Album Artist Tag???

[akopperl]

I have been ripping my collection to flac files using dbpoweramp. When I upgraded to the new version, CD Ripper began filling in the Album Artist tag to match the Artist tag. Now I have half of my collection with an Album Artist tag and the other half without. I want to make my collection consistent. Therefore, what is the proper way to handle it? Should all files have an Album Artist tag or should only albums with Various Artists use the Album Artist tag?

Also, what is the best tag program to edit / add / delete the Album Artist tag?

Thanks

[Spoon]

Re: Album Artist Tag???

>Should all files have an Album Artist tag or should only albums with Various Artists use the Album Artist tag?

IMHO Various Artists should never use the album artist tag, that is why the compilation tag is there.

The idea of Album artist if for a CD like:

Album Artist: XYZ
Track 1: Artist: XYZ
Track 2: Artist: XYZ
Track 3: Artist: 123
Track 4: Artist: XYZ

Now for track 3 the album artist is used to keep the disc together.

[akopperl]

Re: Album Artist Tag???

Therefore, I assume you recommend using the Album Artist tag for all albums except those that are by Various Artists such as a movie soundtrack.

Previously everything I read recommended that the Album Artist tag should only be used for Various Artists. Although, I guess the Album Artist tag is becoming more popular.

Is there any way to get the Album Artist tag to default to the "Name, The" format like it can with the Artist tag. For example, when I ripped albums by "The Who", the Artist tag was "Who, The", however the Album Artist was "The Who". Unless there is a good reason not to - it seems to make more sense to format each tag the same.

Thanks

[grommet]

Re: Album Artist Tag???

I personally keep Album Artist set on everything, even on albums that don't have different (or multiple) contributing artists per track. It doesn't help in those scenarios, though. :D I treat it as the artist the Album should be associated with... the one it should be "filed under."

And, unlike Spoon, I do use Album Artist on my "compilations" or so-called various artists recordings. I use many Album Artist settings in these scenarios. For example: "Various Artists", "Original Movie Soundtrack", "Original Movie Score", "Original Broadway Cast Recording", "DJ Mixmaster Bob". I find a single compilation hierarchy too limiting for a large library. Your mileage may vary.

Of course, iTunes/iPod users don't benefit fully... since they only effectively use Album Artist for CoverFlow grouping currently. :thumbdown

[Spoon]

Re: Album Artist Tag???

It all depends on the end program, iTunes and WMP will handle Album Artist differently, just like the compilation flag - each year we sit down, run look through the main programs for compatibility and see which settings are best and if needs be change the default.

[Nonreality]

Re: Album Artist Tag???

I personally keep Album Artist set on everything, even on albums that don't have different (or multiple) contributing artists per track. It doesn't help in those scenarios, though. :D I treat it as the artist the Album should be associated with... the one it should be "filed under."

And, unlike Spoon, I do use Album Artist on my "compilations" or so-called various artists recordings. I use many Album Artist settings in these scenarios. For example: "Various Artists", "Original Movie Soundtrack", "Original Movie Score", "Original Broadway Cast Recording", "DJ Mixmaster Bob". I find a single compilation hierarchy too limiting for a large library. Your mileage may vary.

Of course, iTunes/iPod users don't benefit fully... since they only effectively use Album Artist for CoverFlow grouping currently. :thumbdown

Thats the same as I have been doing. Early on I found this the only way to keep track of those type albums in a way that made sense to me. Album Artist has been a problem at times as it's actually the Band tag and if you happen to run into a program that looks for the actual Album Artist tag you end up having problems and you don't know why. Slimdevices Squeezecenter was like that for a long time and I ended up adding another Album Artist tag to make it work. Now they have it so you can use the band tag as the Album artist tag like almost all other programs do. BTW you can sort by Album Artist in itunes but you just can't use it in the upper menus.