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[Supersnake]

What's the simplest way to make two files contain the same tag data?

First, I should explain why I need to know that.
When MC imported a particular album into my library, instead of generating one library album, it created two albums.
For simplification let's call them Album A and Album B.
Both of the albums bore the same title and same cover art.
However, Album A contained 9 tracks and Album B contained 1 track.  
Obviously there was something different about the properties of the sole track - but just what it was, I didn't know.

As a relative novice this is another learning curve for me..
I right clicked on the errant file and hoped I would see a contextual command allowing me to
cut and paste it into Album A.  Life should be that simple  

Not knowing how to merge the single track into the album with the 9 tracks, I expanded the two album's tag windows to display all the fields. Then, where it appeared necessary, I copied and pasted the field-box-data back and forth until they matched.

I guess I was lucky because this worked and I ended up with one album contain 10 tracks - and the 'extra' album disappeared.

QUESTION:  Did I get lucky by guessing that the tags were not matching?
QUESTION:  Was there a simpler way to make the two tags match up with the same data?

Remember to please make it simple with mention of paths to the features please.
Thanks!

[rick.ca]

This topic should help.

[Listener]

> What's the simplest way to make two files contain the same tag data?

Here is how I do it.

Make sure the Tag window is showing (Edit/Tag)

Make sure that both files are showing in the list of files.

1. Select both files.  (Click on the first file in the list. Ctrl-Click on the second file.)

2. In the Tag window,click in the entry field beside the word Album.  Then click on the Up arrow head at the right side of the entry field.

3. You should see a list box type list appear.  There should be a couple of tag values at the top - one each for the two files with different album tag values.  Click on the value you want to be present in both files.

4. Press the Tab key to move to the next line in the Tag window.  (This tells MC that you are finished editing the Album tag value.)

(Below those two values , there is a dashed line followed by a list of all the Album tag value sin your library.)

----
You may also need to move the file whose album tag was changed to the same folder as the other files for that CD.  Right-click on the files you want to move and choose the Library Tools command.  Then choose the  rename, move & Copy files command from the Library tools menu.
----
Some basics: MC has lots of options and settings.  Its behavior is determined by those settings.

MC has rules for where to put ripped files.  One rule determines the base folder where ripped files are placed.  Another rule determines what folder in which ripped files are placed.  A third rule specifies the way each file will be named.  Those rules use fixed text and tag values to build folder and file names.  Look in Tools/Options/File Location to see how MC is currently names folders and files.  These settings are used when MC rips a CD.  CVhange the settings and MC will name files differently from that time onward.

It is up to you to decide where to place files that you import to MC.  The better you understand how you are organizing those files, the less likely you are to have problems down the road.

Bill

[Supersnake]

EDIT: Someone replied before my reply. Will read it now...

[Lasse_Lus]

i use cmagic's supertrick    http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=46087.msg315984#msg315984

[Supersnake]

i use cmagic's supertrick    http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=46087.msg315984#msg315984

After reading the thread it does appear that the stacking method he describes is very efficient. 
However, one has to know what stacking is and how to stack, before one can progress beyond the first few words of Cmagic's instructions.  And that involves going to the Wiki and learning about stacking before continuing in his instructions.

I noticed in that thread that JimH contributed his recommendation to utilize MC Library Tools/Update tags from library.
Looking at that function through the eyes of a novice, it appears to be less complex to utilize than Cmagic's stacking.

Noting that it took me less than a couple of minutes to match up the metadata of two albums' tags - via manually copying and pasting each field - I'll probably continue to do it that way, especially if it was only the Album-Artist metadata in the two tags that was not synchronous.   If the heterogeneity of the metadata in the tags becomes more complex or greater in amount, then I will look deeper into stacking or  Library Tools/Update tags.

Thanks Lasse_Lus, for pointing us to that thread 

[Supersnake]

> What's the simplest way to make two files contain the same tag data?

Here is how I do it.....

Make sure the Tag window is showing (Edit/Tag) ...[etc:Supersnake]

Your method appears to be the least complex of all that I have read, see my comments in the reply above this.

Could you tell me where this tag window is located that allows one to bring up "Edit/Tag" ?
When one displays Tab window in the bottom right corner - via the Action window, there is no Edit command available.

Thanks,
Supersnake

[Listener]

> Could you tell me where this tag window is located that allows one to bring up "Edit/Tag" ?
> When one displays Tab window in the bottom right corner - via the Action window, there is no Edit command available.

You asked for explicit directions to commands.  I provided that information.  Apparently, you needed more detail than I provided.

Edit/Tag refers to a set of actions: Click on the word "Edit" in the main menu near the top of the MC window. In the menu that appears, click on the word "Tag". 

This is a convention that some people follow in giving advice.

MC follows Windows conventions about menus, dialogs, tooltips and a lot of other User Interface conventions.  If you have learned how the Windows UI works, you have a good start on using MC.

Note that I said "Make sure that the Tag window is showing.  If the Tag window is already showing, executing the Edit/Tag command will hide the Tag window.  There are other ways to make the Tag window visible: pressing Alt+enter keys is one way.  Clicking on the word "Tag" in the Action window is another way.  I added a "Tag" command to the main menu and use that to make the Tag window visible.

Bill

[Supersnake]

Thanks Bill, surely I must have been fatigued after not having slept last night.
In this forum I have been used to seeing paths using a syntax containing " >" in the string, e.g. had it been Edit > Tag I would have instantly started at the menu bar. I interpreted what you wrote as being "edit the opened tag window" instead of "calling up the tag via the edit menu item". Edit/Tab of course is a Windows standard.  

Sorry about that...
And if I can still add "Your method appears to be the least complex"
Thanks again  

[lise]

Supersnake, I see that in my database alot as well. Turns out that 99% of the time it is due to the Album Artist field. For some reason sometimes it gets tagged with the album name. Just display Album Artist as a column and you'll catch it.

[Supersnake]

Supersnake, I see that in my database alot as well. Turns out that 99% of the time it is due to the Album Artist field. For some reason sometimes it gets tagged with the album name. Just display Album Artist as a column and you'll catch it.

Yes, I have noticed that others are reporting the Album-Name field as being most responsible for the problem,

Thank you.

[rhowland]

I'm kicking the tires of version 15 and one issue related to this subject is the following:
In version 12 of Media center if you have the Folder rule set as:
"Folder rule: [Artist]\[Album]"
It would still keep all tracks associated with an album together in the same Album folder EVEN IF THE TRACKS ON THAT ALBUM HAD DIFFERENT SINGERS:

Various Artists / Album-name / Song A, Song B, Song C, Song D etc.

Now with version 15.0.171. and the same setting it is putting each track on the same album in it’s own folder under the artists name.

Artist A / Album-name / Song A
Artist B / Album-name / Song B
Artist C / Album-name / Song C

Is there a way to go back to the rule that logic that appeared to existed in version 12 that will keep all tracks on album in one album folder regardless of the artist? Or is the only option to change the rule to simply "Folder rule: [Album]"?