INTERACT FORUM

Devices => Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod, Airplay => Topic started by: okvaal on May 11, 2010, 07:43:39 am

Title: iTunes' lack of 'Info' capacity
Post by: okvaal on May 11, 2010, 07:43:39 am

I just found that juggling between the iTunes library and MCs ditto would be a good idea, but I find that iTunes is missing things up a bit. I.e. I'd like to keep the Album Artist Info that I've made in MC available in iTunes. Instead it either leaves the cell blank or fills it with line-ups I have stored under the 'Band' tag in MC. Anyone got any ideas of how to overrun the iTunes' settings?

Title: Re: iTunes' lack of 'Info' capacity
Post by: Alex B on May 11, 2010, 10:37:37 am

You can update the file tags from library if you are using a recent MC version and your files are in the MP3 format.

Since MC13 the Album Artist info has been written to TXXX Album Artist and also to the so called "Band" tag (= TPE2 in the physical ID3v2 file tags). The latter was added to make the tag compatible with WMP, iTunes, and some other programs & devices.

The Band library field is now written to the TXXX JR/Band tag frame.

Title: Re: iTunes' lack of 'Info' capacity
Post by: okvaal on May 11, 2010, 11:40:27 am

Thanks a lot. Now, you may be overestimating me when it comes to technical abilities, as I 1) don't know why I should want to update my tags in MC (unless it will make the tags appear correctly in iTunes when re-importing the files) and 2) I don't know what is meant by "TXXX" or JR/Band tag _frame_.
It may be that my lack of knowledge means I shouldn't mess with this at all . . . . . :)

Title: Re: iTunes' lack of 'Info' capacity
Post by: Alex B on May 11, 2010, 11:50:58 am

You don't need to understand the ID3v2 tag frame structure, but if you want to educate yourself you can find some info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ID3  and lots of info here: http://www.id3.org .

To update the tags in your MP3 files (use MC13 or newer):

Select the files and do "Tools > Library Tools > Update Tags (from library)". The same command is also available in the right-click menu.

After that iTunes should be able to read the Album Artist tags from the MP3 files (you may need to clear your iTunes library and reimport the files to iTunes).

EDIT

Quote

...unless it will make the tags appear correctly in iTunes when re-importing the files

iTunes reads the TPE2 frame contents to its Album Artist field. That's why it imported your "Band" values. MC13 and newer use a different tag mapping. Album Artist goes now to TPE2 and Band does not go to TPE2 anymore.

Title: Re: iTunes' lack of 'Info' capacity
Post by: prod on May 11, 2010, 12:53:11 pm

MC & iTunes Synchronizer will keep your MC and iTunes libraries in sync, without any need for all that ID3v2 nonsense :)

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=51734.0

Title: Re: iTunes' lack of 'Info' capacity
Post by: okvaal on May 11, 2010, 02:18:27 pm

Thanks to the both of you. Alex B's method worked like a dream, and having read the MC/iTunes sync reply, I won't have to ask what was going to be my next question. :)