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[macdonjh]

After copying my files to another hard drive and creating a new library, my "multiple artist" albums (think sound tracks and "tribute" albums) now appear several times in my "Album" view-- one for each separate artist on each album.  I've had this trouble before, so I tried to change the "Album Artist" tag, but was unable to because it's "grayed out" in the tag view. 

Given that, how do I change the tags of these albums so each album acts like a "multiple artist" album and only appears once in my album view?  Of course, I could recopy them, but I'd prefer not to.

[JimH]

Read only files ir folder?

Client / server?

[blgentry]

Read only files or disk is my best guess also.

But there's a bigger point here:  You should not need to re-create your library like this.  If you are copying existing files, you should be able to transfer the entire library's properties to this new area also.  Including the Album Artist tags.

The best way to do this, to preserve all tags, is first to have the tags written to the media files.  Check the setting of this option:

Tools > Options > General > Importing & Tagging > Update file tags when file info changes > (should be checked to write tags)

For file types that can accept all tags (like FLAC) this should also copy the Album Artist tag when it changes.  If it is NOT set and you set it, you will need to update all files to write those tags.  I recommend this moving forward.

If the tags are not populated inside the files, you can still preserve the tags!  All you have to do is move the files and then use RM&C in Update mode to tell MC that the files have moved.  All of the tags are in MC's internal database, so it will retain everything.

This is a key point that I'm not sure you have gotten:  Using RM&C in Update mode preserves all tags.  Import date, play count, Album Artist... everything.

If you still want to make a new library, you can do that too.  Clone your existing library, switch to the clone, and then do your RM&C update process there.  Then you will have the new library with the correct tags and the old library with the correct tags.

Brian.

[macdonjh]

I'll check my tags options...

When I originally copied the files I'm asking about, all tags were preserved, and the compilation album displayed once in "album view" of my library.

Then I used MR&C to rename the files in accordance with the convention I'm now using: [Artist] - [Name].  Unfortunately, when I did that I now had a dozen files for the same album with different artists and MC displayed each artist separately.  I remembered the "Album Artist" tag that someone (probably you, blgentry) pointed me to and tried to update that, but I wasn't allowed to.

As for read only files, they weren't read only when I copied them, if they're read only now, I wonder what could have changed them?

Anyway, thank you for the ideas.  I thought this was weird behavior, so I asked.

[blgentry]

That sequence of events doesn't make sense to me.  RM&C should not alter any tags.  Are you invoking RM&C while highlighting songs in your library?  Or through drives and devices?  Or some other way?

Brian.

[RoderickGI]

The [Album Artist] field is not editable in the top pane of a Categories View using a List Style of "Details". The default "Album" View is such a Categories View.

The field can be edited in the Tag window, or at the track level in the Album View, in the bottom pane.

If the above isn't the issue you have, post an image of the View you are using to try to edit the field, and put an arrow on the image pointing to the greyed-out field. Windows Paint can put arrows on an image easily.



PS: Read all of these thoroughly. I suspect that you are using [Artist] in your directory naming rules in RM&CF, rather than [Album Artist (auto)].

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Album_Artist_and_Album_Artist_(Auto)
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Multiple_Artist_Albums
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Compilation_Albums

[macdonjh]

blgentry, I don't remember exactly what I did now.

RoderickGI, I tried editing the tag in the tagging pane (power window?).  That's where I see that field grayed out and "uneditable".  I am definitely using [Artist] in my RM&C rules, I didn't know about [Album Artist] (auto).  I haven't read the articles you linked to yet, but am off to do that now.


Thanks to both of you.

[macdonjh]

Read only files or disk is my best guess also.

But there's a bigger point here:  You should not need to re-create your library like this.  If you are copying existing files, you should be able to transfer the entire library's properties to this new area also.  Including the Album Artist tags.

The best way to do this, to preserve all tags, is first to have the tags written to the media files.  Check the setting of this option:

Tools > Options > General > Importing & Tagging > Update file tags when file info changes > (should be checked to write tags)

For file types that can accept all tags (like FLAC) this should also copy the Album Artist tag when it changes.  If it is NOT set and you set it, you will need to update all files to write those tags.  I recommend this moving forward.

If the tags are not populated inside the files, you can still preserve the tags!  All you have to do is move the files and then use RM&C in Update mode to tell MC that the files have moved.  All of the tags are in MC's internal database, so it will retain everything.

This is a key point that I'm not sure you have gotten:  Using RM&C in Update mode preserves all tags.  Import date, play count, Album Artist... everything.

If you still want to make a new library, you can do that too.  Clone your existing library, switch to the clone, and then do your RM&C update process there.  Then you will have the new library with the correct tags and the old library with the correct tags.

Brian.

I checked my Tools/Options/General/Import & Tagging and "update file tags when info changes" is checked.  I assume that box has been checked during all this copying, moving and renaming activity.

If I have to update the tags, is that the "update tags from file info" function in Library Tools?

[macdonjh]

The [Album Artist] field is not editable in the top pane of a Categories View using a List Style of "Details". The default "Album" View is such a Categories View.

The field can be edited in the Tag window, or at the track level in the Album View, in the bottom pane.

If the above isn't the issue you have, post an image of the View you are using to try to edit the field, and put an arrow on the image pointing to the greyed-out field. Windows Paint can put arrows on an image easily.



PS: Read all of these thoroughly. I suspect that you are using [Artist] in your directory naming rules in RM&CF, rather than [Album Artist (auto)].

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Album_Artist_and_Album_Artist_(Auto)
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Multiple_Artist_Albums
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Compilation_Albums

I haven't absorbed, let alone tried, all the things I can do with the functions in the links you posted.  However, I went to my Album View, and clicked on "A Nod to Bob" (the album I'm experimenting with).  I saw several individual listings, one for each artist represented on the album. 

I opened the tagging pane and noticed that [Album Artist] and [Album Artist auto] were available to change.  I tried changing [Album Artist auto] to (Multiple Artists) using the drop down menu, but when I hit <ENTER> the tag reverted to [varies]. 

So then I tried changing [Album Artist] to Multiple Artists  manually, but when I hit <ENTER> the tag reverted to [varies].  I then tried changing the [Album Artist] tag to (Multiple Artists) and when I hit <ENTER> the [Album Artist] said (Multiple Artists), the [Album Artist auto] tag said (Multiple Artists) and my Album View had only one display of the album.

Problem fixed by a missing set of parentheses.  Go figure.

Strangely, the [Album Type] tag reads "Single Artist (complete)"...

[RoderickGI]

Some progress, but you should read those Wiki articles more than once and experiment with how [Album Artist (auto)] works.

What you have done to fix "A Nod to Bob", while it looks correct, is actually wrong.

Basically, by entering "(Multiple Artists)" into the [Album Artist] field you have told MC that there is one main Artist for the Album, and his/her name is "(Multiple Artists)". MC dutifully copied that name to the [Album Artist (auto)] field. But it thinks there is only one main Artist for the Album, and if there are multiple values in the [Artist] field for some tracks, that information isn't being used to determine this is just one Album with multiple artists.

Hence, MC marked the [Album Type] as "Single Artist (complete)". That single artist is named "(Multiple Artists)". Strange name for a person!

I'm not going to reproduce the Wiki article, but what you should have done is move all tracks for the album into the same directory, make sure the [Album] field is the same for all, left [Album Artist] empty, and MC would have put "(Multiple Artists)" into the [Album Artist (auto)] field for you, as long as more than one Artist is entered in the [Artist] field for at least one track. or at least one track has a different Artist to the other tracks. This even works if you have tracks for multiple albums in the one directory, although I prefer to have all tracks for an album in their own directory, with no other tracks or albums in that directory.

Once I get these types of Albums correctly identified as having Multiple Artists, I tend to move them again using the expression \[Album Artist (auto)]\[Album] so that they are all grouped under a \(Multiple Artists)\ directory. I can find Tracks for the various artists in these albums using MC's search capabilities, so the files don't need to be stored under a directory named for the Artist. After all, which Artist would I put them under, if there are multiple?



So when do I enter something into the [Album Artist] field?

Well, consider Queen's "Greatest Hits III" album. Six of the seventeen tracks have more than one artist, including Elton John, David Bowie, George Michael, etc., and one track is just Freddie Mercury. But I want that album to be categorised as a Queen album, and not a multiple artist album. So I enter "Queen" into the [Album Artist] field and all is good. The [Album Artist (auto)] field is set to "Queen". I can still search for "George Michael" tracks and MC will find the track in which he sings on Queen's "Greatest Hits III" album.

Easy really. Takes a while to clean up lots of old files. I know, I still have a mess to clean up on my HTPC!

Enjoy!

[macdonjh]

RodrickGI and blgentry,

Thank you for all your help. 

Most recently I looked at my audio files and fixed what RodrickGI noted in the above post.  I understand how [Album Artist (auto)] works (neat feature), and haven't forced it.  Now all my multiple artist albums are cataloged correctly.  There was one that nearly "refused" to be corrected, but I eventually got it worked out.  While doing that I realized I had saved my entire audio collection in Music/[Artist] - [Name], so it was all in the same folder.  I got lots of practice with the intended function of RM&C correcting that.

I've ripped a few new CDs to my USB drive and used MR&C to ensure that I maintained my naming convention.  I also double checked how I am handling cover art and I think it is being saved in both a cover art folder but also in the tag information for each track.  Perhaps that's a different thread...

I think I have everything the way I want it on my first USB drive.  My library is neat and tidy now.  I am reading up on rsync now to create the backup on my other USB drive.  No GUI?  That is some old-school programming. 

[RoderickGI]

All good to hear. Thanks for sharing your progress.