Different Audio Formats In MC

Using Both Flac and MP3 (ID3v2.3) Files With MC

Introduction

MC is automatically reading and, if you set that option for the MC field in question (Tools>Options>Library & Folders>Manage Library Fields>Store in file tags (when possible)), writing file tags to/from certain stock fields in MC. Since flac and mp3 files have different types of tags there are some information and tricks that can be useful when having both file types in your MC library.

Currently this page only deals with the audio formats flac Vorbis comments and mp3 ID3v2.3 tags. The case where a flac file, contrary to the specifications for such files, has ID3v2.3 tags is not dealt with. Please feel free to correct and supplement the information.

MC Field Album Artist

MC behaviour:

File tag	Reading	Writing (if that option is set)
MP3 ID3v2.3 tags	TPE2, TXXX Album Artist and COMM Media Jukebox: Album Artist in that order of preference	Both TPE2 and TXXX Album Artist
Flac Vorbis comments	Album Artist	Album Artist

Note that you cannot use MC to compare the information in the two mp3 ID3v2.3 tags TPE2 and TXXX Album Artist at once in multiple files. If you want to ensure that those two tags have the exact same information in each file (after you have used an external tag editor, for instance), you can in MC select all audio files in your library and select Tools>Library Tools>Update Tags (from library). The option Tools>Options>Library & Folders>Manage Library Fields>Store in file tags (when possible) must be checked for the library field Album Artist. Note that this operation can overwrite existing information in also other file tags.

dBpoweramp used to write as default an Album Artist Vorbis comment in flac files when ripping, but that behaviour changed so the current version of dBpoweramp as default writes an Albumartist (just one word instead of two) Vorbis comment in flac files when ripping. MC is not automatically reading the Albumartist Vorbis comment, but you can in MC create a custom field named exactly Albumartist to import that tag. After you have done that you can in MC select all your audio files and select Tools>Library Tools>Update Library (from tags) to actually import the tag information. Now you have two different MC fields containing the same type of information. If you want just one field/column instead of two you can use this expression for a column or a custom field named Albumartists, for instance, to merge the two fields:

ListCombine([Album Artist],[Albumartist])&datatype=[list]

Note that you still have to edit the Album Artist or Albumartist MC field depending on the file type if you want the information written back to the file.

Squeezbox Server supports in mp3 ID3v2.3 TPE2, TXXX Album Artist and TXXX Albumartist and in flac Album Artist and Albumartist Vorbis comments (see http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SlimServerSupportedTags for more information). It is unclear which tag takes precedence if they are different.

MC Field Publisher

MC behaviour:

File tag	Reading	Writing (if that option is set)
MP3 ID3v2.3 tags	TPUB	TPUB
Flac Vorbis comments	Publisher	Publisher

It is common to use in flac files an Organization Vorbis comment for the publisher/label information. dBpoweramp for instance as default writes an Organization Vorbis comment in flac files when ripping. MC is not automatically reading the Organization Vorbis comment, but you can in MC create a custom field named exactly Organization to import that tag. After you have done that you can in MC select all your audio files and select Tools>Library Tools>Update Library (from tags) to actually import the tag information. Now you have two different MC fields containing the same type of information. If you want just one field/column instead of two you can use this expression for a column or a custom field named Label, for instance, to merge the two fields:

ListCombine([Publisher],[Organization])&datatype=[list]

Note that you still have to edit the Publisher or Organization MC field depending on the file type if you want the information written back to the file.

Squeezbox Server has no native support for the ID3v2.3 TPUB tag or the Organization Vorbis comment, but you can use the CustomScan and CustomBrowse plugins to display those tags (see http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/Custom_Scan_plugin and http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/Custom_Browse).

MC Field Disc #

MC behaviour:

File tag	Reading	Writing (if that option is set)
MP3 ID3v2.3 tags	TPOS (if in the format 1/2, / and the number(s) thereafter are skipped)	TPOS (if the file tag has information in the format 1/2, the part from and including the / will be lost)
Flac Vorbis comments	Disc #	Disc #

It is not uncommon to use in flac files a Discnumber Vorbis comment for the disc number information. dBpoweramp for instance as default writes a Discnumber Vorbis comment in flac files when ripping. MC is not automatically reading the Discnumber Vorbis comment, but you can in MC create a custom field named exactly Discnumber to import that tag. After you have done that you can in MC select all your audio files and select Tools>Library Tools>Update Library (from tags) to actually import the tag information. Now you have two different MC fields containing the same type of information. If you want just one field/column instead of two you can use this expression for a column or a custom field named Disc, for instance, to merge the two fields:

If(IsEmpty([Disc #]), [Discnumber], [Disc #]

Note that you still have to edit the Disc # or Discnumber MC field depending on the file type if you want the information written back to the file.

If in list views grouped by album you would like to have the files of an album sorted in disc number and track number order, you can select Sort Inside Groups By>Custom and add first Disc (a-z) and then Track# (a-z). You can save this sort order as a preset.

Squeezbox Server supports in mp3 ID3v2.3 TPOS and in flac Discnumber, Disc # and Disc Vorbis comments (see http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SlimServerSupportedTags for more information).

MC Custom Fields

If there are mp3 ID3v2.3 tags or flac Vorbis comments in your files that are not supported by stock MC library fields, you can create custom MC fields to import the information. Create in MC a custom library field named exactly as the tag/Vorbis comment in your file, excluding the ID3v.23. "TXXX " and "COMM " parts if any. After you have done that you can in MC select all your audio files and select Tools>Library Tools>Update Library (from tags) to actually import the tag information.

Should the same type of information be contained in file tags with different names in flas and mp3 files, you will have to create in MC two custom library fileds. If you want just one field/column instead of two you can use this expression for a column or a custom field named after your liking to merge the two fields:

ListCombine([Custom Filed 1],[Custom Field 2])&datatype=[list]

In two situations it is currently not possible to import information from file tags into MC:

• If the file tag is using the exact same name, excluding the ID3v.23. "TXXX " and "COMM " parts if any, as a stock MC library field (but is not supported by the stock field)
• If the file tag is a declared ID3v2.3 tag, i.e. has only a four letter name, TORY, for instance, which is not supported by any MC stock field

In these situations you can as a workaround use an external tag editor to change the name of your file tag to something that can be imported into a custom MC field.

Multiple Vorbis Comments

If there are multiple values for a file tag, several artists, for example, the recommended Vorbis comment standard is to have multiple Vorbis comments with the same name. Such multiple Vorbis comments in flac files are currently not supported by MC. MC will read only the first Vorbis comment if there are several with the same name. MC will, if that option is set, write information to only that first Vorbis comment, but MC seems to leave the other Vorbis comments with the same name untouched.

A workaround is to use an external tag editor to combine the multiple Vorbis comments in your files into just one Vorbis comment. If you do that, it is recommended that you use in the combined Vorbis comment a delimiter character to separated the different values. MC supports ; as delimiter character.