Backing up tags?

[chris.mason]

I have all my CDs (about 220) ripped to FLAC. These files are kept on a dedicated hard disk on my (multi purpose) PC. I spent a considerable amount of time ripping them, but it wasn't so much the ripping that took the time, than getting the tagging how I wanted it, and getting my tagging schema right.

I regard my original CDs as backups for the rips, but I'd like to know if anyone knows of a way to back up the tags themselves, and associate them to the original CDs somehow. I'm more concerned about having to retag all my music than I am about having to re-rip the CDs.

Thanks!
Chris.

[ceejay]

Chris

IMHO the simplest way to do this is to get an external USB drive (250GB should do you, and doesn't cost a lot) and periodically sync your music library to it. That covers you for the rips and the tagging. Leave it disconnected when not backing up for extra security.

Associating a set of tags with a freshly re-ripped CD sounds hard to me...

Ceejay

[Mark Lanctot]

Associating a set of tags with a freshly re-ripped CD sounds hard to me...

I think EAC does this. When I make changes to a field retrieved from the Internet freedb (mostly capitalization), if I eject and insert the CD, my changes are kept.

I'm not sure how persistent this is though - I've only noticed it in the same EAC session by ejecting and reloading. EAC will let you keep a local CDDB though. I'm not sure what happens when you modify a field - does it get written to the local CDDB? If it did, that would be exactly what Chris is looking for.

[chris.mason]

I think EAC does this. When I make changes to a field retrieved from the Internet freedb (mostly capitalization), if I eject and insert the CD, my changes are kept.

I'm not sure how persistent this is though - I've only noticed it in the same EAC session by ejecting and reloading. EAC will let you keep a local CDDB though. I'm not sure what happens when you modify a field - does it get written to the local CDDB? If it did, that would be exactly what Chris is looking for.

I think a number of ripping tools locally cache freedb/cddb changes you make, and some give provision for uploading those changes, matching against CD ID. Question is, as you say, how to keep that information?

I mean, if you could keep all this info, matched against some unique CD identifier, then when you re-ripped CDs, it would be easy to properly tag them again.

[Mark Lanctot]

Question is, as you say, how to keep that information?

*If* the changes were written to the local CDDB, then you'd just have to back up the local CDDB as you would your music files.

The EAC setting indicates a local CDDB is contained in a directory because the default setting is:

Local freedb path: C:\CDDB\

You can download the freedb here: http://www.freedb.org/modules.php?na...ticle&artid=12 although there are some problems doing this in Windows as the page outlines.

[funkstar]

Tag&Rename will let you export the tags in a variety of ways

[chris.mason]

Tag&Rename will let you export the tags in a variety of ways

Really? I'd take a look. I'm wondering if musicbrainz might be useful as well...

My problem of course is that I need to back up the tags on FLAC files, which don't have any direct relationship with the CDs they were ripped from. Also, if I did re-rip the CDs, I'd need to find a way of marrying the saved tag data and the CD.

[JJZolx]

I'm surprised that you'd think the tagging of the files is more time consuming than the ripping.

Using mp3tag and some 'Action Groups' it takes me about 10-20 seconds to fully tag most albums after they've been ripped by EAC. This adds ARTISTSORT, ALBUMSORT, and COMPILATION tags and in some cases renames the file to be more in line with my filenaming convention, which EAC can't always do.

The exception to the above is various artist albums, where it takes a bit more time gettin the ARTISTSORT tags correct. Also, I add DISC and DISCC tags to multi-disc albums, but that only takes a couple of additional seconds of work.

I'd recommend taking the approach of backing up the library as a whole, and not considering the CDs as backups except under extraordinary circumstances. This would take care of backing up both your tag data and the rips and should keep you from having to ever rerip the CD collection.

[Robin Bowes]

JJZolx wrote:
> I'm surprised that you'd think the tagging of the files is more time
> consuming than the ripping.

Actually writing the tags doesn't take long, but typing them all in
does, especially for classical albums.

>
> Using mp3tag and some 'Action Groups' it takes me about 10-20 seconds
> to fully tag most albums after they've been ripped by EAC. This adds
> ARTISTSORT, ALBUMSORT, and COMPILATION tags and in some cases renames
> the file to be more in line with my filenaming convention, which EAC
> can't always do.

That's only if the CD is in FreeDB and you're not all that fussy about
checking for typos, consistency, etc.

> The exception to the above is various artist albums, where it takes a
> bit more time gettin the ARTISTSORT tags correct. Also, I add DISC and
> DISCC tags to multi-disc albums, but that only takes a couple of
> additional seconds of work.
>
> I'd recommend taking the approach of backing up the library as a whole,
> and not considering the CDs as backups except under extraordinary
> circumstances. This would take care of backing up both your tag data
> and the rips and should keep you from having to ever rerip the CD
> collection.


I would agree with that.

R.

[pfarrell]

Robin Bowes wrote:
> JJZolx wrote:
>
>>I'm surprised that you'd think the tagging of the files is more time
>>consuming than the ripping.
>
> Actually writing the tags doesn't take long, but typing them all in
> does, especially for classical albums.

I agree. Not only for classical, which I find are not in freeDB at least
70% of the time, but also are flat out wrong about 20% of the time.

>>Using mp3tag and some 'Action Groups' it takes me about 10-20 seconds
>>to fully tag most albums after they've been ripped by EAC. This adds
>>ARTISTSORT, ALBUMSORT, and COMPILATION tags and in some cases renames
>>the file to be more in line with my filenaming convention, which EAC
>>can't always do.
>
>
> That's only if the CD is in FreeDB and you're not all that fussy about
> checking for typos, consistency, etc.

The FreeDB records are terrible for most of the types of music that I
listen to. Jazz, bluegrass, most symphonic and chamber music, etc.

It is OK for classic rock and current pop/alt/whatever.
I rarely care about any of those styles.

The more I care about the quality of tags, the less happy I am
with the data in FreeDB.


--
Pat
http://www.pfarrell.com/music/slimse...msoftware.html