Genre / Style

[Oggy]

Re: Genre / Style

Good points above! We have different needs, and libraries of different size and variety.

My friends often want my advice about software and tagging. Initially they are often dedicated, but most of them realize that it's more work than it's worth for them and settle for genre, maybe style, but rarely more. Then they usually ask if they can have my library instead... Or they just accept what they can import online. So workload is a factor naturally.

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FWIW, the Nirvana example could be this in my library:

Genre=Pop/Rock
Style=Rock; Grunge; Acoustic; Unplugged

So you can see that style is rather loose for me

From what I have seen of other people's collection, the vast majority seem to accept all of the default metadata, only changing the cover art, if it is a particular favourite. They usually have, all of the interesting, Genre and Style tags.

Nearly 150 genres, with many spelling and case variations, is not my Idea of an organised library, but the user doesn't seem concerned whatsoever: the music plays error free, which has surely got to be the primary goal.

I think what you have done with style, covers all bases, and would work brilliantly if the player / app offers Style, and be perfectly workable, even relying on simply, Genre.

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Genre / Style

From what I have seen of other people's collection, the vast majority seem to accept all of the default metadata, only changing the cover art, if it is a particular favourite. They usually have, all of the interesting, Genre and Style tags.

Nearly 150 genres, with many spelling and case variations, is not my Idea of an organised library, but the user doesn't seem concerned whatsoever: the music plays error free, which has surely got to be the primary goal.

Oggy,

Do these people you know (above) have/use 'Illustrate'?; or do they just use whatever freeware they can source, and without any regard?

Paul

[evasv]

Re: Genre / Style

I think what you have done with style, covers all bases, and would work brilliantly if the player / app offers Style, and be perfectly workable, even relying on simply, Genre.

Yes, I had both scenarios in mind when I started over with my tagging. In fact I often browse by genre only, even on my home rig.

But I admit that on a portable player lacking support for style, and the Pop/Rock genre being very wide, I sometimes wish for more.

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Genre / Style

There are so many variables in a personal library, the obvious ones being what genre / style people listen to, and the size of the collection. What works for 100 CDs, may not be so good for 10,000 CDs, and for some, optional tags are clearly essential; for others an irrelevance.

Modern dance music, whatever 'style', or 'genre' it is called this week, has long passed me by, but for others, a few BPM either way, is essential for knowing which 'style' it is. Perhaps they need some more Euro Trance, and just chill.

From what I've seen from most of my friends files, Artist / Album with track numbers, and song titles are the only things they care about. I respect that, and in some ways I am jealous, because they are relaxing listening to music.

Oggy,

If I ever manage to finish ripping my CD collection!, then - and I am not even sure if I would actually do this - consideration may be given towards adding the tags:

COMPOSER SORT (eg. Hancock, Herbie)

and

PRODUCER SORT (eg. Jones, Quincy)

I would think that COMPOSER SORT uses semicolons to separate personnel (eg. Davis, Miles; Parker, Charlie); but PRODUCER - I am pretty sure - does not?

Thanks,

Paul

[Oggy]

Re: Genre / Style

Oggy,

Do these people you know (above) have/use 'Illustrate'?; or do they just use whatever freeware they can source, and without any regard?

Paul

Most use dBpoweramp, a couple use EAC for ripping. None use Foobar or Asset. The most common network player amongst them seems to be Sonos, a couple use computers with DACs.

They all love their music: obviously more than tagging it! I absolutely respect their approach, and of course they always have the option to add tags, when hell freezes over!

[Oggy]

Re: Genre / Style

Oggy,

If I ever manage to finish ripping my CD collection!, then - and I am not even sure if I would actually do this - consideration may be given towards adding the tags:

COMPOSER SORT (eg. Hancock, Herbie)

and

PRODUCER SORT (eg. Jones, Quincy)

I would think that COMPOSER SORT uses semicolons to separate personnel (eg. Davis, Miles; Parker, Charlie); but PRODUCER - I am pretty sure - does not?

Thanks,

Paul

Hi Paul,

I would have thought that you would want to use Producer, exactly the same way as Composer.

I would think that your Pop CDs will be straightforward compared to Jazz, to tag. Classical as easy, or difficult as you choose to make it. Expect to enter a lot of data manually.

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Genre / Style

Most use dBpoweramp, a couple use EAC for ripping.

Oggy,

Gee, I totally forgot about 'EAC'. That was actually my first ever port of call (after the bad experience with 'WMP'). I d/l the trial of the former and uninstalled it days later. Just when you thought things could not get any worse than 'WMP'!

Paul

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Genre / Style

Hi Paul,

I would have thought that you would want to use Producer, exactly the same way as Composer.

I would think that your Pop CDs will be straightforward compared to Jazz, to tag. Classical as easy, or difficult as you choose to make it. Expect to enter a lot of data manually.

Oggy,

I am pretty sure that it was Jailhouse who said that you could not use the same tagging scheme (ie. semicolons) with PRODUCER as you can with COMPOSER and ARTIST. I mean, I think you can only have commas in the PRODUCER field?

Pop GENRE is something for 2018! Goodness knows when Classical will see the light of day ...

Paul

[Jailhouse]

Re: Genre / Style

I am pretty sure that it was Jailhouse who said that you could not use the same tagging scheme (ie. semicolons) with PRODUCER as you can with COMPOSER and ARTIST.

It wasn't me!

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Genre / Style

It wasn't me!

lol - must have been Mville, maybe!?

[Jailhouse]

Re: Genre / Style

Or Gary, or Oggy. With mville, the usual suspects.

[Oggy]

Re: Genre / Style

Why don't you give it a go?

[mville]

Re: Genre / Style

lol - must have been Mville, maybe!?

What I will have said is that semi-colons behave differently when used in dBpoweramp if the tag is a multi-value tag e.g. Composer or Artist and if the tag is a not a multi-value tag e.g. Conductor (or if the tag is a custom tag e.g. Producer).

I won't be held responsible if users misunderstand what I am on about.

[Oggy]

Re: Genre / Style

Yes, I had both scenarios in mind when I started over with my tagging. In fact I often browse by genre only, even on my home rig.

But I admit that on a portable player lacking support for style, and the Pop/Rock genre being very wide, I sometimes wish for more.

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping the new generation of streamers had more flexible software, allowing one outcome for all players.

Reading threads often gives you a different perspective, and at times better solutions, at the moment this is occasionally restricted by software, and confused further for those using multiple players. Luckily, with small compromises, suitable workarounds can be found.

Probably my main use of Genre, is as a quick sort method, and if the genre balance of my collection ever changes noticeably, I may add a few more genres: if I think it would aid searching, or give me a genre playlist I'm likely to use.

[evasv]

Re: Genre / Style

For now, one has to live with compromises using multiple players, but I listen primarily at home where I have my full library and my setup covers most of my needs. Portable playing is roughly 20% of my library and 20% of my time, so the compromises are not that hard to live with to be honest.