ID3 v1 or v2?

[Wolfman200]

Does anyone know what type of tags are used when Musicmatch transfers the music to my ipod? I found a free tagging program that I want to try. It seems to be very useful and powerful. (The Godfather (http://users.otenet.gr/~jtcliper/tgf/) )

[c.c.r.]

It actually doesn't matter if you're using MusicMatch Jukebox.

MMJB keeps its own database (the "library") of your music. The information that MMJB puts on your iPod comes from this database, not the tags inside the files themselves.

So, as long as your mmjb library is up to date, your iPod will be up to date as well.

If you want to retag anyhow, I suggest V2. V1 is old and outdated, use V2.

[seaman]

To me, that's a problem with MMJB and Windows MP...inconsistent reading/writing of tags. MMJB kept arbitrarily truncating tages, and WMP hates genre's for some reason.

I've had much better luck with Media Center.

[stasyna]

V2.

for this simple reason: Longer file names are supported.

i hate having a long filename cut off because V1 has limits.

[Rob]

Use v2, everything remotely recent supports it and you have a better choice of genres as well as the ability for longer entries in fields. (This is important for comments, for example; ID3 v1.1 comments are limited to 28 characters.)

[Gingi]

if you want - I can recommand you on TAG & RENAME program - it's the best program - belive me i;ve tried a lot !

[Sam Williams]

I'll second that Tag&Rename recommendation, Gingi... The competition is nowhere close to it.

Relevant here is the fact that T&R contains a "tag synchronisation wizard" which allows you to have the program take all your songs and overwrite the ID3v1 tags with the ID3v2 tag data. So you can input the v2 stuff, then overwrite every ID3v1 tag in your entire library with T&R, in about three clicks. It really is "insanely great"... ;)

[c.c.r.]

I have to politely agree with both of you... T&R made my head ache. I'm positive that it has functionality, it's just got such a terrible interface that I couldn't figure how to use it to get the work done.

I'm an ID3-Tagit guy, m'self.

Ain't it grand havin' a variety? :D :D

[iamaustin]

I use ID3 v1 myself, partly because i made a program myself that will rename and tag mp3's by the masses, and organize my library neatly by them. I am having a hard time reading and writing to ID3 v2 songs, but I haven't tried in a long time. Maybe i will try again this weekend. Btw, I hate tag & rename, the interface is horrible. (The one i made is real simple, like 5 buttons total heh).

-Austin

[Sam Williams]

Wow... I thought the interface was the real strength of T&R! Especially v3.0 - very slick. Ah well, takes all sorts, doesn't it? :-)

[Sam Williams]

PS. Austin, I just read your sig specs and had to spend five minutes or so finding my jaw and reattaching it... :-D

[iamaustin]

Ha ha, thanks :)

BTW, im not sure which version of t&r i used, maybe ill have to try it again (version 3).

-Austin

[c.c.r.]

So Austin,

You want to give us a link to your "homebrewed" ID3 tagger? I'm all about a simple interface, sir! :)

[iamaustin]

c.c.r i have been running the program at build time, meaning i have not actually compiled it, but i will make it tidy and compile it and message you when im done.

-Austin

[iamaustin]

c.c.r you can get it here, its like real basic for now. If you have any suggestions that i can use to improve it let me know. (BTW this special version was compiled just for ipodlounge if you check in the program's version property tab).

http://www.austina.net/MP3Rename.zip