MP3Tag shows metadata in 3 different places: Tag List, Tag Panel & Extended Tags.
I have some doubts & suggestions about it:
* GENERAL DOUBT
Not sure for what reason is good to have all these 3 options/spaces/views. I basically use File List (the main view) to select the music file I want to inspect & the Tag Panel to see the cover. Then I always open Extended Tags wich is the deeper option (the one that provides more data) but it is a shame that it is the smallest view.
In my opinion would be much better & simple just have one big view with all the data one usually need to see & a hide secondary view to see the full metadata (Extended Tags).
What I am missunderstanding?
How you use File List, Tag Panel & Extended Tags view?
What is the purpose of each one?
Hope you can provide some light on this.
Maybe all I need is to customize the File List colums & Tag Panel.
* FILE LIST DOUBTS
Is not possible that the Tag List values were in alphabetical order? The Tag List values are in the same order used on the main view (tag columns). But when I am seeing the file list values to activate or edit one of them I do not want to see them in the same order than the columns are but in the alphabetical order which is the fast way to find the file list one is looking for.
For example: If I want Tag & Title be my 1st & 2nd file list column is fine, but when I cheeck the file list values I expect “Album” to be the 1st value, then “Album Artist”, etc. & Tag & Title would be close to the end of the list as they start with a “T”.
Hope I have explained good enough?
I saw I can add a column. I do not want to create a new column from “zero” which only I & MP3Tag would be able to read & understand. I am using “universal” deejay music metadata used by all deejay software. BPM & Key is essential in all deejay software but just BPM is available on MP3Tag. So how can I add the Key column? I know I need a Value & Field but Key has no placeholder & that music files with Key metadata have a tag named INITIALKEY.
As I said, I know you can add a tag to the list (still do not know how to do it & how difficult it is) but in my opionion would be more easy if all existing tags (metadata fields) were available by default. Is not necessary are all active (columns) but I do not understand how is possible that a very common tag like Key exist & MP3Tag is in fact able to read it but is not on its File List. Probably there is a good reason; I suspect is hard (if not impossible) to include all existing tags in the File List. Let see what you answer to this.
If all existing tags (metadata fields) were available in the File List, one basically have to choose which ones want to be active (to see/use). This can be done in a very simple way (like a playlist): on the left side would see all the available File List values & on the right side the ones selected/activated.
* TAG PANEL DOUBT
Similar to File List, I do not understand how can I add the Key tag to the Tag Panel. I repeat, I do not want to create from “zero” a tag for Key but to add the Key tag that other softwares uses.
In this case:
Name is Key
Field is INITIALKEY
Type is Text
Active is cheecked
but not sure what to choose on Width, in fact, quite surprised I am the one who has to define the width on a tag that other software use.
Which is the difference between Tiny, Small, Medium & Large? Each option has a character limit or it is just descriptive?
* EXTENDED TAGS DOUBTS
On the Extended Tags from a music file with key metadata I see the INITIALKEY tag. If I double click the INITIALKEY a small window popups. This shows just the title & metadata of the tag. If I deletet the metadata, (empty the tag), Ok button is disabled (the same happens with other tags). I also have tested replacing the data with just a space but the system recovers the tag.
All this means is not possible to just empty the tag metadata? I know I can delete the tag with the - button, but this will delete the INITIALKEY tag & I will not be able to edit this metadata anymore, I will loose the tag forever.
I have tested with a music file with no metadata & the Extended Tags were almost empty (just a few tags were available). This seems like the only tags available to be empty are the ones active on the Tag Panel (Extended Tags are only if there is metadata): even the Tags Panel have no data I can edit them but if an Extended Tag has no data it simply is not available.
If this is correct, all the tags I always want to be available I need to be active on the Tag Panel, is not?
* GENERAL DOUBT
If I have files opened on MP3tag & I edit their metadata on another software, the changes will not be visible on MP3Tag. If I relaunch the software & charge again the tracks now the metadata is actualized.
So exist a “Refresh button” or something similar in order to charge again the files on the main view or the selected ones in order to actualize the metadata without relaunching the software?
Every time I relaunch the software I see the software empty. Exist an option to launch the software with the tracks I had charged the last time I have used the software?
*
I wish you can answer the questions following the enumeration of each of the topics (I do not expect you to answer all the doubts in a single answer, we can answer 2-4 topics for answer)
A good way to get accustomed to MP3tag (and answer a lot of the questions) is to have a look at the documentation:
In respect to the 3 views:
each has its own virtues. The filelist lets you select the files to which you want to apply the following steps.
The filelist also lets you display data that is read-only (e.g. the length or the tool) and/or allows you to set special sorting criteria.
The tag panel allows you to enter data once for all selected files e.g. set the ALBUM name or the YEAR.
Both the tag panel and the filelist may also show that some fields are still missing information as they remain empty.
The extended tags dialogue shows all the tag fields that are actually there with their internal fieldname. This means that you see e.g. INITIALKEY as field name but you could label the corresponding column in the filelist and/or the field in the tag panel just "Key".
The extended tags dialogue also shows only the fields that are actually there which means that you have to remember which fields you want to see in the file(s) but you don't get any hint that a field is missing and/or that you considered a field to be superfluous.
For most of the other questions please consult the documentation first and play around with the options for the various functions (like display width for tag fields) and then come back if there are questions still open.
I cheecked the documentation while I was writting & I already could fix some of my initial doubts.
Yes, I already have done this before but I am not sure it is well done: (if I am not wrong) Key is not authomatically active on the tag list & tag panel, & it is only active in the extended tags when a track has data on its field. So, if you have tracks without key data, how is suppose you will know that Key field is called INITIALKEY? I have cheecked the documentation but key is not mentioned Format Strings and Available Placeholders
I have used %INITIALKEY% as value but not sure this is correct.
Not sure if I am missing something….
Not sure if I am understanding you…
In your opinion would be more useful to see empty fields on the Extended Tags dialogue rather than be aware all the active fields but are not showing as field is empty?
or what do you mean?
MP3tag is highly customizable. You can add (and remove) objects in the tag panel and the file list to suit your needs, e.g. if you consider the key to be important data, you may always want to see that data - so add an object to display it.
The extended tags dialogue shows all the (supported) tag fields that actually can be found in a file. It does not tell you which fields may be important to you and give a hint with an empty field object. In the file, BTW, there are no empty fields, there is no kind of "table" that needs to be filled in. Either a field is there or there is nothing in the file that could hint that a field could be possible.
Also, the extended tags dialogue would show any user-defined fields.
The utilization of any field is completely defined by the environment in which the data from that field should be used.
So if the target application displays the data from INITIALKEY then it is the correct field to use.
Exactly. No further object for additional fields will be added automatically to tag panel or file list corresponding to the found fields in a file.
And vice versa no object will be removed form the tag panel or the file list if the field is not present in a file.
You mean a DIY field that has data in a music file (not a DIY field crated in the software but with no data in the music file) , don’t you?
Ok, and how do you find out what the field in MP3Tag is equivalent to an external software field? By testing? introducing an unique data I see in which field appears in the external software?
2 real examples:
Sometimes comment field data is different between different softwares (iTunes & a dj software), this means could co-exist 2 different Comments field or one software is not using the field called “Comments” for the comment field purpose.
iTunes have 4 track fields I would like to have on the Tag Panel:
1st for the title track which I assume is the MP3Tagg field called TRACK
2nd for the total number of tracks on an album
3th for the disc number which I assume is the MP3tag field called DISCNUMBER
4th for the total disc numbers
When creating this new fields in the Tag Panel I need to fill the “Field:” box with data but how I get this info? The list value provided by MP3Tag only have 1 track & 1 disc value (which is already used by Track & Disc field), so how?
One way I have cheecked to get this info is by uploading on MP3tag a music file which already has data in all these 4 fields.
Doing this showed me that:
MP3Tag has 1 field for track & disc number that contains both info of the track number & the total number tracks/discs of an album.
I mean: iTunes shows: track “5” - total tracks of the album “17” - disc “1” - total discs of the album “2”, while MP3Tag just show 2 fields that combine that data “5/17” & “1/2”.
This looks smart because you are saving space area but not sure what does it mean as 4 fields on iTunes are just 2 in MP3Tag.
Is this way (by cheecking & testing with real examples), the way you discover what is the name of the field used in an external software?
Yes.
The labels that a program uses do not say a lot which field/atom/chunk/vorbis comment the software uses to display the data.
You see the format dependent internal names in the documentation:
and as you found out about TRACK and DISCNUMBER: the ID3 standard saves the data in a "numeric string" that allows/needs the slash as separator between the 2 parts of the data.
FLAC files have 2 separate fields for the current and the total number.
It is now down to the implementation of the displaying program whether they show the data closer to the standard or spend extra effort and split the otherwise joint field.
The comment field is a "bad" example for a standard field as the comment field for ID3 tags allows a supplement to specify the contents. iTunes uses the normal comment but also fields that display in the extended tags dialogue as COMMENT ITUNNORM or COMMENT ITUNESDB
So, depending on the implementation of the displaying program such extra comments (and still standard complying fields) appear or not.
That would be an ideal way to test. This will ensure the data from the "other" programs may be seen in the future if you write it from mp3tag. But note there are some cases of DJ software recently documented here that do not update external changes. YMMV
Ok, I was afraid I am a dumb monkey testing music files & his metadata but you both seems recommend do exactly that. I know this is the final test to be 100% sure the fields work as you expected but I though was so so basic that I expected a more sophisticated way to do it.
Notice i just understand “field” here haha
Thank you for that link, I could not find this list in the documentation
It seems there is documentation in more than 1 place, I was cheecking the documentation available on the Mac Forum Mac - Mp3tag Community but this link you shared is from a deeper content site. Thank you!
This is curious because iTunes is not able to open flac files but is based like flac: have 2 separates fields for the current & the total number.
All clear.
So are you saying that maybe the comment data I see in the comment field on iTunes sometimes could actually be a COMMENT field but others COMMENT ITUNNORM or COMMENT ITUNESDB?
& I suppose the only way to know which comment field has the comment data is by cheecking the extended tags on MP3tag, is not?
There is no other way to know this?
Can you please explain this further? what has been documented here?
I tried to shed some light on your observation that
Depending on the implementation of the "player" you see the plain COMMENT field or (if the player does not really observe the difference) also other fields whose descriptor starts with COMM.
MP3tag lets you identify such fields which may be hidden by other programs.
No. You can add any field without the need to "reserve" it first. It is just more convenient to have a GUI object at hand that puts the data into a specific field without the need to create the reference again and again.
Question #11
I have read the documentation about the Startup folder.
In my case, I am not opening tracks from a local folder but tracks from different location that are in an iTunes playlist. In fact, I select the tracks on the iTunes playlist & drag & drop on MP3tag. SO everytime I open the software the main view is empty even I have “previous” option choosed.
I suppose there’s no way a personal selection of tracks appear everytime I start MP3tag.
Playlists or folders inside MP3tagg to manage the files seems to not be available (playlist creates an external file).
Question #9
I do not understand what you sayd…
Not sure to understand the following:
Are you saying it is not mandatory that the tags I always want to use have to be activated but it is just more easy if they are rather than activating everytime?
I think you can create a playlist that contains you personal selection and d&d that into MP3tag.
Yet, I wonder why always the same files (from the playlist) should be treated by MP3tag.
If, on the other hand, you have an automatic playlist, then you could probably invoke a similiar behaviour in MP3tag with a filter.
What I tried to say: there are several ways to handle the information in tags.
The most basic way is to use the extended tags dialogue and add each field there. This would mean that you have to remember all the fields that you want to use. And you have to select the correct field each time you want to add data.
If you always add information for e.g. ALBUMARTIST, then it is simply more convenient
a) not to remember that this data should be added
b) to have a readymade space in the tag panel and/or the filelist where that data could be entered,
c) check if the found data in the field is up to the mark.
Here a reminder: there is no table in a tag with reserved space for a certain field. The tag consists of a data structure that is divided into identifiers and subsequent data.
So a field would not be "activated" - it would simply be added to the tag data in one of the available ways.
The filelist and the tag panel are MP3tag's ways to display (and handle) data in a convenient way. It is up to you to find which fields for you need more convenience than others and customize the tag panel and filelist accordingly.
You mean create a playlist on iTunes & drag & drop the songs to MP3tag or create a playlist on MP3tag?
Sometimes I am trying to fix a problem in several files & I restart the computer & when i open MP3tag is empty. but yes, as soon as that problem is fixed I do not need the same files in the welcome view.
My iTunes playlists are manually not automatic or smart playlists.
Exactly, for that reason I sayd that “all the tags I always want to be available I need to active them on the Tag Panel”, maybe the word “need” & “want to be available” were not the most accurated but the idea is that the fields you always want to fill is better & faster to have them at the tag panel.
No. You do not need a playlist for MP3tag.
Load your collection and then filter in MP3tag so that you get more or less the same list as you would get in iTunes - so if you know why iTunes shows the right files, it should be possible to get a similar display in MP3tag.
As I have tryed to say: the reason is that i crated a new playlists & the songs & want to be on that playlist I just drag & dropped. It is not a smart playlist or a playlist based in a rule.