iTunes tag, album art issues (I hate iTunes)

[Draconian Guppy]

So... Once Untethered sn0wbreeze for iphone 4 was released ( I need unlocked baseband to unlock via ultrasn0w, not using att)... I updated my iphone. Updated itunes in the process..

The problem now is... iTunes won't frigging sync my EMBEDDED artwork and not even manually selecting the artwork!!! ( please read embedded!) I Don't sync my music collection, I manually add them... This worked fine, artwork displayed both on iPhone and iTunes on iOS 4.3.3 and itunes 10.X ( can't remember exact version, but it was the version released with 4.3.1-3). Now, when ever I add a song and try to add artwork it just adds it whenever it feels like it...

The BIG problem is:

Media monkey

Foo Dop

amarok

are ALL INCOMPATIBLE at the time being, with iOS 5 :(...

Sorry about the rant... I just have googled everything and anything and came up hands empty... so, please, help :( ?

[John S. Veteran]

moved here

[deactivated_]

so, you hacked your phone and now iTunes doesn't work right? And you blame iTunes?

[Draconian Guppy]

It worked before AND who would've thought i tried restoring to original unjailbroken state and guess what... same ****, so unless you're going to be helpful, please refrain from any unhelpful comments tr0ll...

[qdave]

so, you hacked your phone and now iTunes doesn't work right? And you blame iTunes?

I wouldnt call jaillbreaking hacking. And besides he can do with it as he pleases, and things should break.

[deactivated_]

Well, your original post is quite trollish in itself, so pot this is kettle...

However, if you say you have restored to unjailbroken state and it still won't sync your embedded cover art, I believe you have your answer. Problem is not with your phone or iTunes.

I wouldnt call jaillbreaking hacking. And besides he can do with it as he pleases, and things should break.

I didn't say he couldn't or shouldn't or whatever. I agree, that if you hack/jailbreak/customize, etc. any program or device, there will be unanticipated consequences.

[Boz]

itunes is the worst piece of software made. On Windows it's just a disaster but on OSX it's not drastically better. The fact that you are FORCED to use that atrocity is beyond ridiculous. But I guess, when you use Apple you don't have any say and have to take it however they put it.

[deactivated_]

However, if you want a real suggestion, select everything you have in iTunes, and convert the ID3 tags to version 2.3. Then use any one of the other multitude of MP3 taggers out there to REMOVE any leftover V1 ID3 tags. Then I think your problem will be solved.

[Draconian Guppy]

@ chad, perhaps very black black kettle, though i'm merely pointing out the facts... it's just bloated slow crap that I have to forcefully use because i LOVE teh iphones audioquality...

Now perhaps any helpful suggestions chad ?

[deactivated_]

@ chad, perhaps very black black kettle, though i'm merely pointing out the facts... it's just bloated slow crap that I have to forcefully use because i LOVE teh iphones audioquality...

Now perhaps any helpful suggestions chad ?

Did you read my suggestion above?

[Draconian Guppy]

no, sorry lame ass internet... How would I go about everything in itunes, when I manually sync everything. Eg every album is on another disc and not on iTunes because I don't like how iTunes organizes everything.?

[deactivated_]

no, sorry lame ass internet... How would I go about everything in itunes, when I manually sync everything. Eg every album is on another disc and not on iTunes because I don't like how iTunes organizes everything.?

So you don't have your MP3s in iTunes at all? I am not talking about how you sync them. I am talking about fixing the corrupted ID3 tags that seem to be your issue. I have seen it before and was offering it as a valid suggestion.

By your rant, it seems suggested that you have your music actually in iTunes. I don't care what method you use to sync from iTunes to your phone. Manual, or one of the iTunes sync methods. Doesn't matter to me.

But if you launch iTunes, click Music, Select ALL, then right click the selected music files and choose 'Convert ID3 tags'.... and so on with the rest of what I said.

Once done, do whatever you do to get your mp3s from iTunes to your phone, replacing any existing files on your phone with the updated music files. I have the feeling your covers will now be fine. :)

[Raa]

I've never liked iTunes myself...

[Draconian Guppy]

So you don't have your MP3s in iTunes at all? I am not talking about how you sync them. I am talking about fixing the corrupted ID3 tags that seem to be your issue. I have seen it before and was offering it as a valid suggestion.

By your rant, it seems suggested that you have your music actually in iTunes. I don't care what method you use to sync from iTunes to your phone. Manual, or one of the iTunes sync methods. Doesn't matter to me.

But if you launch iTunes, click Music, Select ALL, then right click the selected music files and choose 'Convert ID3 tags'.... and so on with the rest of what I said.

Once done, do whatever you do to get your mp3s from iTunes to your phone, replacing any existing files on your phone with the updated music files. I have the feeling your covers will now be fine. :)

Yeah my bad, it is not actually in iTunes but my iPhone, though it does give me the option to convert id tags to 2.3 and 2.4, any reason why I shouldn't use 2.4?

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

I cannot think of a single positive thing to say about iTunes.

[deactivated_]

Yeah my bad, it is not actually in iTunes but my iPhone, though it does give me the option to convert id tags to 2.3 and 2.4, any reason why I shouldn't use 2.4?

Not everything can read 2.4 tags, but most everything, if not everything, can read 2.3 tags. And since there is no advantage to 2.4 tags at all, I always suggest 2.3 tags for cross-compatibility with other programs once you tag your files. There is also not really any reason at all to use v1 tags.

So since your situation is slightly different than what I thought, it comes down to this basic idea:

People generally get MP3s from a variety of sources, including their own collection. The software used to tag Mp3s has almost as much variety as Mp3s themselves. And it's wild to think that you could have an Mp3 that is 15 years old now. So with that variety, also comes the problem. Most Mp3 catalog type programs (iTunes, WMP, to name the big ones) only apply any changes you make to the V2.x tags. But for supposed 'backward compatibility' those programs at least try and read the V1 tags. Thus if an MP3 you have had both a v1 and v2 tag when you got it, then you add to iTunes and I almost always end up changing at least *something*... now you basically have v2 tags with your information, and a v1 tag with the old information.

So any weird mp3 display issues like this (missing artwork, music showing up in 'wrong' albums' even though you have it tagged differently) are usually the result of the v1 and v2 tags 'arguing' with each other. So usually setting all tags to a consistent v2 format, and then making sure all V1 tags are fully REMOVED (since no device requires both v1 and v2 tags, but all will read v2 tags) usually fixes weird stuff like this.

[Draconian Guppy]

Not everything can read 2.4 tags, but most everything, if not everything, can read 2.3 tags. And since there is no advantage to 2.4 tags at all, I always suggest 2.3 tags for cross-compatibility with other programs once you tag your files. There is also not really any reason at all to use v1 tags.

So since your situation is slightly different than what I thought, it comes down to this basic idea:

People generally get MP3s from a variety of sources, including their own collection. The software used to tag Mp3s has almost as much variety as Mp3s themselves. And it's wild to think that you could have an Mp3 that is 15 years old now. So with that variety, also comes the problem. Most Mp3 catalog type programs (iTunes, WMP, to name the big ones) only apply any changes you make to the V2.x tags. But for supposed 'backward compatibility' those programs at least try and read the V1 tags. Thus if an MP3 you have had both a v1 and v2 tag when you got it, then you add to iTunes and I almost always end up changing at least *something*... now you basically have v2 tags with your information, and a v1 tag with the old information.

So any weird mp3 display issues like this (missing artwork, music showing up in 'wrong' albums' even though you have it tagged differently) are usually the result of the v1 and v2 tags 'arguing' with each other. So usually setting all tags to a consistent v2 format, and then making sure all V1 tags are fully REMOVED (since no device requires both v1 and v2 tags, but all will read v2 tags) usually fixes weird stuff like this.

This does indeed makes sense, my music sources are plenty, iTunes, digital downloads, own rippings, etc. However in all honestly I never ever check what sort of tag I'm using, as long as, album artist, artist, album and song are filled out properly and those are the ones I personally rip, the digitally acquired ones probably have a bigger mess.

Chad, I tried my go around 2 years ago around those mass taggers, specially for the album art, tried a few, can remember which exactly, but in the end I kept mediamonkey, however even it made mistakes and I ended up hearing "The Beatles - Help!" but when it started playing it sound like "I can't get no... Satisfaction ( rolling stones songs).. It ruined around 2k songs I had :/ luckily I had backup, but even so, i'm weary of mass taggers. I'll try using iTunes to try and "fix"(remove v1 tags) when I get back home ( around 8 hours from now, at work...)

The weird is issue if I manually drag the artwork into iTunes ( to drop it in my iPhone music) around 2-3 times, the iPhone WILL recognize the artwork, but it still won't appear in iTunes... Maybe the newest version of iTunes changes the way tags are read?

Edit: Could a Mod change the title to "iTunes tag, album art issues ( I hate itunes)

Though original title is how I felt at the moment, the purpose of threads ( in this specific forum anyway) is to inform/help and with my original title well...

[deactivated_]

The weird is issue if I manually drag the artwork into iTunes ( to drop it in my iPhone music) around 2-3 times, the iPhone WILL recognize the artwork, but it still won't appear in iTunes... Maybe the newest version of iTunes changes the way tags are read?

Yeah, doing anything edit action on your *entire* collection *should* make anyone a little nervous. But that's also why I was suggesting doing the 'convert to...' in iTunes, because this covers the MP3s that might not have a v2 tag yet, but only the V1. So the convert makes sure you have all solid v2 tags before you blow away the V1 tags. I generally tell people to stay away from the mass taggers for *adding* anything, because I swear it always gets something wrong... but in this case, one of those mass tagger programs is the only way to actually remove all v1 tags en masse.

Maybe try this: On just *one* file that you know is problematic, try the steps I mention. Or open up that single file in one of the tagger programs that displays side by side the v1 and v2 tag information. Unfortunately iTunes does not display both if a file has both. After that, just do what it takes to make sure that file has no v1 info at all, and complete v2 info (including the artwork as part of the v2) Then add to iTunes. I'd venture a guess that the cover art would show immediately.

Hmm... random though. Since iTunes now tries to find cover art for you, if it's not there, that could be why they don't show up right away, as it is looking for your 'missing' artwork for you. But... it also doesn't embed that artwork into the individual files themselves. So if you are not syncing with iTunes, it's not going to transfer the non-embedded artwork.

[Draconian Guppy]

Yeah, doing anything edit action on your *entire* collection *should* make anyone a little nervous. But that's also why I was suggesting doing the 'convert to...' in iTunes, because this covers the MP3s that might not have a v2 tag yet, but only the V1. So the convert makes sure you have all solid v2 tags before you blow away the V1 tags. I generally tell people to stay away from the mass taggers for *adding* anything, because I swear it always gets something wrong... but in this case, one of those mass tagger programs is the only way to actually remove all v1 tags en masse.

Maybe try this: On just *one* file that you know is problematic, try the steps I mention. Or open up that single file in one of the tagger programs that displays side by side the v1 and v2 tag information. Unfortunately iTunes does not display both if a file has both. After that, just do what it takes to make sure that file has no v1 info at all, and complete v2 info (including the artwork as part of the v2) Then add to iTunes. I'd venture a guess that the cover art would show immediately.

Hmm... random though. Since iTunes now tries to find cover art for you, if it's not there, that could be why they don't show up right away, as it is looking for your 'missing' artwork for you. But... it also doesn't embed that artwork into the individual files themselves. So if you are not syncing with iTunes, it's not going to transfer the non-embedded artwork.

What program would you recommend for side by side comparison of tags v1 and v2? That actually does sound like a better to see if the tags are really the conundrum. Though in a couple of hours.

Also, The previous version of iTunes would perfectly keep the artwork I manually added and it would embed them automatically.

If you have a couple of minutes perhaps:

This is how I used to add artwork on iTunes ( Manually)

http://cybernetnews....-art-in-itunes/

http://www.ilounge.c...-art-in-itunes/

Both have the same info, it's just so you've an idea on how I used to add album art manually without any issues.

Like I said in previous post, iTunes just doesn't play fair :/ I do have a lot of embedded album art it does not transfer, I always used to manually do it ( it takes a minute really) in iOS 4.3.1 and iTunes 10.X or 9.X, but not on iOS 5.0.1 and iTunes 10.5.x it's a no go. But to be completely fair, like I said before, I never really considered the tagging issue, weird thing is it wasn't a problem before

[Saex_Conroy]

foobar2000

[Draconian Guppy]

Saex_conroy, please read Original post, at least that, the thread is barely two pages long... Foo dop, the .dll component and iphonecal.dll is not yet compatible with iOS 5, that is, until the developers decide to, but iOS 5 has been out for a while and nothing yet so... I'm not holding my breath meanwhile.

[Draconian Guppy]

@ chad, tried fixing 2 interpol songs, no go. converted them both to 2.3 on itunes, zilch

notice foobar display artwork, itunes not... Though iPhone does, after drag and dropping twice it finally "processed". Again, it does NOT appear on iTunes, but it does in iPhone after adding it twice or thrice.

edit: gotta love neowin mods! ftw. thanks for changing topic.