FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

[mhakman]

I will need to convert a large number of FLAC files into ALAC transferring all the tags including cover art images. For some (older) FLAC files, images are stored separately using file name derived from artist and album. Other (new) FLAC files store cover art within the file itself. Is this currently supported? Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

Not currently.

[mhakman]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

Ok, which part isn’t supported, getting image from FLAC/separate file or putting it into ALAC? Is this functionality planned (what time frame)? Thanks.

[LtData]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

The ALAC and mp4/m4a doesn't support cover art currently. I believe adding this functionality is planned, but it is probably a little ways off. This is because the entire tag read/write system will have to be rewritten for this codec.

[mhakman]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

This sounds that in 6 months perspective I need to search for another solution. Let’s say that I use dbPowerAmp converter to convert from FLAC to ALAC without cover art. Is there any software controllable by a script or ActiveX (or by anything programmable) capable to write cover art image into ALAC file in a correct way (i.e. accessible by iTunes)?

I have a large collection of music in FLAC and I would like to access it using Apple TV device in my living room. I like its UI very much for living room usage, especially animated pile of albums represented by cover art images. This device supports only formats supported by iTunes. Cover art images are important but only lossless formats are acceptable to me. So ALAC seems to be the only possible choice.

Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

Try converting to Windows Media Lossless, then import into itunes and it will convert to alac.

[mhakman]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

Try converting to Windows Media Lossless, then import into itunes and it will convert to alac.

Many thanks for this nice idea! Only that it doesn’t work using dbPowerAmp 12.1 with FLAC r6 (1.1.3) and WMA 10 r1 (Pro 10) codecs on FLAC file with embedded image. The resulting WMA file doesn’t contain the image. I couldn’t test FLAC with image on a separate file because I don’t know how to tell dbPowerAmp name of the file.

However converting the same file in J. River Media Center (with everything at the latest level) yielded WMA file with cover art image. Then iTunes imported that file, converted to ALAC, played the music and displayed the image.

Nevertheless it would be nice to have that functionality in dbPowerAmp because I’m using it for other purposes anyway.

Thanks again.

[LtData]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

Use the FLAC codec from this beta forum to read/use your album art.

[mhakman]

Re: FLAC to ALAC with cover art?

Ok, it works using beta FLAC codec. Another way of doing it would be to use current (beta) ALAC codec to convert directly to m4a without cover art image and use DSP effect to a) extract image from FLAC to a temp file and; b) execute a script that would use iTunes automation to add m4a file to iTunes, then add the image to it, and then remove file from iTunes (if required). I partly tested this from simple VB application (adding file to iTunes and then adding image) – it works. If it works from VB then it will also work from VB or JS or whatever script. Of course, having everything integrated into codec would be the best. Thanks again.