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Topic: ID3v2 tags and mp3 files (Read 17241 times) previous topic - next topic
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ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #25 –
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I think you probably should have read this thread before posting in it.


Quite right. I was tired and cranky.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #26 –
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I downloaded Tag&Rename myself the other day and have started using it.  It seems to be decent.  Not sure if I am going to shell out the money that they ask for it (probably will, unless someone recommends an equivalent free one).

Try >The GodFather<.
In my opinion it surpasses Tag&Rename... and it is free! 
muaddib

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #27 –
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What kind of problems were these people encountering when they used the Band tag that removing it solved?

The problem I had was that Tag&Rename has the option to put the words "Various Artists" in the Band tag when tagging compilation albums, like movie soundtracks and such. When I looked at these in T&R, the artist names showed one thing, but when I dragged them into iTunes, the Artist showed Various Artists. This annoyed me, which led to my discovery of the Band tag and it's behavior. So I removed said tag from all files in my library. Problem solved.

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As I understand you, you recommend using both the Artist and Band tags, giving the same value to each, and then most players should recognize at least one of them.

No, I simply deleted the Band tag in all my files. I don't set it with anything any more. This gives me a better consistency throughout all the programs I use.



I returned to tagging my files this afternoon, and paid close attention this time to Tag&Rename.

In my version (3.2 rc 2), there is no tag literally named "Band", but there is (on the Additional tab) a tag for "Album Artist".  Just so that we are clear, when you were saying "Band" tag what you really meant was this "Album Artist" tag, right?

And Tag&Rename has an option to autocopy the "Artist" tag into the "Album Artist" tag if "Album Artist" is empty, which I assume that you recommend that we turn off, right?

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #28 –
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In my version (3.2 rc 2), there is no tag literally named "Band", but there is (on the Additional tab) a tag for "Album Artist".  Just so that we are clear, when you were saying "Band" tag what you really meant was this "Album Artist" tag, right?

SoftPointer changed the labelling in 3.2, I think, but yes, same field. Top one on the Additional tab.

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And Tag&Rename has an option to autocopy the "Artist" tag into the "Album Artist" tag if "Album Artist" is empty, which I assume that you recommend that we turn off, right?
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I leave that setting off, yes.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #29 –
Here comes my explanation for the iTunes TPE2 problem:
It all depends on which frame is first in the tag, TPE1 or TPE2
If TPE1 is before TPE2, iTunes reads TPE2
It TPE2 is first, iTunes reads TPE1

I also gave a quick instruction how to sort frames by name in Mp3tag so TPE1 is first.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #30 –
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Here comes my explanation for the iTunes TPE2 problem:
It all depends on which frame is first in the tag, TPE1 or TPE2
If TPE1 is before TPE2, iTunes reads TPE2
It TPE2 is first, iTunes reads TPE1
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=351231"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

You gotta be freakin' kidding me.

So what you're saying is that it actually reads either one of them as "Artist", it just uses whichever one it reads last when parsing the tag.

Argh...

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #31 –
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Here comes my explanation for the iTunes TPE2 problem:
It all depends on which frame is first in the tag, TPE1 or TPE2
If TPE1 is before TPE2, iTunes reads TPE2
It TPE2 is first, iTunes reads TPE1
Boy, Apple sure knows how to write quality code.    Well, I guess that explains why I never see TPE2.  My files seem to have TPE1 (Artist) after TPE2 (Album Artist).  Ah, another excellent iTunes feature... 

Either support Album Artist, or add an optonal UI setting to "use TPE2 as Artist."

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #32 –
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I downloaded Tag&Rename myself the other day and have started using it.  It seems to be decent.  Not sure if I am going to shell out the money that they ask for it (probably will, unless someone recommends an equivalent free one).


I haven't tried Tag&Rename, but ID3-TagIt (http://www.id3-tagit.de/english/index.htm) is a pretty good tagging utility thats free
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Another seemingly good free one (based on user reviews, I am yet to use it, though) is MediaMonkey ([a href="http://www.mediamonkey.com/index.htm]here[/url]).

I will update after I used that.

PS: What's the best tagger (for MP3s and Oggs) you have ever used? Any thread on this previously?

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #33 –
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You have a link to a sample file that iTunes reads TPE2 from?

No, as I have removed all TPE2 tags from my files. However, I will try and create one for you to look at.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=348632"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yeah, I'm replying to a month-old thread. 

What did you use to remove TPE2 fields?  I just tried Tag&Rename (3.2) for this, and it seems to swap in Artist (TPE1).  Tag&Rename doesn't seem to have an option for removing the AlbumArtist tag, unless I'm missing an option somewhere.

I do have AlbumArtist enabled as a 'File List Column' but that shouldn't cause write by default.

Is there a better tagging program for this?

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #34 –
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What did you use to remove TPE2 fields?  I just tried Tag&Rename (3.2) for this, and it seems to swap in Artist (TPE1).  Tag&Rename doesn't seem to have an option for removing the AlbumArtist tag, unless I'm missing an option somewhere.

There's an option in the settings or preferences or something to copy Artist to Album Artist if Album Artist is blank. Turn that off and it will stop doing what you describe.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #36 –
The ÜberStandard is crap. Always annoys me when I find somebody's collection in that format, because it's both more difficult to navigate through and it means that the files must all be retagged and renamed because of all the missing tag information that they disallow from their stupid standard.

Forget uber-anything. Tag your files as you see fit.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #37 –
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What did you use to remove TPE2 fields?  I just tried Tag&Rename (3.2) for this, and it seems to swap in Artist (TPE1).  Tag&Rename doesn't seem to have an option for removing the AlbumArtist tag, unless I'm missing an option somewhere.

There's an option in the settings or preferences or something to copy Artist to Album Artist if Album Artist is blank. Turn that off and it will stop doing what you describe.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=355098"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

You're right.  I probably was staring at it and just not seeing it.  Now I'm afraid to ask how I'd automate the process of removing TPE2 from all files in a directory tree.  I'm probably looking at that too. <g>

I've tried several other taggers in the interim.  Some look like they would do the job but don't.  Others do remove the tag, but with bad side effects.  A couple removed additional comment fields along with the TPE2 field (evidently have internal space for only one comment field).  Foobar2000, which *displayed* everything nicely and looked like it only removed the TPE2 field, actually removed the entire ID3v2 tag.  Not sure why their display still looked correct.

I should have taken notes on who did what.  I'll do that next time.  Interesting set of side effects with each one so far except for Tag&Rename.  I may end up writing a recursive tag find/replace program after all.  It's mostly the non-sync handling, unicode variants, and sheer number of v2.3 / 2.4 extensions that look daunting.  That could be one of those projects that ends up taking months.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #38 –
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If you're curious about "standardization" of tag fields, you might have a look at ubernet.org.  The sections of interest would be:

http://www.ubernet.org/?p=UberStandard
and
http://www.ubernet.org/?p=ClassicalTagging
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Thanks for the reference.  Despite the absolutist sounding 'YOU MUST...' tone, at least they've thought about it.  Some interesting ideas.  One of the problems with long folder/file names though: the short LCDs on portable players.  I've found it convenient to use a hierarchy of short folder names:
  Genre\Artist\Album\tracks.mp3

Classical music gets incredibly confusing, and this is where I'll have to read through their page a couple times.  Instead of simply 'Artist' there are often four fields: 'Composer' 'Soloist' 'Orchestra' and 'Conductor' (God help ya if it's a collection CD).  All those fields are given significant weight by classical buffs. 

Unfortunately tagging programs and players generally see things in a more simplistic way, so sophisticated grouping by orchestra is probably asking too much.

Kind of surprising to see the extent and depth of frame specs in the ID3v2.4 standard, especially as compared to what's normally implemented.  I think the spec has a field in there for 2nd violinist's pets  (T2VP?).  The horrible thing about that is that every tagging program has to account for those in some way but no one actually uses them.

Anyway, given the diverse number of approaches to tagging and organizing files, I guess the only overarching organization would have to entail fingerprinting (sonic ID) to relate everyone's tunes back to some standard database.  If you're just playing tunes that you know you like, that's not necessary, but I'm not sure how else you'd query for "Find me stuff that sounds like..."  That seems to be the focus of Predixis and others.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #39 –
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You're right.  I probably was staring at it and just not seeing it.  Now I'm afraid to ask how I'd automate the process of removing TPE2 from all files in a directory tree.  I'm probably looking at that too. <g>

To look at an entire directory tree (subfolders included), you need to do File List->Search Subfolders. Then pick the top level folder you want to look at. It'll show all subfolders of that.

To edit them all at once, click the Multi File Tag Editor tab, then click the "Edit All Supported Tag Fields" button. Go to the additional tab, turn on the check mark next to Album Artist, blank out that field, make sure no other checkboxes are enabled on any of the tabs, then hit OK. Bye bye Album Artist.

All taggers have their quirks. The only ones I have found to produce consistent and correct results in my own usage are Tag&Rename and The Godfather.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #40 –
I'm ripping a few hundred cd's for the first time, using Exact Audio Copy and Lame.  After ripping I import the folder into Itunes.  It works perfectly, and this site has been helpful, except:  In Itunes, Instead of track title only, I get artist-track title.  If I click on the song it becomes shortened, with the artist name deleted, but since I still have a thousand or so tracks to go, I'd love a way to avoid adding this extra step.  Is there an easy step I can take here?  Thanks in advance for any help.

ID3v2 tags and mp3 files

Reply #41 –
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I'm ripping a few hundred cd's for the first time, using Exact Audio Copy and Lame.  After ripping I import the folder into Itunes.  It works perfectly, and this site has been helpful, except:  In Itunes, Instead of track title only, I get artist-track title.  If I click on the song it becomes shortened, with the artist name deleted, but since I still have a thousand or so tracks to go, I'd love a way to avoid adding this extra step.  Is there an easy step I can take here?  Thanks in advance for any help.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=355606"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Tell iTunes to stop messing with your files, don't use the "keep music folder organized" option and also don't use the "copy imported files to iTunes music folder" option, unless you're already ripping to iTunes' music folder.
we was young an' full of beans