Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

[Pack66184]

Posting this question in the batch converter in the hopes that someone may know a solution to my problem. I use dbpower batch converter as my main solution for converting all my downloads to AIFF. Several years it has been a flawless. Now I have run into a challenge with JRiver Media Center, iTunes, and tagging. The problem~ Jriver's software does not see tagging for files that is in place in iTunes. I use a NAS to store the files. The JR folks explained that iTunes stores the tags separately. I thought that DBpower was tagging the files as it was converted from m4a or mp3 to AIFF. When I view the files with File manager I see the album art in the file, some have separate jpg's as folder or front cover album art. But Jriver will not acknowledge them. As a test, I deleted everything from the mac mini and reloaded and exported an XML file from iTunes. This helped Jriver recognize the files. Jiver went from over +3K files without tags or album art to less than 300. Now I am questioning what to do with the files on the NAS. I tried converting a few to FLAC and DB did not tag any of the files.

Can I use DB to retag all files using the batch converter in one pass or would I have to use it for each folder one at a time?

How can I verify outside of iTunes or Jriver the files are tagged by DB?

I should add the JRiver is the Mac OS version and not Windows based and I realize it is a third party software question separate from DB. I'm asking the question since I created a duplicate library, used JR to pull from that library and it did not acknowledge too many tags to ask if it may be the manner in which I converted the files.

Any advice in which path to trouble shoot this would be appreciated

[mville]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Can I use DB to retag all files using the batch converter in one pass or would I have to use it for each folder one at a time?

Yes, you can use batch converter in one pass. However if the source files have no tags, the output files will have no tags.

Are you planning on using the Read metadata file DSP?

How can I verify outside of iTunes or Jriver the files are tagged by DB?

In Configure dBpoweramp >> Advanced Settings >> When Converting, you can set the Update 'Source', 'Encoder', 'Encoded By' & 'Encoder Settings' ID Tags option.

However, this does not tell you which individual tags, dBpoweramp has tagged.[/QUOTE]

[Pack66184]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Thanks for the direction and your time. If you don't mind a few questions. If the source files have no tags than DB will not place tags on the output files. My new question is to confirm that DB does not have the ability to display what tags are available on each file. I had assumed that if iTunes displayed info in the file information(iTunes) & file manager showed album art that it was there or embedded/attached to the file. Or another way of putting it, can I open a file in DB and see what tags have been attached to a file?

The configuration settings are as you mentioned.

[mville]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

If the source files have no tags than DB will not place tags on the output files.

No, not unless you use the Read metadata file DSP.

My new question is to confirm that DB does not have the ability to display what tags are available on each file. I had assumed that if iTunes displayed info in the file information(iTunes) & file manager showed album art that it was there or embedded/attached to the file. Or another way of putting it, can I open a file in DB and see what tags have been attached to a file?

Yes, you can view the tags and any embedded artwork for an audio file using dBpoweramp. Right-click an audio file and select Edit ID-Tag from the context menu.

[Pack66184]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Is there a manual or a how to section? Finally put some determination together to start this project and ran into this issue. Using Batch converter, right click to access the Edit Tags option. Assigned the tags with info and album art. I must be missing the action or command to apply the tags. No information is getting assigned to the track. What am I missing?

[mville]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Using Batch converter, right click to access the Edit Tags option...

Please can you confirm the following:

1. Are you right clicking an audio file or a folder?
2. After right clicking, a context menu displays showing dBpoweramp Batch Convert and dBpoweramp Edit-Id Tags options?
3. Are you selecting dBpoweramp Batch Convert or dBpoweramp Edit-Id Tags?

[mville]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Is there a manual or a how to section?

View Online Help: Windows Apple OS X

[Pack66184]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Please can you confirm the following:

1. Are you right clicking an audio file or a folder?
2. After right clicking, a context menu displays showing dBpoweramp Batch Convert and dBpoweramp Edit-Id Tags options?
3. Are you selecting dBpoweramp Batch Convert or dBpoweramp Edit-Id Tags?

I am using batch converter and selecting two files. Right click to access the edit tag command. After entering the tag information and clicking ok. No changes

Using finder, right click for edit tag command, enter artist info, click ok. No changes. Reopen with DB to confirm no artist info in tag

I am missing the obvious?

[mville]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

I am using batch converter and selecting two files. Right click to access the edit tag command. After entering the tag information and clicking ok. No changes

Using finder, right click for edit tag command, enter artist info, click ok. No changes. Reopen with DB to confirm no artist info in tag

Are your audio files read-only?

[Pack66184]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

I added two more screen shots, Folders and files show read and write privileges. Went back to a few source files and converted those and that worked fine. I would really love to figure out this issue and continue with this project.

[mville]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Went back to a few source files and converted those and that worked fine. I would really love to figure out this issue and continue with this project.

What is the file format of the source files that work fine and the files that do not work?

[Pack66184]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

What is the file format of the source files that work fine and the files that do not work?

Let me first say thank you for your responses. The source files are a collection of FLAC, MP3 or M4a files. The action I took was to go back to one or two source files (M4a) and reconvert to AIFF with dB. I did notice one difference between terhe 2nd work in that the older work ended in .aif while the new work ended in .aiff. dB seems to be able to edit with the tag command from a right click in file manager. The newest files appear to have carried the tags over with art work.

[PeterP]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

Thanks for your feedback. Let's go over it from the beginning.

First, there are some notable differences between Mac and Windows dBpoweramp here which might cause some confusion-
The mac version has extended utility context menus all over Batch Converter, to invoke Finder and edit tags on the files. Hence you can edit tags through Batch Converter without actually converting files.

Second, it would appear that you have some AIFF files that dBpoweramp fails to tag. Does it make any difference if you copy the untaggable files to another location on your mac - such as your desktop - and try to retag them there?
If the location of the files makes no difference, there must be something about the content of these files that makes dBpoweramp fail to update the tags - it would be great if you could email a sample problem file to peter@dbpoweramp.com for analysis.

[mville]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

The source files are a collection of FLAC, MP3 or M4a files. The action I took was to go back to one or two source files (M4a) and reconvert to AIFF with dB. I did notice one difference between terhe 2nd work in that the older work ended in .aif while the new work ended in .aiff. dB seems to be able to edit with the tag command from a right click in file manager.

So are you saying, if the filename extension is .aiff, dBpoweramp Edit ID-Tag is able to edit tags and save successfully, but not if the filename extension is .aif? If this is correct, change the filename extensions from .aif to .aiff.

[Pack66184]

Re: Help with tagging question/ Jriver Media/Apple OS

So are you saying, if the filename extension is .aiff, dBpoweramp Edit ID-Tag is able to edit tags and save successfully, but not if the filename extension is .aif? If this is correct, change the filename extensions from .aif to .aiff.

Sounded too easy, and no that did not work. changing the file extension from .aif to .aiff did not allow the editing to be saved. :-(