How to combine files?

Support
1

I have a set of mp3 files, A, about 10,000 pieces, in a certain order. The order is incorporated in the file name and track number.

Then I have a set of FLAC files, B, about 7000 pieces. Without order. Each of these 7000 tracks have a mp3 counterpart in A (as in: these are the same song, just different audio quality). However, the metadata Artist and Title are quite similar (not 100% but quite) but the filenames differ a lot.

Goal: a list C, where the mp3 files of A are replaced by flac (7000 pieces, so), and the remaining 3000 songs of A are still mp3s. 10,000 in all.
In the original order of A.. The latter is actually the most important thing, that the track numbers are correct. The FLAC files from B must therefore receive their track number from the corresponding mp3 from A. I can straighten out the rest (e.g. album name) with mp3tag.

What's the easiest way to get this done?
I've been brooding on this for a while but can't seem to find a good way. Preferably a fast automatic way of course, but if it becomes manual work I am also looking for smart ideas / tips..

To explain the case even better:

A:

  1. [BLABLA] Europe - Final countdown (exclusive version).mp3 (track = 1)
  2. [LALA] YMCA (radio version).mp3 (track = 2)
  3. Eagles - Hotel California.mp3 (track = 3)
  4. Bohemian Rhapsody.mp3 (track = 4)
  5. [XYZ] Dreams Are Cheats.mp3 (track = 5)

B:
YMCA.FLAC (track = 35)
Hotel California.FLAC (track = 3)
Dreams Are Cheats.FLAC (track = 12)

C:

  1. Final countdown.mp3 (track = 1)
  2. YMCA.FLAC (track = 2)
  3. Hotel California.FLAC (track = 3)
  4. Bohemian Rhapsody.mp3 (track = 4)
  5. Dreams Are Cheats.FLAC (track = 5)

So the file names of A en B are different. The metadata are (reasonably) equal in terms of artist and title. With Dupeguru I can make a nice match between the FLACs and their counterparts by looking at this metadata. But then?
I've already tried kid3, a program I can run from Dupeguru to copy metadata from A to B to get C. However, Kid3 is too buggy and just doesn't work well. I wasted a lot of time. :stuck_out_tongue:
Can I use mp3tag somehow?

2

If you already have all of the metadata intact, you can use this on your B. FLAC library to rename all of these files as a start. This would be the file naming, you can use the Action for Format, or use convert Tag-Filename to see a preview.

%track%. %albumartist% - %title%

Then you can do a quick scan for duplicate filenames and decide if you want to keep all 17,000 files or delete the duplicates.

3

You can load all the files in the file list.
Then move them with the cursor keys or the mouse while pressing the Alt key to the desired position.
Then use the track numbering assistant Ctrl-K to get the track number into a sequential order.
Then follow @MotleyG's idea.

4

Thanks for thinking along.
@MotleyG But this won''t give me the tracks in the correct order.
@ohrenkino That would be a lot of work with so many tracks..

I am looking for a way to

  1. match the tracks in B with their counterpart in A (the only tool I could find for this is Dupeguru)
  2. Copy the track number info from the A files to their B counterparts.

#2 seems to be impossible...

5

As MP3tag does not compare data of different files, you may use MP3tag for your 2nd task.

6

Are you trying to use an “order” that does not follow the original track numbering? That is the only reason that my suggested file naming won’t work. And in that case there is no way to have Mp3tag get info from a different file.

There is no tool for comparing two different files in mp3tag. Copy/paste for any or all tag info between files can only be done manually, there is no automatic process for this.