well it isnt a isolated case

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #13 –
Quote from: tgoose on
What advantages does EasyTAG have over Ex Falso? I did have EasyTAG installed but I got rid of it months ago because Ex Falso seemed to do everything fine and it came with Quod Libet (which I find excellent.)

Dont think it does Embedded Album Art.

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #14 –
Quote from: tgoose on
What advantages does EasyTAG have over Ex Falso? I did have EasyTAG installed but I got rid of it months ago because Ex Falso seemed to do everything fine and it came with Quod Libet (which I find excellent.)

Both have pluses and minuses, but both seem to be designed by someone who has never worked with anything but basic ID3 file tags, likely in conjunction with basic MP3 files (that may not be true, but it is the perception). If I only worked with ID3v* and MP3s and didn't use arbitrary tags, and could only install one application, I'd probably go with EasyTag.

If I wanted to view / edit arbitrary tags in other tag types (e.g., APE or FLAC or VORBIS) , I'd probably have both Ex Falso and EasyTag installed. By the way, Ex Falso can also work with embedded CUE sheets / tags; EasyTag cannot.

If I wanted to do everything and then some, I'd use MP3Tag under Windows or Wine. Which I do. You can definitely tell that MP3Tag was developed by people who are actually major digital-audio technophiles (kind of like the Foobar folks). To be fair, there are more of these kinds of apps in Windows, but my preference is MP3Tag.

As just one example of EasyTag staying in the kiddie pool even though it has the potential to venture to the deep end with a little more effort, the Album Art capability of EasyTag that Zaskar spoke of only works for MP3s. At least my embedded cover art in FLAC and MPC files cannot be displayed by EasyTag, though it is there and appears in MP3Tag.

One tool that you guys may be interested in is Exiftool. It is a very powerful Exif utility primarily geared toward image files, but it has READ capability of lots of audio formats / tags (even CUE data), and it may reveal a lot of information that may not be seen in your audio players, file managers or taggers. I use it for both image and audio files and it works great in either Windows or Linux:

http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/
http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/#supported
http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exifto...iftool_pod.html

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #15 –
For Linux there is another tagging program, Kid3. Whereas EasyTag uses Gtk, Kid3 is a KDE program. It supports custom tags, but it does not support AAC files.

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #16 –
Quote from: imre_herceg on
For Linux there is another tagging program, Kid3. Whereas EasyTag uses Gtk, Kid3 is a KDE program. It supports custom tags, but it does not support AAC files.

Does it do embedded album art?

Anyone use Easytag? [Linux]

Reply #17 –
Hmm, can you add album art to a while album or directory in Easytag, or is it all 1 at a time?