Bug When Exporting Files

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

When I perform a Loudness Normalization a number of files, I find that when finished and I am exporting the completed files the Metadata has been changed such that all the files have the correct filename and titles but the “Contributing Artists” & the “Album” data have all been changed to the last item file in the project. Now I have to go through and change each and every one of them manually. If it’s just couple, no big deal. But when it is be dozens, or even hundreds, now it’s a big deal.

2

This is a known and logged (but as yet unfixed issue) see:

Audacity is known to be poor at handling metadata there are several logged bugs - see:

Peter

4

Hi, thanks for responding. If I’m missing something from your post, please let me know. No, this isn’t what is going on. I’m not doing file conversions, I’m just modifying the volume normalization for the files. When I do the export for multiple files it gives the files the correct name, it’s just changing the metadata of the artists and album name to whatever the last file is. I then have to go through and change each one using a metadata editor like MP3TAG. Unfortunately MP3TAG isn’t capable of bulk modification of the metadata that needs to be changed, unless it’s all the same date (like all the files are of the same genre).

5

No, you’re not missing something. I just got it wrong. Sorry about that. Maybe the heatwave scrambled my brain. How about using something like MP3Gain? Could that be the answer?

Would MusicBrainz Picard work?

6

I’ll check it out and see if will do what I need. Thanks for the info.

I want to also mention that even if there is a software that’ll do multiple file metadata corrections, it still doesn’t address why Audacity is doing what it’s doing. That needs to be addressed and corrected.

7

According to my understanding (which may be right or not), Audacity converts any file you open / import in a format it can understand. Then you do your changis (modify the volume) and export again… And since Audacity is in no way “perfect” with metadata, they may be broken / lost / chaged during the re-export.

8

Exactly. It’s doing the volume normalization modification properly, but messing up the metadata. But this should be addressed and corrected. If it’s going to export out the files, it should maintain metadata integrity, including album artwork.