DMC Tag Writing: FLAC ID3 not same as MP3

[JoeRip]

I am using DMC's "Edit Tag" to add ID3 tags to my FLAC files. And I'm using DMC's Music Conversion to add ID3 tags to my MP3 files during conversion from other formats.

However, these tags are not considered equal. WMP can see the ID3 tags on the MP3 without issue. However, it does not see the ID3 tags on the FLAC files.

My DMC configuration is listed below.

Note that when I use the PopOver to examine the FLAC files, they show:

ID Tag: ID3v2.3

But when I mouse over the the MP3 files, they show:

ID Tag: ID3v2.3 & ID3v1.1

It's possible that WMP can only see the ID3v1.1 tags. However, the question remains - why isn't Edit Tag putting both ID3v2.3 and ID3v1.1 tags on the FLAC files? Why aren't these options configurable in the DMC Configuration, the way they are for MP3?

Thanks, Joe

===ID Tag Options===
Flac
Tag Creation: ID3v2
Write ID3v2 Version: v2.3

Mp3
Tag Creation: ID3v2
Write ID3v1 Version: v1.1
ID3v1 UTF8 Read: Yes
ID3v1 UTF8 Write: No
Write ID3v2 Unicode: No
Write ID3v2 Version: v2.3

Windows Media Audio
Write Track Number as: WM/TrackNumber

Other Info
=======

Version Information
dBpowerAMP Music Converter: Release 11.5
Power Pack & Mp3 License: [ Registered: Yes ]
dBpowerAMP Audio Player: Not Installed 'music Player like no other'
dBpowerAMP CD Writer: Not Installed 'easy way to burn audio cds'
Sveta Portable Audio: Release 5 [ Registered: Yes ]

Smart Install Codecs
Ogg Vorbis: .ogg
Musepack: .mpc
Monkeys Audio: .ape
OptimFROG: .ofr
Shorten: .shn
WavPack: .wv
Advanced Audio Compression: .aac

===Shell Integration===
Convert To (right click): On
Edit Tag (right click): On
Popup information Tips: On
Explorer ID Tag Property Page: Off
Explorer Columns: Off

===Codecs===
Installed Compression Codecs (Write)
[Multi-Encoder]: Release 1
FLAC: Release 5.3 (using FLAC 1.1.2) [ .flac ]
m4a (FAAC CLI): Release 3.5 (Faac v1.24.1, AppleLossless 0.1.5) [ .m4a ]
Mp3 (Lame): Lame Version 3.96.1 [ .mp3 ]
Test Conversion (No Write)
Wave: [ .wav ]
Windows Media Audio V9.1: Release 1 [ .wma ]

Installed Input Codecs (Read)
Auxiliary Input Decoder: .aux
CD Input Decoder: .cda
DirectShow Decoder: Release 1 .ac3
Flac Input Decoder: .flac
Mp3 Input Decoder: .mp3; .mp2; .mpga; .mpa; .mpx; .mpg; .mp1
mp4 Decoder: .mp4; .m4a; .m4b
Wave Input Decoder: .wav
Windows Media Audio Input Decoder: .wma; .asf; .wmv

===Options===
dBpowerAMP Reference Options
Pro. Frequency Conversion: On (slower but high quality)

Flac Input Decoder
Associate with .FLA Files: No

Mp3 Input Decoder
CRC Errors: Ignore
Decode To: 16 bit (dithered)

Wave Compression Codec
More than 16 bit or 2 Channels: Write WaveFormatEx Header

[Deano]

Re: DMC Tag Writing: FLAC ID3 not same as MP3

The FLAC codec available for dbPowerAMP doesn't write anything other than ID3 v2 tags as far as I know, there is no option for ID3v1 and Id3v2. FLAC also natively works better with Vorbis comments than it does with ID3v2 to start with.

As for Windows Media Player, I didn't even think it should be able to read FLAC files correctly. I would imagine this is why it's not picking up the tags.

[JoeRip]

Re: DMC Tag Writing: FLAC ID3 not same as MP3

The FLAC codec available for dbPowerAMP doesn't write anything other than ID3 v2 tags as far as I know, there is no option for ID3v1 and Id3v2.

Well, yes, I believe that is what I just complained about. The code for writing out the other versions is sitting around in the other codecs, clearly. Why not add it to the FLAC codec?

FLAC also natively works better with Vorbis comments than it does with ID3v2 to start with.

But I'm not using it natively. I using it in WMP 10.

As for Windows Media Player, I didn't even think it should be able to read FLAC files correctly. I would imagine this is why it's not picking up the tags.

WMP 10 reads FLAC files just fine, once you install a DirectShow Filter for FLAC (well, except for the poor quality of DS Flac filters out there). And once you install the WMP Tag Extender from Sourceforge, WMP 10 shows and edits the tags for FLAC, OGG, APE, etc. In fact, it shows the Vorbis Tags for FLAC very correctly, but it won't let you edit them (the only read-only tag). Which is why I want to use ID3 tags.

Which is my whole point. There's support for writing ID3v2 tags on FLAC files. I'd like to see the codec updated to have the same ID3 tag support as the MP3 codec.

You know, one code base. Read once, write many. This fits into Spoon's stated plan to coalesce all of the tag writing code.

[Spoon]

Re: DMC Tag Writing: FLAC ID3 not same as MP3

Just to clarify FLAC files can have:

Native Ogg Vorbis style tags,
ID3v2 (which older software, rockbox? needs)

By default dbpoweramp uses ogg tags, unless you tell it id3v2.

WMP will not read any tags from FLAC files, AFAIK.

[JoeRip]

Re: DMC Tag Writing: FLAC ID3 not same as MP3

Just to clarify FLAC files can have:

Native Ogg Vorbis style tags,
ID3v2 (which older software, rockbox? needs)

By default dbpoweramp uses ogg tags, unless you tell it id3v2.

What does "can have" mean? Are you saying that this is all that you have included so far, or are you saying that there is a limiting factor, something in the nature of the FLAC file format, that prevents you from writing other ID3 tag formats as well?

WMP will not read any tags from FLAC files, AFAIK.

No, really, just like I said before, WMP 10 reads FLAC tags just fine, once you install the WMP Tag Support Extender from Sourceforge (http://wmptagext.sourceforge.net/). It really really does. And it reads the Ogg Vorbis tags that you write just perfectly. But it won't let you edit them (by design).

However, for some reason, it doesn't read the ID3 tags you write. Which leads me to believe that WMP doesn't read ID3v2. Which is why I am asking you to put support for the other ID3 tag formats into the FLAC codec.

Which probably means I should move this the Wishlist...

[Spoon]

Re: DMC Tag Writing: FLAC ID3 not same as MP3

>What does "can have" mean?

By can have, I mean are valid for the format - you cannot go adding any type of tags to certain audio formats.

>support for the other ID3 tag formats into the FLAC codec.

What other formats? id3v1? that is not valid for FLAC. Why not use the Ogg Tags if they are supported by wmp?

[MaB_fr]

Re: DMC Tag Writing: FLAC ID3 not same as MP3

Hi,

I am the developper of WMP Tag Support Extender, and think i could help clear up some things

WMPTSE only add support for OGG Vorbis tagging of FLAC files.

It won't add support for ID3v2 tagging of FLAC files in WMP as long as anybody code a ID3v2 WMPTSE API dll support. That's because the ID3v2 support of WMP is not exposed and available for third party developers...

I hope it helps.

The best way to add complete support for FLAC in WMP would be to code writing capabilities for the OGG Vorbis tag support dll delivered with WMPTSE (which i won't do for 'political' reasons ).

Best regards

MaB_fr