Metadata not being copied when converting M4A to MP3

[David Harris]

Hey, have been using dBpoweramp Music Converter (now v16) for many years now and I'm now converting a major folder tree (over 800k files) from M4A to MP3.

In testing, for some reason its not keeping the file metadata which I really need for 'legal hold' purposes, specifically dates.

Because the files have been copied from iPhone, the original SYSTEM FILEMODIFYDATE/ACCESS/CREATE metadata (2017:02:15 15:58:37+08:00 for example) is overwritten with the date/time the file is copied to the server. When I look with EXIFtool I can see the QUICKTIME CREATE/MODIFYDATE attributes (2017:02:15 08:54:03) are both correct.

I was originally copying the date/time using IDTAGPROCESSING to the COMMENTS field - which was OK but not great, but it recently stopped working with a recent iOS update. The PRESERVESOURCEATTRIBUTES also does not work for the above reasons.

Anyone have any ideas how I can keep all the original file metadata.?

[Spoon]

Re: Metadata not being copied when converting M4A to MP3

>SYSTEM FILEMODIFYDATE/ACCESS/CREATE metadata

These I think are not metadata but actual file and date times, try using the DSP effect Preserve Source Attributes.

[David Harris]

Re: Metadata not being copied when converting M4A to MP3

>SYSTEM FILEMODIFYDATE/ACCESS/CREATE metadata

These I think are not metadata but actual file and date times, try using the DSP effect Preserve Source Attributes.

Spoon, thanks for the prompt reply. Tried that already, see my post - because I copy the files to the server it uses this date/time rather than original file date/time. Pre conversion I can see the correct date/time in the M4A using EXIFtools but it's Apple Quicktime metadata and dBpoweramp can't see it.


170215 M4A metadata.pdf

The PRESERVESOURCEATTRIBUTES which I've used only takes the SYSTEM FILEMODIFYDATE/ACCESS/CREATE (server copy date/time near top of the pic) metadata rather than the original Quicktime metadata (near bottom of pic).