Edit Metadata Tags

[waxcylinder]

Repeating the same test on my Macbook Pro with Catalina 10.15.5 with 2.4.1 and the latest alpha test build I have for 2.4.2

I get the same results - the © symbol can be entered in a custom metadata field and properly used by Audacity.

I can also
1) use the Template: Save... in Edit>Metadata to save a template with a custom copyright filed the © symbol
2) Close Audacity
4) Relaunch Audacity
5) Edit >Metadata
6) Observe: blank metadata template
7) Import the templates saved at step 1
8) Observe the custom "Copyright" field is there - and with the © symbol

So Works-for-me on Mac as well as Windows.


I do note that although I can enter the © symbol in any metadata field it can never be accepted as the first character input, there has to be some other text first. I can force it to be the first character by typing in an alpha character first, using the bcakspace to delete that character, then enter the © symbol.

WC

[dway75035]

Very interesting!

Your method does not work for my Mac. Catalina 10.15.5

[waxcylinder]

Your method does not work for my Mac. Catalina 10.15.5

How do you try to generate the copyright symbol.

I use Ctrl+V/Cmd+V to paste having copied it fro a special Excel/Numbers spreadsheet I have for special characters and accented characters.

Peter.

[billw58]

On Mac, the copyright symbol is option-g -- ©

Try that.

-- Bill

[billw58]

If I use option-g ( © ) as the first character in the Value field, it works.
-- Bill

[billw58]

Another thing: when I use my Mac to check file property, everything appears but the added line does not. I don't know whether it is Mac issue or Audacity issue.

The ID3 information you are entering is added to the file as a 'TXXX' frame, not a 'TCOP' frame. By "file property" I assume you mean what is shown in the "Get Info" window.

If you really want to see what is inside the file, I suggest using Hex Fiend.

-- Bill

[billw58]

If your only purpose in opening then resaving the file is to add copyright information, perhaps you would be better off using one of the free ID3 tag editors available through the App Store. Opening an MP3 in Audacity then re-encoding (exporting) as an MP3 will always result in some loss in audio quality.
-- Bill

[waxcylinder]

If I use option-g ( © ) as the first character in the Value field, it works.

OOH so it does too - works fine as well for first character typed in a field in my Mac with Edit>Metadata.

Thanks Bill,

Peter.

[billw58]

Well, I have completely fallen down the rabbit-hole of MP3 tag editing. I've found a free and open source editor here:
https://kid3.kde.org/

The Mac download is here:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/kid3/

I've downloaded it and it seems to be safe.

If you download it, have a look at its configuration window ("tools" icon in the top toolbar), click the "Keyboard Shortcuts" tab and note the eerie similarity to Audacity's Key Bindings prefs pane.

-- Bill

[billw58]

But in general, when you have a statement of copyright, it would be written as "Copyright © Some company 2020", always with this symbol ©.

The ID3 spec https://id3.org/id3v2.3.0 says this about the TCOP tag:

The 'Copyright message' frame, which must begin with a year and a space character (making five characters), is intended for the copyright holder of the original sound, not the audio file itself. The absence of this frame means only that the copyright information is unavailable or has been removed, and must not be interpreted to mean that the sound is public domain. Every time this field is displayed the field must be preceded with "Copyright © ".

From that I interpret that the © symbol need not be included either in the Tag name or in the Value.

For example, if the copyright in the original sound is "Jane Doe" and the copyright was made in 2019, then, in the Value field of the TCOP tag, you would enter "2019 Jane Doe". If the software that displays the copyright information is in compliance with the specification, it would display "Copyright © 2019 Jane Doe".

The Kid3 application allows the creation of a real TCOP tag. It does not enforce "begins with a year and a space character" when entering the value of the tag, but will highlight the field as a "standard violation" if the file is saved with a non-standard TCOP tag and read back in.

So, after all this, my recommendation ("I am not a lawyer!") is: if you want to add a "real" copyright (TCOP) tag to your files, use Kid3. When Audacity writes ID3 tags outside the "seven permanent tag names" (https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/met ... ditor.html), it writes a "TXXX" tag.

-- Bill