Restore filenames from iPod

2010-12-21 15:27:41

Hi,

I'd like to copy files from my iPod to my PC and restore the original filenames.  The files were transferred to my iPod through iTunes.  Does anyone know how to do this?

Restore filenames from iPod

Reply #1 – 2010-12-21 15:54:10

Any decent tagging program can rename files based on their tags.
Just grab all the music directories out of the (hidden attribute set) ipod_control folder and rename.

If you want a more handholding experience see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_iPod_managers for programs which will automagicly do said for you.

Restore filenames from iPod

Reply #2 – 2010-12-21 17:31:34

I could certainly use tagging software, though I would prefer to have the exact filenames I started with.  This is not difficult to achieve with most of what's on my iPod, since they're mostly mp3's encoded from FLAC-encoded rips w/ cue sheets.  The mp3 tags, names, and directory structures were derived from the cue sheets, and I should be able to easily recreate the mp3 names and directory structures based on the tags alone.

As far as the rest of the files are concerned, I think I'd have to resort to using software you were referring to to achieve the preferred results.  I saw foobar2000 on the list, and I'd be happy to use that software.  Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

Restore filenames from iPod

Reply #3 – 2010-12-21 18:42:28

If you're looking for software which is somehow able to "recover" the original file name, such does not exist as said names are lost forever.

What remains untouched is the actual musical data and the metadata.  So any solution must involve either using the tags themselves directly, or the reading of the iPod's database (which was created either through said tags or a basic parsing of said file names.)

Restore filenames from iPod

Reply #4 – 2010-12-21 22:16:44

Use Mp3 Tag.

Copy your ipod files to a new folder on your computer. Open this folder in Mp3 Tag. Select all files and apply the action "tag to file name". You can then copy these renamed files to any directory you like from within Mp3 Tag.