Long time iTunes/MP3TAG user but I'm currently playing around with the tagging functionality available in MediaMonkey, Foobar2000, beets, MusicBee and AIMP. I've noticed that they each have different ideas about how the various SORT fields (Name/Title, Album, Album Artist, Artist and Composer) should be structured.
I use beets in "import copy:no" mode so that it updates my existing iTunes library in place.
My goal is to (1) leave my 90K mp3 files where they are today (2) use beets/mp3tag to update mp3s with MusicBrainz data
Question: Is using multiple tagging programs MP3TAG, iTunes, MediaMonkey, Foobar2000, beets, MusicBee and AIMP) at various times on the same 90K mp3 files just a really DUMB idea?
Answer: (I'm assuming that the answer is YES)
EDIT: My current thinking is that I am goin to initially ERASE all the SORT fields until I have a cohesive strategy in mind
It is not if you get the results that you want.
But if you have programs like iTunes that like to keep modified data to themselves in their own database, then the other programs will not benefit from the update.
So check which program suites you good enough for your purpose.
E.g. I use foobar's lyrics plugins as they work better on various tracks at once than the wss in MP3tag which work only track by track.
I use foobar2k for lyrics as well. iTunes has always been a PITA, beets is very interesting but learning curve is MONSTROUS, I think I'll just stick with MP3TAG for tagging in general since using all of them IS NOT getting me the results that I want
Thanks
I have been using iTunes since it was launched for the Windows platform. And I still have it as a player because there are several iOS and AppleTV devices in our household. However there are also a couple of Android devices in the mix and I have been moving to use Asset, MusicBee, and Plex on the home server to feed the music in the house.
I struggled to keep tags consistent between all
of these platforms until I made the decision long ago to strictly manage tagging with mp3tag. All other apps are now strictly for browsing and playing. I'm sure there are some options that are interchangeable but it is just easier to stick with mp3tag to do the heavy lifting in my case.