iPod "album" and "artist" sorts; files coming from Windows ME

[Jomur]

Using MusicMatch, and a PC with Windows ME, I am copying files from CD to PC and then from PC to iPod.

Files are all fully "tagged" with file name, artist name and album name.

But they don't show up on the iPod directory the way I want them. For example, I just copied over an entire CD of Smashing Pumpkins, and when I browse by artist or album name, the band and album names don't show up in the album and artist menus.

The files are there -- I can find them when I browse by "song" but I'd like to be able to find them by "Smashing Pumpkins" or by the CD name, too.

Related issue: when a song is playing, the song info appears on one line, like:
Title - Artist (which is how I have files named)

instead of separated onto three lines, like:
Title
Artist
Album

Can anyone help with that one?

[urbanlegend]

How do you mean your files are tagged? Do you mean the file names look right? A tag is metadata that is part of the mp3 file.

Try downloading id3-tagit from www.id3-tagit.de. It's a free program that will show you what your tags are now and help you edit them. It's a program I've used successfully to retag >3000 mp3's and they all show correctly in the iPod.

Give it a try...

John

[ashawley]

The problem is MMJB. It not only is a bad tool to tag with, but worse yet, it's the worst iPod uploading program out there. It just doesn't work.

What I suggest is that you switch to another syncing program. Such as Media Center 10 or Ephpod.

Adam

[Jomur]

Thanks to urbanlegend and Adam for the suggestions. I'll check out the tagging download.

(I figured out one workaround, which is to create album-by-album "playlists" in MMJB, which iPod does recognize, and transfer them over so they appear in My Playlists on the iPod.)

One other question about your ephpod suggestion: I think I read on this board that if I start using ephpod, it will (or I'll have to) erase all the songs already on my iPod, though. Is that right?

Anyway, thanks again.

[urbanlegend]

I am also using ME and I am completely happy with Ephpod. I think I have version 2.58, which is for ME.

I do not know the answer to whether you have to erase all songs and reload - I wanted to make changes to most of my tags, so to do that I decided to erase and re-load to make sure I didn't create duplicates or anything. Not sure if it was necessary, but with firewire it takes about a second per song to reload so it wasn't that arduous.

[Jomur]

Thanks again, urbanlegend.

EphPod seems to be doing the trick. It's so much easier!! Thanks for your help.

[urbanlegend]

This forum was so great in getting me started I'm only too happy to return the favour. Enjoy your iPod.

John