Year field in metadata not saved with mp3 by export multiple

[foxylady]

I'm using Audacity ® 1.3.4-beta (Unicode) on a Windows XP system to rip my vinyl collection to mp3.

The stable version (1.2.6) has less flexibility with regard to labels, which is why I installed 1.3.4-beta.

Immediately before "export multiple" starts to do the export, there is a screen offering to set up the metadata for the whole album, including the "year" field, but this isn't copied through into the mp3 file.

Fortunately, it's possible in Windows Explorer to select all the relevant files, and change their properties at once, but this feature used to work in 1.2.6.

I haven't checked for other metadata.

[waxcylinder]

foxylady,

It passses through ok of you select the ID3v1 rather than the default ID3v2 tagging.

IMHO the default is wrong - the V1 is much more generally applicable - you don't get that much more in the v2 - and what's more apparently, some MP3 players can't handle the V2 MP3s and won't play them - V2 seems to work on iPods thogh.

WC

[foxylady]

Thanks WC.

I can't find any way of setting the mp3 export to use ID3v1, although I've been up and down all the menus.

In 1.2.6 there is a "Project" menu, with an "Edit ID3 Tags" option, but this is missing in 1.3.4.

foxylady

[waxcylinder]

foxylady,

I almost always use Multiple Export as I am normaly exporting multiple LP tracks, so I'm not sure how the other exports work (and can't test at the moment as I am recording right now - a very nice Haydn symphony).

In 1.3 when you Export Multiple and select MP3 as the output format - when you hit the go button (export or whatever it's called) then with MP3 tou get an additional dialogue box which lets you set the album name and artist - at the top of that dialogue box are two radio buttons to toggle between v1 and v2, with v2 as the default.

So it's not something you can set - it's something you have to do every time unfortunately.

WC

[foxylady]

Like you, I was in the middle of a recording, and couldn't test what you suggested immediately.

Having completed the recording, I labelled it, and after selecting Multiple Export from the Files menu, I selected a destination directory and chose MP3 as the Export Format.

Contrary to what you say, after a click on the "Export" button there is no option to choose ID3v1 or ID3v2, but only the opportunity to edit the metadata. Although the year of recording is available as one of the tags, this information isn't passed through to the mp3 files.

foxylady

[waxcylinder]

fl

I am using 1.3.3 - and I definitely get this as part of the dialogue box when I Export Multiple and choose MP3 - then when I click the Exort button up pops the dialogue box titled "dit the ID3 tags for all MP3 files" withn the two radio buttons atthe top.

Also just tested plain "Export and "Export Slection" both as MP3 - and in neither case did I get the option to select v1 or v2.

You've now made me even more reticent about loading 1.3.4


WC

[foxylady]

The loss of the dialogue box in the process of a Multiple Export to MP3 which allows a choice of ID3v1 or ID3v2 tagging is clearly a retrograde step in the move from 1.3.3 to 1.3.4 - in which part of the forum should I emit the raspberry?

foxylady

[waxcylinder]

foxy

You can post it to the "Adding Features to Audacity" - but better would be to email the developers - you can get a link from the Audacity site.

Worth doing quickly as they are already working on 1.3.5 - which is due to transmute into 1.4 sometine soon I believe.

WC

[foxylady]

I presume you mean [email protected] - the e-mail address for comments to the developers?

foxylady

[Gale Andrews]

1.3.4 does not have any way to specify the ID3 version. ID3 v2.3 (the latest available) is used.

We are aware of the issue with the Year tag not being seen by Windows Media Player - I presume that is where you are looking for the tag. We understand it to be a bug in Windows Media Player that it does not read Year tags in ID3 v2.3. Most other Windows applications (we have tested iTunes, Foobar and VLC) have no problem picking up the Year tag in MP3s exported with Audacity 1.3.4.

ID3 v1 is obsolete and inflexible (limited tags and tag length, limited genres including no custom genres), and most people would want ID3v2 which is why we removed the choice. No current player should have a problem with ID3 v2 per se, but the problem is with WMP viewing one particular tag when ID3 v2.3 is used. We "may" be able to investigate if using ID3 v2.2 (which iTunes exports as, and whose Year tag WMP sees) can help. I'm not promising though, as we are very short of active developers.

Despite what the website says, [email protected] is not functional. It broke down, and Sourceforge were not able to fix it in a reasonable time. We have decided in principle to replace it with a new list for feedback comments which we'll monitor, but won't in most circumstances reply to. That list is not yet active. The Forum will thus be the place to get question and answer help (mostly from users, but developers will try and monitor it when possible). Moderators are encouraged to PM or email myself or Richard Ash if there is some issue that needs developer input - as waxcylinder did in this case.

Thanks

Gale