An id3 tags converting quest

Hi,
The Zen Touch doesn't use a file-tree-browsing system, so one need proper id3 tags to make the player usable.
I have a lot of music with no id3 tags (ripped from CDs, most of which I do not have), whhere it stays just Track for the name and album and artist and genre ist is just <unknown>. Could someone recommend a program (a freeware one) that could help me put id3 tags on my songs?
thanx

I believe that you have organized your "tag-less" MP3 files under proper dorectory names and filenames. If that is the case, then Creative MediaSource's Import Wizard can also help you to tag the MP3 files. Just view the PC Music Library of MediaSource. Click Import button.

Similar Messages

2 Scripts Needed - ID3 tags & Converting

pretty much a newbie when it comes to this, so bear with me...
i have a music download site (legal) and every time a label sends us CDs, we load the tracks into I-Tunes, convert them to MP3s 320 and 192, Then we create a play list, drag all the MP3s into i-tunes and one by one copy and paste the track information from a metatag excel spreadsheet that they supply us with all the info... artist, title, track name, genre, etc...
though time consuming, it's worked out fine because it gives us the ability to make sure everything appears uniform when downloaded. We can correct typos etc....
Today i got a 1 terabyte drive from a label with 500 folders totaling over 4000 wavs.
i think we have grown now to the point where we should look into automating some of these things... from what i can figure out, there should be 2 scripts... one to convert all the WAVS to mp3s, and then one to attach art and metatag info to the ID3 tag. It would also need to change the file name to something, which i guess could be a field entered on the Excel spreadsheet. All the ID3 tag info is in that document already anyway.
again, this is kind of new to me, but i certainly don't want to do this all by hand. If any scripts could be recommended or if someone thinks they can make a script, i'd love some help!
10 bonus points if you also know a script that will make sound clips! again, we do that all manually... starting about 25% into the track and lasting 45 - 60 seconds depending on the length of the track. Again, seems to me like an easy script, but i dont know the first thing about doing scripts, nor how to find someone to help me...
hence my post
Indevalley

You might want to try Doug's Scripts. I think it's www.dougscripts.com but I'm not at home so I don't have the link. A search for "doug's scripts" usually turns it up pretty quickly. It's a great source of scripts for iTunes for Macs.
Best of luck.

ID3 tags won't convert!

I just learned that you can convert ID3 tags to Unicode right in iTunes. I used to use Unicode Rewriter, but now I can't convert them in either - it just stays the same! I don't know what's different in my computer now, but I did a complete system restore from my recovery partition since then! Please help! Thanks in advance.

version 7.5
and yes, I did verify/repair permissions with the utility disc.
Should I not have?

"Converting ID3 Tags" Option disappeared? iTunes 8.0.2

Hey everyone!
I'm right now struggling to get my iPod to work again, and I have so many problems, but I think converting ID3 tags would help.
But then the option of "Converting ID3 tags" seemed to have disappeared.
It's not in the Advanced tab, nor is it in the right-click menu.
I need help asap, since my iPod is already acting crazy by not being able to download all of my files in once sync.
Thanks a bunch guys!

It's still there. (iTunes 8.0.2)
In the right-click option menue.
Just select the song(s) in iTunes library view.

Convert ID3 Tags

I've got a problem with ID3 tags. As far as i've been using iPod there was no such problem, but now my iPod is broken and i'm using nokia e50 smartpohone instead. The phone doesn't support ID3v2.4 so I had to downgrade all my tags to v2.3
But in some cases (later i've found those "cases" were encoded with iTunes) no conversion is possible.
my question is: how to enable the "Convert ID3 Tags" for iTunes encoded files? or if it's impossible what should I do to convert tags without using iTunes
Windows XP Pro

If you're up to it, the following should work.
Download and install foobar2000 if you don't already use it. Add the unprotected AAC files to the main playlist window. Select them all, right-click, and choose Tagging > Rewrite File Tags.
Note: At this point, you may need to remove the same files from your iTunes library and add them back again if you will be transferring the files directly from iTunes to your phone. Otherwise, moving the files from their default location to your phone should work just fine.

Converting ID3 tags: v2 to v1 then back to v2?

I converted a lot of my ID3 tags to ver. 1 so they would display properly on my CD player in the car. Can these be set back to ver. 2 again with losing anything. Please don't tell me I have to reimport the CD's again.....

If the version 1.x tags shortened any of the data fields stored in the original files, then that information will still be gone when you convert your tags back to version 2.x (2.3 recommended).
Unfortunately, iTunes isn't a player that encodes MP3s with both version 1.x and 2.x tags (at the same time), so it's best in a situation like this to make copies of the MP3 files you want to edit, and revert back to your original files after burning MP3 CDs, etc.
In the worst case, you shouldn't need to reimport your CDs; you may just have to add some missing information back into your tags once they're converted back to version 2.x.

ITunes 6.0.4 Lossless to MP3 Convert Bad ID3 Tag Bug (Intel Only?)

Hello all,
I usually rip my CDs to Apple Lossless, name it the way I want, include Album Artwork, then switch rip preference to MP3 (224kbps), highlight the lossless files and choose "Convert Selection to MP3" in the Advanced menu. I do this to save the time of having to rip things twice.
Up through 6.0.3 it created proper ID3 tags with the album artwork just fine, but upgrading to 6.0.4 (Intel - I haven't verified this with my G4 Powerbook running 6.0.4) I do my usual process, the information is in the iTunes window, matching the Lossless files, but as soon as I delete the items from iTunes (but not the files themselves) and drag the MP3 files back to iTunes, the tracks show up in iTunes without ANY of the ID3 info, but WITH the album artwork.
The name lists the filename in the Song Name field as if there weren't any ID3 info.
The reason this came up is I rip to one drive, but keep the MP3s on another drive.
Anyone else out there with this problem/can verify this problem?
Thanks!
John V
Intel iMac 20" Mac OS X (10.4.5) 2GB RAM 10.4.5

There have been a lot of recent posts about tags not being updated properly in iTunes, and I am starting to think that it's a bug.
In your case, you might want to consider using Max to rip and encode. You can configure the application to rip your CDs and encode to multiple formats at once, using any of the iTunes encoders plus about twenty others, including LAME MP3. The tag information will remain intact, and the output files can be directly added to your iTunes library if desired.
Also, you may want to try Max's file encoding function for Apple Lossless files you already have stored on your HDD. You can batch encode them to MP3, keeping the tags and album art.

Question about "Convert ID3 Tags" command

I just used "Convert ID3 Tag" to convert all the songs in a library to ID3v2.4. When it was done, abotu half the album art had been killed. I have a backup, so nothing is lost, but I did not expect this to happen. My questions: (1) Is this expected behavior or a bug?, and (2) Any ideas why some album art survived and some did not?

Thank you! I actually managed to figure it out myself before you replied.
For anyone else out there who might be interested:
Change the import settings in iTunes > Preferences > General, to Apple Lossless Encoder. Then you can select the files/albums you want to convert, and click on the Advanced menu while holding down the Options/Alt-key, and click "Create Apple Lossless Version". I found that it doesn't actually convert the existing WAV-files, but creates an Apple Lossless copy of every single file, so I had to spend some time weeding out the WAV-files afterwards. This is a one-time effort, though, as every CD will be imported as Apple Lossless from now on.
Better still, solved my problem with the album artwork!

Convert ID3 Tags Grayed Out

Seems to be confined to CDs that I import using Gracenote and convert to Apple Lossless. Very frustrating as other software I use needs ID3 tags and this porcess just does not seem to preserve tham properly. I think "Convert ID3 tags" would fix this but it does not seem to be an option.
Can any other software do this conversion?
G4 Quicksilver Mac OS X (10.4.6) Latest iTunes etc...

Yes, you can right-click on a file or files in your iTunes library or playlist or press Apple+i, and then go to the Info tab to edit the metadata.

Converting ID3 tags on iTunes/Folder problems

I just go my nano and am setting up the music files I've been collecting over the years, some of which don't have ID3 tags.
It seems when I load my libray it automatically converts the files, but it drops them into their own folder (artist, album name etc).
I would rather keep all my music files in the one root directory for easier access. Can anyone tell how I can do that through iTunes?
I've gone to the Preferences --> Advanced page and set up my iTunes folder and checked the "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" box.
But when I add the files on the library, it sets up these folders I don't want.
Thanks

] I would rather keep all my music files in the one root directory
Disable "Keep iTunes Music folder Organized" & "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to Library" in iTunes Preferences, Advanced tab. Future files added to the library will stay right where they came from. The setting for "Music folder location" will only apply to new imports from CD and music purchases through the store. Setting this value to an existing folder of music will not tell iTunes to "discover" the music that already lives there.
iTunes relies exclusively on ID3 tags. If your files don't include tags, then you need to get a 3rd party tag utility like "Tag & Renamer" or "ID3-TagIt" and get those V2.3 tags loaded into all your files. Those utilities can even generate the tags based on the folder names containing the files.

Where's The Convert ID3 Tag option in iTunes 11?

What happened to the convert ID3 tag option in iTunes 11? It no longer appears when I right-click on a song.
Because iTunes still saves the ID3 tags in imported MP3's as v2.2, I have to convert the tags to v2.3 so that the MP3 information is recognized by my car radio.

Just to clarify for anyone else still having troubles.
Convert ID3 Tags... is still in iTunes 11, but it only shows up when you right-click on audio tracks while in Song or List View.
To recap:
You MUST be in List or Song View.
You can NOT be in Grid, Artist List, or Album View.
Also, please remember that ID3 Tags are only for MP3/MPEG audio files, and NOT MP4/AAC/Apple Lossless audio files.
Hope this helps.
Original Thread: Where's The Convert ID3 Tag option in iTunes 11?

After converting mp3s to AAC, does itunes write id3 tags?

I'm on OSX 10.3.9 and running iTunes 5.0.1. I just recently converted a lot of music which was on mp3 format to AAC at 128kbps (saved about 30% space with no loss of quality).
Now when I'm running iTunes, it lags and a small window comes up sporadically saying "Writing ID3 Tags."
Is this for the files I converted to AAC recently, or what's this all about?

out of interest how did you do the conversion ?
Make an intelligent playlist, with the setings, "kind is" - "MPEG"
Check that your "convert to" setting is AAC.
In your MPEG playlist, press command and a keys together (or Edit > Select All, from the menu bar) and choose Advanced > Convert to AAC.
When you are done, use Select All then option and delete keys together in the playlist, to remove the MPEGs from your library.

Archiving cds and why do i need id3 tags

here comes another one of those questions looking at which codec to use to store music.....i also have tag questions.....
i'm about to (re-)rip my cd collection and looking at some info re codecs and id3 tags
now.....i believe i understand the benefits of alac (lower file sizes, keeping id3 tags, lossless compression) v wav(no compression)
however (and for some out there) if we just entertain the fact that wav may have some minute benefit for me depending on my questions and answers given.....and yes i know wav and alac will sound the same to the human ear - i accept that as a given of lossless compression ......
points i'd like to outline:
i am looking to rip my cds, firstly and mostly, for an archiving purpose!! purpose numero uno!!
i could well want to re-create cds with these archived records in the future
size of files is of no concern to me at all
i'm using a mac nowadays
i will convert most of these files, where needed, to use with a portable music player (i'm not bothered with having, say a wav file and then also converting and having an alac file, as crazy as that sounds)
this is where i ask for info re the benefits of embedded tags that are found in alac:
are these tags that important?
where do they come into play in ripping and later converting music?
are these uses just bells and whistles that have no benefit to my needs?
if i rip cds to wav (or aiff), say, using itunes, will cd info and track listings be available on the downloading database (eg itunes) to name these wav files?
if i then ensure these song files are kept under the album's folder, have i just done what tags do? surely not. that is all i have needed in the past.
this is where i feel i may be really missing what id tags (can) do
are tags more than just managing song files and where they belong and where they have come from?
is it just a convenience of not personally managing your song files (as per previous paragraph)?
(in the past i had ripped cds to mp3 codec. i think i used "cd rip" or something like that on my pc.
my mp3 files were individually named and sorted and kept under album folders under artist name folders.
apart form the very odd occasion all track and album info i needed was found on a database that was attached to the ripping software.
i never had a problem managing/maintaining these files and folders.)
i welcome some enlightenment on some of my questions above and other info that may be relevant
and yes, i understand that music will sound the same as a wav file or alac file - but humour me re using wav and tell me why i need id3 tags
i guess the crux of it is:
why do i need id3 tags?
does my managing of my song file in the album folder do what tags do?
what problems/shortcomings/headaches may i encounter by not having those tags if i use wav as opposed to alac?
what do i not know about these little buggers?
what codec is best for my purpose of archiving and re creating of cds (for playing in cd players)
thanks in advance for your input and any clarity that i may experience through this
peter t
excuse my long windedness (i have spent some time editing this entry)

Crows2012 wrote:
as mentioned earlier if i just have songs (wav) in album folders, when i import these albums into itunes, do you know if these will come up under AN album with their file names purely using my filename setup (but with no artwork)?
Yes, iTunes will read the filename, such as "Track 1" or something else and display it. But nothing else. No Album or Artist.
so the tracks will remain grouped as an album based on their initial folder and the albums and tracks as per file name?
Crows2012 wrote:
also, does aiff have limitations (apart from the full size of the file)?
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. For all practical purposes AIFF and WAV are exactly the same thing. They're just file containers.
i thought that i had read somewhere that aiff tags could run into some issues with its tags - ie may not always be transferred 100% accurately with certain players (or hardware maybe)
Crows2012 wrote:
and how do these codecs work re-creating an album for the purposes of playing in a cd player? - this is a crucial question for the purpose of my archiving/backup of CDs THEMSELVES
That's actually going to depend on what burning software you use. Once you rip the tracks to whatever file container you choose (WAV/AIFF/ALAC) you'll never really exactly re-create the album. But for archiving purposes all three file containers will do what you want, which is to create a lossless archive. AIFF has the advantage of supporting embedded ID3, which ALAC has the additional advantage of the files also being about half the size of AIFF/WAV files.
i was thinking that maybe wav was able to recreate an album (in effect duplicate one) if my cd was lost or damaged in the future. i was thinking this IF when ripping to wav everything is unchanged (unless there is other data on the original cd). and maybe only possible with wav. the purpose for this would be to play recreated cds on my cd player
any idea on this one?
(i havent looked too thoroughly on this angle but i'll keep googling on this one)
much appreciate all info thus far
peter t

My iTunes library and metadata/ID3 tags issue

Since 2010, iTunes is the only media player I use to play music. My library consists of music purchased from the iTunes Store, CD rips and stuff many artists these days release as freebies on the internet to promote a new album. Also, M4A and MP3 are the only formats I use so far.
Since iTunes, I really got into editing my library's metadata tags by hand, in order to create a custom archive which serves my preferences best. I should mention that besides iTunes being the only software I use to play my music library, it's also the only software I use to edit their metadata. Also, before iTunes – when my library was on different media players – I never bothered with editing them.
A few days ago, I found how a lot of people in forums complain about the way iTunes edits and stores metadata. So, I experimented and moved a few of my songs to other media players after editing their tags within iTunes. And indeed the tags and/or artwork were often displayed messed up and/or incorrect, some times partially and some times completely.
Some people were referring to the version of the ID3 tags being the issue, while others suggested using the "convert ID3 tags" feature. I myself am a little bit confused. "Converting the ID3 tags" wasn't available for my M4A files and once I performed it for my MP3's I didn't know which setting I should apply or what version to choose. I chose one version randomly but I'm not sure what happened.
My goal is to make my music library able to play and display my custom metadata on the majority of the popular media players. I hope that firstly this is possible and that secondly it won't be a solution which requires me going through every single song individually.
I really hope that all those years work on my library wasn't for nothing.
I'm using a MacBook running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and my iTunes version is 10.7
While my music library is more important that my iTunes version, I do like iTunes 10 more than 11.
I apologize for any grammar mistakes, since English is not my first language. Thank you all for your time and any suggestion is welcome.

itsjamesd wrote:
Hello turingtest2 and thank you for your reply.
In response to "a possible cause of problems is multiple embedded tags", what exactly does that mean and how can I avoid doing it in the future?
Anything ripped with iTunes should get a single tag. If multiple tags in some of your older mp3 rips are the cause of the problems when you try to access the files elsewhere then you should apply the suggested remedy selectively, not to the whole library indiscriminately. Once fixed you shouldn't have the problem again unless you use different ripping software. If so check the options to ensure you generate a single ID3v2.3 tag. Downloads from elsewhere are pot luck.
If I use Convert ID3 Tags>None before converting to v2.3 as you suggested, how many times is "several times" and why do I have to do it more than once? Also, what are your thoughts on 'v2.3 vs. v2.4'?
Several is at least two, but more could be needed if a file has both v1 and v2 tags in multiple languages. If there are two tags, the first conversion to none should remove the first one, and the second conversion the second. Experiment, And stick to v2.3.
In response to "the process removes any embedded art but otherwise preserves the data that iTunes knows". All fields excluding cover art remain the same? Does that mean that I will have to start from scratch and apply new cover art individually for each album? That would be too time consuming given the fact that I embed custom art.
Yes, everything but artwork is held in the iTunes database and is restored with the final Convert ID3 Tags... v2.3. Use Doug's scripts SaveAlbumArtJpeg before you start and RestoreArtworkFromAlbumFolder afterwards to save and the restore your existing artwork.
Also, what happens with my M4A files' metadata? ID3 tags are only used for MP3's, right?
Yes, m4a/aac files have a different tag mechanism. Multiple ID3 tags is just one possible issue that you might have. You said:
So, I experimented and moved a few of my songs to other media players after editing their tags within iTunes. And indeed the tags and/or artwork were often displayed messed up and/or incorrect, some times partially and some times completely.
It might be worth going into some more detail about exactly what differences you noticed. iTunes can automatically associate (instead of embedding) artwork when it can match the album in the store which could be why some tracks didn't get artwork.
tt2

Question about id3 tags

i had all of the fields of all my songs just how i liked them. i thought itunes had written everything i had edited into the id3 tags of all the songs. apparently, it didn't work.
i am using another software called serato. i took the mp3's whose tags i edited in itunes and imported them into serato. i know this program is able to read all versions of tags, so i found a suggestion someone made to strip the id3 tags. this process called for selecting all the songs, converting the id3 tags to "none", then changing them back to a certain version (v2.3 or v2.4).
after doing this, i take a look at my itunes library and about 80% of all my songs have their tags messed up. either the genre is back to what it was before i changed it a while ago, or (more annoyingly) the song titles are all truncated to a certain length.
1. is there any way to undo this? or am i going to have to manually go back and re-edit all the fields?
2. is there a better way of ensuring itunes is correctly changing the id3 tag fields? for example. if i edit the id3 tags on itunes on one profile on my mac, then take the same mp3 file and import it into itunes on another profile, the id3 tags seem to not have been changed at all.
help anyone? this whole thing has got me really frustrated. thanks in advance.

In Serato setup, check box Read iTunes Library. However this doesn't solve the problem, only creates yet another location for cleaning up....
Having somewhat same issue: Converted all id3 from iTunes succesfully, but couldn't import files correct on other macbook in iTunes (same version)?!?!? Doesn't read id3...

An id3 tags converting quest

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