Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

[Katica]

Hi,
I wonder if it is possible to edit metadata stored in my ripped files? Or have to rerip them and edit metadata that way (before re-ripping)? This is an issue for me with recordings which have multiple cds and the metadata is all over the place...I overlooked some things about it when I ripped this cds the first time.
Thanks.
Kati

[Spoon]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

You can right click on File(s) >> Edit ID Tags

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

You might want to take a look at a dedicated tag editor, like mp3tag. Once you kind of learn your way around in a program like that, they can make quick work of editing and standardizing your metadata.

Bottom line.....no, you never have to re-rip just for metadata. Getting a good audio rip is a one-and-done thing (assuming you rip to a lossless codec). Beyond that, you can edit the metadata all you want and it'll never impact/alter the audio itself.

[Vanblerk]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Hi Spoon,

You can right click on File(s) >> Edit ID Tags

Please can you explain this? I can't see how to do it (stupid newbie here).

I have bought dbpoweramp (along with PerfectTUNES), which I am using to rip my (2000-odd) CD collection to a QNAP TS-453 Pro NAS as lossless, uncompressed FLAC files. These are streamed to a Cyrus Xa streamer controlled by Cyrus' 'Cadence' IOS app from my IPAD. I bought dbpoweramp as it was recommended by Cyrus, and it works pretty well with it. Happy so far!

However, I have some problems with metadata. A small number of the CDs I have ripped so far are searchable by album title, but not by artist. The artist tag is recorded, but there are no tracks available for the CD under this - i.e. I can't play these CDs from my artist list!. This is going to be a big problem if I have to scroll through 2000 CDs to find the album (which is very slow as the IOS app uses a 'lazy-load' system to wirelessly load a page at a time) I want to play. So I need to edit the tags, once I find out what is missing from the few that misbehave in the way I have described. Poor old Zakk Wylde isn't ever going to get a play otherwise!

Question 1: does anyone know which tags I have to fix to prevent this problem in playing from 'artist' selections?

Next, I want to be able to edit these tags - but can't see how to do this in dbpoweramp. Sorry Spoon, but I am too dim to be able to work out how to do it from your answer above!

I am not sure if this means either:

a) I click on a file menu somewhere and look for an 'Edit ID Tags' option. I this is unlikely as I can't see a 'File' menu in dbpoweramp. Which leads me to the next option:

b) Or I have to access the file in some file management interface, right click and select the 'Edit ID Tags' option. I have tried to do this in both Windows (8) Explorer and QNAP's proprietary 'File Station' interface and right clicking doesn't offer an 'Edit ID Tags' option anywhere I can see. So;

Question 2: How do I get in to edit these tags?

I'm hoping there is a really simple answer and I am missing something really obvious. Please advise on how to overcome this problem.

Best

Col

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

I highly recommend editing your metadata before moving your files over to the NAS. It's much faster to edit on the local computer, and it'll help you keep the "finished" albums separate from the ones that still need work.

Question *1: I'm a little unclear, from your description, what's happening with those CDs you're talking about. The artists are shown in your Artist List view, but no tracks are associated with them? Perhaps you could explain with a more detailed example.

Anyway, what Spoon was referring to was Windows Explorer. You can select specific files, or a whole folder, then right-click to get the Windows Explorer context menu and one of the options listed will be "Edit ID Tags." For a single file, you can then edit any of its tags. If you've selected multiple files, you can edit their common tags (i.e., not the file-specific ones like TRACK, TITLE). If this option is not shown in your Windows Explorer context menu, you need to go into dBp Configuration and enable the Windows shell integration option.

[Vanblerk]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Hi BrodyBoy - thanks for getting back to me; it's much appreciated.

I never thought about ripping locally - I have started with about 40 CDs to test the process and iron out all these little challenges before going on to rip all 2000-odd CDs I have, thinking I would put up with the enormous amount of time it will take. Thanks for the tip!

Starting from the last paragraph, I don't get the 'Edit ID Tags' option when I right-click on files (either albums or individual tracks) in Windows Explorer.

I've run dBp Configurator (v15.1) and can't see any option to enable the Windows shell integration option under any of the 3 tabs - is it labelled something else that someone with limited experience like me can't decipher? I'd be grateful for any advice, as this sounds like it could be the cause of that little problem. I'm wondering why that isn't switched 'on' as a default as well?

I'll send another post further detailing the problem I have - I'll get a few screen grabs from my Ipad to illustrate it better.

Once again, thanks for your help!

Col

[Vanblerk]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

And now here's a more detailed description of what I am trying to do, with grabs from the Cyrus streamer app as a picture is worth a thousand words!

If I choose to select Cd by album, I get this screen: a list of all the albums on the NAS in alphabetical order.



Clicking on an album shows the track listing for that album, like this:



I can then play the album from the start by clicking on the first track, or select any track to play. All well and good up to this point. As you can see, with a 'lazy load' screen updating a page at a time, it's not really practical to scroll through many pages to get to Zakk Wylde! It will take forever.

So the best option is to select a Cd by artist - this is what I see if I select that option: an alphabetical list of artists



When I click on an artist, I get a screen with the albums by that artist like this:



Now, for most of these albums, I click on it and get a track listing as shown in the second image. For some, no track listings appear, and the app tells me it is 'empty'. I know the tracks are on the NAS, as I can play them ok from the album list, but they are not showing up - see the last image below for what I see.



I am assuming this is a problem with the tagging - it only happens on a few CDs - and there is a tag missing somewhere. So my original question was 1) trying to identify the tag that is missing (if that is the problem) and 2) in working out how to fix it.

I hope all this makes sense - as before, any help will be gratefully received.

Once I know what to look for in the tagging, I'll check it as I rip the rest and hopefully avoid any further problems.

Look forward to finding a solution...

Best

Col

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Hi BrodyBoy - thanks for getting back to me; it's much appreciated.

I never thought about ripping locally - I have started with about 40 CDs to test the process and iron out all these little challenges before going on to rip all 2000-odd CDs I have, thinking I would put up with the enormous amount of time it will take. Thanks for the tip!

Yeah, it's generally a good idea to test any processing, naming change, etc., on a subset of your files before "unleashing" it on a huge library. It saves time in the long run, I think, as going back and fixing mistakes on a lot of files is really tedious.

Starting from the last paragraph, I don't get the 'Edit ID Tags' option when I right-click on files (either albums or individual tracks) in Windows Explorer.

I've run dBp Configurator (v15.1) and can't see any option to enable the Windows shell integration option under any of the 3 tabs - is it labelled something else that someone with limited experience like me can't decipher? I'd be grateful for any advice, as this sounds like it could be the cause of that little problem. I'm wondering why that isn't switched 'on' as a default as well?

I think it's turned on by default, but I'm not 100% sure since it's been so long since I've installed the program from scratch.

Anyway, open the dBpoweramp Configuration pop-up. Under the 3rd tab, "Music Converter," the first section is all about Windows Explorer Integration. Basically, just check all the options there. If that doesn't resolve the problem and give you the right0click options in Windows Explorer, perhaps there was a problem with the installation.

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

I am assuming this is a problem with the tagging - it only happens on a few CDs - and there is a tag missing somewhere. So my original question was 1) trying to identify the tag that is missing (if that is the problem) and 2) in working out how to fix it.

Thanks for going to the trouble to lay it out so well.....that makes it a lot clearer.

I do agree that this is a tagging issue, combined with a quirk or setting in the way your player is indexing your library. A couple questions:

1) Is there any pattern to the ARTIST entries that have "missing" files? Specifically, are they compilations, multiple artist albums, or anything like that?

2) Just to be clear....the files are actually there in your library, and playable under their ALBUM view listing? It's just that you're just not seeing them under the ARTIST view listing that you associate with that album?

[Vanblerk]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Ok, latest report:

I've checked all the fields I can under the first section of the 'Music Converter' tab (the only one 'greyed-out' is Windows XP-specific) and I still can't view or edit tags by right clicking. I'll try re-installing tomorrow (it's morning here in the UK already) and see if it's an installation problem.

and answers to the other questions:

1) I can't see any obvious pattern - the one I showed grabs for was part of a 2-cd set. One of the others has multiple artists. Could be onto something there...

2)

2) Just to be clear....the files are actually there in your library, and playable under their ALBUM view listing? It's just that you're just not seeing them under the ARTIST view listing that you associate with that album?

That's exactly correct.

Hopefully once I can view the tags I can work out what is wrong.

Thanks again

Col

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Ok, latest report:

I've checked all the fields I can under the first section of the 'Music Converter' tab (the only one 'greyed-out' is Windows XP-specific) and I still can't view or edit tags by right clicking. I'll try re-installing tomorrow (it's morning here in the UK already) and see if it's an installation problem.

Yeah, something's wrong there....you should be getting the dBp options in your Windows Explorer context menus. Unless Spoon jumps in and suggests some other cause I'm not aware of, I'd go ahead and re-install it.

and answers to the other questions:

1) I can't see any obvious pattern - the one I showed grabs for was part of a 2-cd set. One of the others has multiple artists. Could be onto something there...

2)

That's exactly correct.

Hopefully once I can view the tags I can work out what is wrong.

Thanks again

Col

Ok....now the reason for my questions. Often, players index your library (that is, read the metadata and create their own internal database for library navigation) using the ALBUM ARTIST tag as a proxy for ARTIST. The reason is that ARTIST can so easily vary by track, not just with compilations but also when there are "featured" or "guest" artists on an album. The ALBUM ARTIST tag is the one that's uniform for the whole album while allowing for the specific ARTIST tags to be different. So, for example, I recently ripped a Barbra Streisand album of duets. The track artists are all different, but the ALBUM ARTIST tag is just Barbra Streisand. Again, most players will use that tag by default if it's there.

I have a suspicion that this issue has to do with either missing ALBUM ARTIST tags on those albums, or less likely, a quirky setting in your player that isn't using the ALBUM ARTIST tag to index those CDs properly. Pick a couple of those problem albums, go in and ensure that all tracks have the ALBUM ARTIST tag (the same one for the whole CD), and check to see if that makes any difference. (Be sure that your player re-reads your library, otherwise you won't see any difference.)

Also, take a look at the player's settings. If there's any kind of option about how to group albums, make sure that it's set to Album Artist. Different players treat this differently, and I'm not familiar with yours, but here's an example of what it looks like in the Sonos system:

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Quick follow-up, Col, regarding your Windows Explorer integration issue. Browsing some other threads, I'm getting the impression that dBp's latest update (15.2) is kind of buggy, or at least its installation is. One issue appears to be the disappearance of the dBp context menu options, so if you're using that latest release, perhaps that's what's going on. I'd still try and re-install, but if that doesn't resolve the problem, I'd suggest watching that conversation for a solution.

[Vanblerk]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Once again I am indebted to you for this BrodyBoy.

Regarding the first point; I have spoken with the guys at Cyrus who support the app who tell me that the player software uses the raw index date from the NAS (i.e. doesn't build an internal database). I went to them first as I guessed that may be where this problem had crept in.

I'll try re-installing in the meantime, and keep an eye on that thread as you suggest. If it doesn't work I am a bit stuck, as I don't want to rip all my CDs and go back and edit if I can avoid it (I may not have that option yet). I hope the developers come up with a fix soon... I'm also using v15.1, so will try upgrading to the latest version (if I can see how to do it) to see if that helps.

Wish me luck!

Col

[BrodyBoy]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

Once again I am indebted to you for this BrodyBoy.

Regarding the first point; I have spoken with the guys at Cyrus who support the app who tell me that the player software uses the raw index date from the NAS (i.e. doesn't build an internal database). I went to them first as I guessed that may be where this problem had crept in.

I'll try re-installing in the meantime, and keep an eye on that thread as you suggest. If it doesn't work I am a bit stuck, as I don't want to rip all my CDs and go back and edit if I can avoid it (I may not have that option yet). I hope the developers come up with a fix soon... I'm also using v15.1, so will try upgrading to the latest version (if I can see how to do it) to see if that helps.

Wish me luck!

Col

I'm not so sure upgrading to 15.2 is the best idea just yet. I've been surprised at its installation issues as discussed around here lately, since dBp releases don't usually have these kinds of glitches. Personally, I'm holding off on that update....

I realize that the lack of ID Tag editing capabilities in Windows Explorer makes quick tag edits problematic. (You're kind of caught in a little can't-fix-this-if-I-can't-fix-that cycle.) But regardless of how your player accesses the metadata, real time or indexed, the ALBUM ARTIST-as-grouping-parameter still pertains.

As far as metadata editing goes, I'd recommend you consider using a dedicated tag editor anyway. As good as dBp is, it's first & foremost a ripping program, not a full-functioned tag editor. Some users are loathe to bring yet another program into the equation, but I think it's worth it. Metadata....or more specfically- accurate, consistent metadata....is key to the functionality of your digital music library. Getting it right, and right from the outset (not later as you discover problems) is worth a little more effort, and a good tag editor like mp3tag makes that effort quick & easy. You can quickly load an album and see all the tags, review for mistakes or inconsistencies, etc., and ensure that everything is the way you want it. One thing I especially appreciate about mp3tag is that the basic editing functions are pretty intuitive, making it suitable for even casual users, but if you want more powerful features, its capabilities are practically endless if you want to delve into more advanced parts of the learning curve. I use it with every CD I rip, and though I do have the dBp editing option in Windows Explorer, I virtually never use it.

So bottom line: I still think that those weird trackless artist-list albums are probably some kind of grouping issue. And grouping issues are most often ALBUM ARTIST tag snafus and/or grouping settings in the player. Have you had a chance to experiment with those for any of your problem albums? I'm curious to know what you found.

[garym]

Re: Can I edit metadata in files I have already ripped with bd poweramp?

BrodyBoy makes an excellent point. I've ripped 1000s of CDs to FLAC with dbpa and also use mp3tag very often for tag editing. It is just part of my standard ripping process.