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[bjas]

I'm an amateur enthusiast, so I appreciate all's patience with what may be a mundane question.

What is the difference between Update Tags (from library) and Update Library (from tags)? Better yet, in what instances would one use Update Tags (from library) and in what instances would one use Update Library (from tags)?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[JimH]

Metadata can be stored only in MC's library or only in the file itself or in both, depending on your settings.

The two tools let you copy the metadata from one location to the other.  You could experiment with a file or two to see for yourself.

[blgentry]

To add some detail to what Jim said:

Update Tags (from Library) takes the internal MC Library meta data and writes it to the Tags inside your music files.  Thus:
Update Tags (from Library):  Library ---> Tags in Files

Update Library (from tags) does the opposite.  It reads what is in the Tags in your Files and writes them to the Library.  Thus:
Update Library (from tags):  Tags in Files ---> Library

Why would you use them?  Well, if you have made a bunch of changes in your MC Library (changing artists, albums, ratings, song names, etc) and you want the Files themselves to be updated, you would run Update Tags (from library) to push those changes to the files.

On the other hand, if you have used an external program to change the Tags in your Files and you want those changes to be recognized by MC, then you would run Update Library (from tags) to take the external file changes and push them into MC's Library.

Note that both of these can be done fairly automatically.  Two settings control this:

1.  Tools > Options > Library & Folders > Configure Auto Import > Tasks > Update for external changes .  If this option is checked, it automatically picks up any Tag changes in Files that are in your Auto Import directories.
2.  Tools > Options > General > Importing and Tagging > Update tags when file info changes .  If this option is checked, any changes you make to MC's Library are pushed out to the File Tags automatically.

Note with all of the above that not all Library fields can be written to Tags.  Anything custom or non-standard can't be written to tags because they don't exist.  Certain file types support certain Tags.  Only supported Tags can be written to.

I hope this helps.

Brian.

[dtc]

When the tagging window is up, the very top line of the window will show something like FLAC - 3:05 - 9.4 MB. Click on that line and MC will display the tags in the file itself.  My guess is that very few people know this. A Show Tags in File would be a nice option. As far as I know, this is the only place you can display them from within MC.

[bjas]

Thank you, JimH, blgentry & dtc.

It seems the JRiver default setting checks both Update for external changes and Update tags when file info changes, thereby keeping the Tags and the MC Library in sync, which I now understand is what I want.

Thanks again.