FLAC metadata conventions

[PepsiCan]

Hi

I'm playing around with PerfectTunes R2 Beta 5. I found an issue in terms of the metadata for FLAC that PerfectTunes generates. Now, I realise that for FLAC/Vorbiscomments there is no actual standard. You can write and tag as one pleases. That said, there are other standards (WMA, iTunes, ID3V2) which do adhere to standards and there are certainly some attempts to create standards for VorbisComments / FLAC.

The problem occurs when I create Sort tags. Tags for sorting album artists and artist are written as "Album artist sort" and "artist sort", rather than as strings without spaces (ALBUMARTISTSORT and ARTISTSORT). Note that in the case of "album artist sort" this seemingly contradicts with the standard for DBPowerAmp where it uses ALBUMARTIST instead of ALBUM ARTIST.

Would you contemplate to adjust Perfect Tunes to not use spaces in its tagnames that it generates? Thank you.

[Spoon]

Re: FLAC metadata conventions

Which players use the tags without spaces?

[PepsiCan]

Re: FLAC metadata conventions

Which players use the tags without spaces?

Hi Spoon

Not so much a player as the one I use (Foobar2000) is configurable for FLAC. My request is more from the point of view of Metadata management so that file conversion from one format to the other would be a bit easier.

In this particular case I was working with MP3Tag and found that for FLAC it generates different tags for the same data than PerfectTunes. Some alignment would be good in cases where a user uses both PerfectTunes and a 3rd party editor.

At the same time I also concede that FLAC tags are free format.

Thank you for your time.

[garym]

Re: FLAC metadata conventions

Be careful in comparison as mp3tag has some built in mapping rules that automatically map one tag field to another (different names). These are configurable by the user within mp3tag. And foobar2000 is likewise almost infinitely configurable.

This said, I'm a major user of dbpa, mp3tag, perfectunes, and foobar2000 and haven't noticed any particular issues going from one program to another with my FLAC files using mostly default settings.

[PepsiCan]

Re: FLAC metadata conventions

Be careful in comparison as mp3tag has some built in mapping rules that automatically map one tag field to another (different names). These are configurable by the user within mp3tag. And foobar2000 is likewise almost infinitely configurable.

This said, I'm a major user of dbpa, mp3tag, perfectunes, and foobar2000 and haven't noticed any particular issues going from one program to another with my FLAC files using mostly default settings.

My conflict arose when I used the ALBUMARTISTSORT tag in MP3Tag and also edited some files in PerfectTunes R2 Beta 5. The latter writes the tags as "Album Artist Sort" while the first writes it as ALBUMARTISTSORT. As such, I ended with two tag versions in the file. Hence my reason for starting the discussion.

How do you handle this?

[garym]

Re: FLAC metadata conventions

My conflict arose when I used the ALBUMARTISTSORT tag in MP3Tag and also edited some files in PerfectTunes R2 Beta 5. The latter writes the tags as "Album Artist Sort" while the first writes it as ALBUMARTISTSORT. As such, I ended with two tag versions in the file. Hence my reason for starting the discussion.

How do you handle this?

I don't use sort tags, but for example, in mp3tag > options > Tags > mapping, I have ALBUM ARTIST mapped to ALBUMARTIST. I think you just need to set the mp3tag mapping to be equivalent to what you want it to be (so that all your programs "match"). I just looked at a file created with dbpa. When I look at EDIT ID TAG with the dbpa tag editor, it shows the tag as ALBUM ARTIST (with the space). But in mp3tag, in extended tags, it shows the tag name as ALBUMARTIST (no space). So in my case, mp3tag's name for the field is showing differently, but there is only one tag field holding the "album artist" info, not two different tag fields.

[PepsiCan]

Re: FLAC metadata conventions

I don't use sort tags, but for example, in mp3tag > options > Tags > mapping, I have ALBUM ARTIST mapped to ALBUMARTIST. I think you just need to set the mp3tag mapping to be equivalent to what you want it to be (so that all your programs "match"). I just looked at a file created with dbpa. When I look at EDIT ID TAG with the dbpa tag editor, it shows the tag as ALBUM ARTIST (with the space). But in mp3tag, in extended tags, it shows the tag name as ALBUMARTIST (no space). So in my case, mp3tag's name for the field is showing differently, but there is only one tag field holding the "album artist" info, not two different tag fields.

Hi Gary

I think that is probably because I don't have the mapping in MP3Tag. I'll look at that. At the same time I have to conclude that one of FLAC's strengths (metadata flexibility) is sometimes also its disadvantage. I'll live with that though. Much better than ID3V2.

Thank you for your pointers Gary.

[garym]

Re: FLAC metadata conventions

Hi Gary

I think that is probably because I don't have the mapping in MP3Tag. I'll look at that. At the same time I have to conclude that one of FLAC's strengths (metadata flexibility) is sometimes also its disadvantage. I'll live with that though. Much better than ID3V2.

Thank you for your pointers Gary.

you might find this useful.

http://help.mp3tag.de/main_mapping.html

Also, maybe just how I have something set, but foobar2000 will auto fill for display purposes (from other info in the tags) some info (like albumartist) on tracks where I don't have the tag filled with anything. I'm sure this is configurable within foobar2000 (and I'm using the FACETS component), but I haven't bothered looking. I use foobar2000 but at work and on laptop, but my "main" library organization and disply use is within Logitech Media Server for feeding my various SQUEEZEBOX players.