Compilation Albums

[PedroT99]

I had three quick questions on Dynamic Namic of Compilation Albums which are the random albums I have left over that I couldn't decide on naming...

1. I used Garym's naming scheme for comp albums which puts Track-song-artist which I like. If a song however has multiple artists (a few tribute albums I own) while ALL the artists go into the Artist tags, Winamp (my player of choice) only displays the first artist which is really annoying. Is there a better way to tag so all will display in Winamp? I noticed too that while I changed the folder from "various artists" to "complications" the ripping log file still displays as "compilations". It really doesn't matter but can that be changed?

2. How do you guys name albums that are dual artist but not complications? Examples that come to mind are Dylan and the Dead, "Before the Flood" by Dylan and The Band and "Tribute" by Ozzy and Randy Rhodes? DBp displays them as complications but they're really not. Do you use the Main Artist (ozzy Osbourne) as Album Artist and then tag Randy Rhodes....or make a separate artist folder called ex. Bob Dylan and The Band instead of my regular Bob Dylan folder? I know it is preference but I have a bunch of these and am thing to figure out what is most logical.

3. Last thing...what do you do with soundtracks? I only have a couple. For example, Hair (original broadway soundtrack) comes up as a Compilations and lists each singer as an artist on all four Meta providers. I can't believe most people view them as separate artists which looks like....
"29 What a Piece of Work Is Man - some singer i probably never heard of"

I was going to to do non-comp....example...
"29 Hair - What a Piece of Work Is Man" and then put the singer in the tags. Is that not what most do with soundtracks?

Again, I know these are personal preferences but I would like to (usually) go with generally accepted practice.

Thanks!

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Compilation Albums

1. There's no elegant way to use multiple names in the ARTIST tag. This isn't a dBp limitation....playback programs and devices generally just grab the first name, as you described with Winamp. Regarding the "Various Artists" or "Compilations" folder name, I don't know exactly which folder you are referring to and trying to rename. If the end result comes out as desired, however, does it matter what the log file says?

2. I use the primary artist as the tag for both ARTIST and ALBUM ARTIST. If I want to make a note of additional personnel on an album or song, I put that in FEATURED ARTIST or COMMENTS. Occasionally, there isn't really a "primary" artist, so I take my cues from who or how the song was released. (Example: "Love Rescue Me" was co-written, performed, and recorded by Bono and Bob Dylan. Normally, I give deference to Dylan wherever he's present, but this song was released on a U2 album, so that's how I tag it. My Bob Dylan & The Band content, similarly, depends on how it was released. I tag "The Basement Tapes" as a Dylan album, but their performances at the Last Waltz concert under The Band.)

3. With only two soundtracks, I'd just tag them like any other compilation. In my case, I have hundreds of them (and use a Sonos system, which organizes tags in its own quirky way), so I use a special system just for those. It creates an "artist" category called (Soundtracks), under which all the albums are listed by name, and then each artist is tagged as ARTIST just on the particular songs. If you are not interested in specifying the actual artists (as with your Hair soundtrack), just replace it with something generic. But in your example, I'm not seeing the difference between the current configuration and what you're proposing to do.....basically, they're both TRACK - TITLE - ARTIST, aren't they?

[PedroT99]

Re: Compilation Albums

Hi Brody,
That's good feedback...thank you.

I have a couple of questions about soundtracks. With 2 soundtracks your right that it probably doesn't matter but ill be adding more so I want something that make sense. You're saying you have a separate compilation folder called "Soundtracks" correct?

Does that mean you enter "Soundtracks" into the AlbumArtist field?

You also asked what the difference is between my 2 proposed naming scenes. One of them would put ex. "Hair" in each file while the other would list the actual singer who I probably wouldn't know.

Examples...
29 What a Piece of Work Is Man - John Smith
29 Hair - what a Piece of Work Is Man

Thoughts?

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Compilation Albums

Hi Brody,
That's good feedback...thank you.

I have a couple of questions about soundtracks. With 2 soundtracks your right that it probably doesn't matter but ill be adding more so I want something that make sense. You're saying you have a separate compilation folder called "Soundtracks" correct?

Does that mean you enter "Soundtracks" into the AlbumArtist field?

Yup...that's exactly how I do it. Although I do actually place parentheses around it. Sonos orders special characters before the alphabetical listings, so the parentheses are a way to move that category to the top of the Artists list, rather than having it buried amongst the "S" artists. I do the same thing with (Compilations), since I have lots of those, as well. (I tried a few different special characters....they all serve the same purpose in my Sonos listings....and just decided the parentheses look best.)

You also asked what the difference is between my 2 proposed naming scenes. One of them would put ex. "Hair" in each file while the other would list the actual singer who I probably wouldn't know.

Examples...
29 What a Piece of Work Is Man - John Smith
29 Hair - what a Piece of Work Is Man

Thoughts?

Like you said earlier, it's all personal preference. I actually like more rather than less info in the filename, so I include the artist in my naming scheme, but I can see where others might prefer filenames limited to just the "pertinent" info. Either way, the tagging is what determines how it displays in actual use, so it doesn't matter too much.

Remember, than it's easy to change things like this after the fact, so you can devise a scheme & try it for awhile to see if it serves your needs (and sense of aesthetics....I'm not being facetious- it matters!:D). It's often only through real-life use that you discover the little things that work and don't.