How to override ID3v1/ID3v2.3 tags?

[SamS]

I have a handful of albums I have purchased online in mp3 format. The majority of my library is FLAC, which I edit tags via Mp3tag.

A few of these mp3's came pre-tagged with ID3v1 ID3v2.3, and I cannot seem to override the artist tag information with Mp3tag. I mean, it *shows* my overriden information within the Mp3tag interface, but SqueezeCenter somehow looks at the ID3v1 artist information instead.

How can I fix this?

[BastiaanR]

If you do not want the ID3v1 tags, cannot you not save the mp3's again from MP3TAG leaving these out? Did you also have a look at the extended tags, to see if those were the problem?

[SamS]

How do I remove the ID3v1 tag info? I see the option to "Remove Tag", but I don't want to delete all the track info (tag) that's already in there.

Where is the extended tag info?

Thanks.

[JJZolx]

How do I remove the ID3v1 tag info? I see the option to "Remove Tag", but I don't want to delete all the track info (tag) that's already in there.

You check the ID3v1 box under Options > Tags > Mpeg > Remove. You should also check APE, as APE tags have precedence in SqueezeCenter over ID3, and make sure ID3v2 is not checked. Make sure the 'Write' box on the same page has only IDEv2 checked.

I recommend creating a column on the right-hand side of Mp3tag showing you all of the tag types that a track contains. You do that by right-clicking the column header, then selecting 'Customize columns...'. In the dialog box, hit the 'New' button, then give it a Name such as 'Tags' and enter '%_tag%' (without the quotes) in the Value box. You can leave the other two boxes blank. You might then want to move this column up to the top of the list.

Where is the extended tag info?

First select one or more songs and then click the 'pencil & paper' icon, or use ALT+T, or use View > Extended Tags.

You should also test first when making Mp3tag settings changes and are somwewhat unfamiliar with the program. Copy a few albums worth of music to a temporary folder and use Mp3tag to experiment on those files before making wholesale changes on many files within your library.

[SamS]

Thanks for all your help.

I did a little trial and error based on your recommendations above. Now, my problem is SC shows two listings for the albums in questions, both with the proper artist information, and the "wrong" artist information.

What should I have checked in the "Read" box in Options > Tags >?

[aubuti]

Did you do a full "clear and rescan" in SC?

[SamS]

Good tip. I did a full Clear and Rescan, but I still have SC showing both new (what I did) and the ID3 information the tracks came with.

[Siduhe]

Are you using iTunes, MusicIP or any kind of replay gain tag? Do these files appear in any playlists anywhere? Both of these could account for the duplicate entries.

Also, you could try deleting the contents of the cache folder (having stopped Squeezecenter) and then restart Squeezecenter. This will force SC to build a completely new database and will fix any corruption which hasn't been sorted by a clear and rescan.

[JJZolx]

I forgot to mention one very important step, but if you added the column to view tags, then you'll have figured that out by now. Mp3tag doesn't automatically remove the tags that you specify when you save. You have to explicitly use 'Remove tag' (the 'big red X' button, or File > Remove tag, or Ctrl+R).

[SamS]

Are you using iTunes, MusicIP or any kind of replay gain tag? Do these files appear in any playlists anywhere? Both of these could account for the duplicate entries.

Also, you could try deleting the contents of the cache folder (having stopped Squeezecenter) and then restart Squeezecenter. This will force SC to build a completely new database and will fix any corruption which hasn't been sorted by a clear and rescan.

Please remind me again where the SC cache folder is. I know it is normally hidden, and I recall "unhiding" folders to find it in the past.

I forgot to mention one very important step, but if you added the column to view tags, then you'll have figured that out by now. Mp3tag doesn't automatically remove the tags that you specify when you save. You have to explicitly use 'Remove tag' (the 'big red X' button, or File > Remove tag, or Ctrl+R).

I created the new Tags column per your recommendation, but *no* files have anything show up in that column. I have all boxes checked.

[JJZolx]

Please remind me again where the SC cache folder is. I know it is normally hidden, and I recall "unhiding" folders to find it in the past.

I created the new Tags column per your recommendation, but *no* files have anything show up in that column.

Unless these files have no tags, you should see something there.

I have all boxes checked.

Under 'Read' or 'Remove'? If you have them all checked under remove, then you'll remove all tags. Checking them all under Read is fine.

[SamS]

Are you using iTunes, MusicIP or any kind of replay gain tag? Do these files appear in any playlists anywhere? Both of these could account for the duplicate entries.

Not using iTunes, replaygain, etc. No playlists. The "double" entries are strictly related to three MP3 albums that originated with ID3 tags, and I needed to change artist tag information.

Unless these files have no tags, you should see something there.

Nope, nothing there. Other fields have the tag info.

Under 'Read' or 'Remove'? If you have them all checked under remove, then you'll remove all tags. Checking them all under Read is fine.

Sorry, I was referring to the boxes that pop up in the "Visibility of Columns" window when you right click to create a new column.

I'm very frustrated! Deleted SC cache, rescanning now...

[SamS]

Even after deleting SC's cache and rescan, SC is still showing dual listings for the aforementioned tagged albums.

[david_f1976]

Hopefully this is relevant.

The best way I find to make sure that my flac files only have vorbis comments and not ID3 tags is to set up the write tag options as previously described. Select the relevant files and remove tags (big red X), then click on undo (Ctrl+Z). This should write only the vorbis comments back to the files.

[SamS]

Ah, I totally fixed the problem!

In MP3tag, if you highlight a track and right click to select Extend Tags, you get fields to edit including Band Name and Artist Name. Mine were different. SC was reading both. Normally nothing is in the Artist name column. I changed both values to be the same, and deleted my SC cache so a rescan was performed.

Duplicates now gone, and since both Artist and Band information are the same, it show up in SC in the right place.

Thanks for all the help!!!