OT: testing ID3v2 tags

[Robert P. Goldman]

I'm trying to put in multiple performer (soloist) tags using id3v2. I
have tried with

id3v2 --TPE1 "foo\0bar\0baz" bletch.mp3

Now I see the following when I id3v2 --list:

TPE1 (Lead performer(s)/Soloist(s)): Lorraine Hunt\0Drew Minter\0Jill Feldman\0William Parker\0Jeffrey Thomas\0David Thomas

but I don't have any way of checking this to see if it's what the
standard wants or what any other client will grok. Any suggestions?

R

[michael]

"Robert P. Goldman" <rpgoldman (AT) sift (DOT) info> writes:
> I'm trying to put in multiple performer (soloist) tags using id3v2. I
> have tried with
>
> id3v2 --TPE1 "foo\0bar\0baz" bletch.mp3
>
> Now I see the following when I id3v2 --list:
>
> TPE1 (Lead performer(s)/Soloist(s)): Lorraine Hunt\0Drew Minter\0Jill Feldman\0William Parker\0Jeffrey Thomas\0David Thomas
>
> but I don't have any way of checking this to see if it's what the
> standard wants or what any other client will grok. Any suggestions?

As far as what the standard wants, it all comes down to which version
of the standard you're aiming for. Assuming that the \0 above is
representing an actual null, the string looks to be correct for
id3v2.4.0. If you're using id3v2.3.0, It'll ignore everything after
the first null (and a '/' is suggested for separating multiple values
in that case).

As far as what other clients will grok, the story isn't so good. I'm
not aware of any client that supports the entirety of the id3v2 spec
(for either 2.3.0 or 2.4.0), and which subset of it is supported tends
to be very hit and miss. In particular, the 2.4.0 spec is pretty
thinly supported by clients right now.

I hope that helps.

-michael
--
"People don't know that vi was written for a world that doesn't exist anymore"
-Bill Joy author of vi