# Configuration \> Tools (My Workflow & Settings)
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/configuration-tools-my-workflow-settings/12431
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [August 24, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/configuration-tools-my-workflow-settings/12431 "2011-08-24T02:06:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@stevehero](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/stevehero)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/configuration-tools-my-workflow-settings/12431/1 "2011-08-24T02:06:43Z")
Here is a list of all my Tools on right click\>Tools that I use on a daily and sometimes seldom basis. This is my workflow so you can mod yours to your own liking.
**NOTE** Paths to the programs may differ to yours but the parameters must be the same.
**1: VLC Player**
Shortcut: ctrl+1/cmd+1 (I also have this as the double click function)
```
NAME: VLC Player
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe
PARAMETER: --playlist-enqueue --one-instance "%_path%"
[✓] for all selected files
```
What the first code does is put all selected files in a playlist, 2nd one says only one instance of VLC player to open and the "%\_path%" just points to the file.
I do this to preview the songs and sometimes rate them within mp3tag at the same time.
I got the code from the VLC players web page where it has a list of command-lines. Where you can find here [http://wiki.videolan.org/VLC\_command-line\_help](http://wiki.videolan.org/VLC_command-line_help) so you can mod yours to how you like.
**2: Artwork - Artist/Album**
Shortcut: ctrl+2/cmd+2
```
NAME: Artwork - Artist/Album
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
PARAMETER: http://www.google.ie/images?q=$replace($regexp(%artist% %album%,'\s*\[.*\].*',), ,+)&hl=en&biw=1236&bih=1372&tbs=isch:1,isz:lt,islt:svga&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=-u1wTZTpPMK1hAeb0qkx&ved=0CAoQpwUoBA
[] for all selected files
```
This opens up firefox and searches google for 800x600px or larger images with the %artist% and %album% as the search function.
**3: mp3val**
Shortcut: ctrl+3/cmd+3
```
NAME: mp3val
PATH: F:\PROGRAMS\mp3val v0.1.8\mp3val-frontend.exe
PARAMETER:
[✓] for all selected files
```
This opens up mp3val which fixes MPEG audio files' integrity [http://mp3val.sourceforge.net/](http://mp3val.sourceforge.net/)
If anyone knows of a Parameter which loads the mp3 file/s into the program that would be great. At the minute ctrl+3 simply is a shortcut to open the program as quickly as possible.
**4: Open In Explorer**
Shortcut: ctrl+4/cmd+4
```
NAME: Open In Explorer
PATH: C:\Windows\explorer.exe
PARAMETER: /e, /select, "%_path%"
[] for all selected files
```
/e opens the explorer, /select highlights the file and "%\_path%" points towards the file/s.
**5: iTunes**
Shortcut: ctrl+5/cmd+5
```
NAME: iTunes
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\iTunes.exe
PARAMETER:
[✓] for all selected files
```
Only opens iTunes, but if anyone out there knows of any parameter which will loads the selected files in a playlist the would be great.
**6: Mixed In Key**
Shortcut: ctrl+6/cmd+6
```
NAME: Mixed In Key
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\Xone Mixed In Key 4\XoneMixedInKey.exe
PARAMETER:
[✓] for all selected files
```
Mixed In Key software here [http://www.mixedinkey.com/](http://www.mixedinkey.com/) puts a key to your tags in actual key or through a Camelot wheel keycode formula. I have it so that it appends the comment from "5" which I first of all do and is the rating of the song to "4A - 5" This means I can quickly identify both the songs rating and key. Also handy for creating smart playlist within iTunes and so you can rate a song 4.5 etc.. and never be afraid of losing that info. 🙂
But again this only opens iTunes, and if anyone out there knows of any parameter which will loads the selected files in a playlist the would be great.
Hope this was of some help.
---
### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/configuration-tools-my-workflow-settings/12431/2 "2011-08-24T02:33:44Z")
The isn't a criticism of your workflow or advice, but just points out that everyone does things a little differently and uses different tools.
For me Windows Explorer forms the 'home' by which I manipulate my audio library.
My workflow setup is usually to have:
- One Explorer window that is used for my 'working' directory on my PC, in which I rip, retag, download and edit cover images, etc.
- Another Explorer window for the library on my server. Here I can see what I already have, how other albums are tagged, and then drag finished albums once they've been completed on the working PC.
- A Chrome browser window with the following loaded in tabs (they're all kept in a bookmark folder in Chrome, so that they can easily be opened all at once): AllMusic.com, Amazon.com/Music, Google image search, Wikipedia, AlbumArtExchange.com.
From Windows Explorer I can:
- view tags with a simple mouseover (using dbpoweramp's Explorer integration).
- play a song in my default Windows audio player by double clicking it.
- retag the album using Mp3tag by right clicking its folder.
- view and edit artwork using my image editor, again by double-clicking.
Other than that description of my work environment, I
- probably get 80-90% of my covers from Album Art Exchange, then use Google image search and sometimes Amazon for the remainder.
- don't use song ratings or iTunes.
- don't download Mp3s, so have no problems with broken ones.
---
### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2011, 6:31am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/configuration-tools-my-workflow-settings/12431/3 "2011-08-24T06:31:35Z")
Thank you for the vlc command line link.
---
### Author:  [@stevehero](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/stevehero)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/configuration-tools-my-workflow-settings/12431/4 "2011-08-24T15:09:47Z")
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> The isn't a criticism of your workflow or advice, but just points out that everyone does things a little differently and uses different tools.
This was simply the options that I have, my workflow involves using Windows Explorer of sorts, Firefox, iTunes, mp3val and Mixed In Key.
**1.** Download Music from a particular source like [www.beatport.com](http://www.beatport.com)
**2.** Save it to my desktop.
**3.** Open mp3tag and drag the files into app.
**4.** ctrl+3 to open mp3val to check .mp3's integraty.
**6.** Run my script for that particualar album / release to populates Tags.
**7.** Press ctrl+1 to open VLC player and let the song play while I listen.
**8.** While I am listening to the songs I press ctrl+2 which automatically opens firefox and googles images greater than 800x600px.
**9.** Save the artwork and open it in irfan view to resize it to 1000x1000px with a file limit of 200kb while still listening to the song in the background.
**10.** Drag the artwork to mp3tag, save files.
**11.** and then rate the them while I listen by adding 4, 4.5, 5 etc to the comment field.
**12.** Press ctrl 5 to open iTunes and then drag files into it.
**13.** Later on once I have say 20+ new songs to run through Mixed In Key I drag them to it and run which leave the comment now looking something like this "4A -5"
**14.** And thats it DONE 😃
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