What's the best software for "metadata"?

Your living in a dream world man!

Then you'll have to pay...

GD3 or AMG are two names I can think of off the top of y head.

Eloise

Hi Ballan,

This is exactly what I look actually...
I'm not sure I can help you but for sure I can report my test...

1- As storage is not critical I prefer ripping CD as .wav (I find the quality very near or exactly identical than the original on CD rendered on my uniti
2- .wav (container file for PCM extracted from a cd) doesn't support a full tagging.
3- I've tried several solution for ripping (WMP, winamp, Exact Audio Copy)
Winamp work very well (friendly UI) but I prefer using EAC to be sure of my rip... EAC give a very easy way to create tag at the rip stage.
4-I've found tigo tago as tag editor. It's free and with a nice interface http://tigotago.com/download.html
5-Winamp make a very good job for tagging (during and after the rip process) but as I use wav file winamp store extra information in its own database... (proprietary...) It seems to exist solutions to export as XML the library to Itunes but my test wasn't very positive...
6-In all case, I prefer a search in google for the cover album. (image search) In this way I found nice cover more than 200 or 300 pixel usually used by on line services.
I simply place this album art as a Folder.jpg file with the tracks.
(this is the manual equivalent than WMP 11 do in an hidden mode...)
You can also name the file cover.jpg

Numerous software (as foobar2000) immediately find these files and displays them.
In the foobar case (as the album art can be displayed in a large view on the PC the native resolution is fully used... nice result.

Please let us know audio file you want to tag. This can be very helpful to give you a correct advice.

Hope this helps a little...

Jean-luc

I'm willing to dedicate a Mac Mini that I already have to just ripping. It's an Intel Mac, so I can run Windows on it.

what kind of file do you use for your rip?

Apple Lossless and AIFF. Mostly Apple Lossless.

quote:

Originally posted by Ballan:
Apple Lossless and AIFF. Mostly Apple Lossless.

I'm not familiar with these kind of file but I think AIFF is the equivalent to wav in apple world...

quote:

I've learned how to fix this manually by changing the tags, but it's a pain.

Yup, but it is the only way to ensure you have exactly what you want. Before I rip, I make sure the file names, artist and album are all as I want.

For album art I typically go to Google Images for a nice 800 x 800 or so.

For later re-tagging, you can either do it in Foobar (or whatever player you are using), or Tag and Rename. Tag and Rename is awesome for doing things in batches, e.g. changing ALL of your Albums to "Bob Marley", rather than some having "Bob Marley and The Wailers". Same goes for Jimi Hendrix (Experience) etc.... I like my artists all in one place. I dont want "Frank ZAppa, "Frank ZAppa and the Mothers of INvention, "Mothers of Invention" etc...

Check your tags before you rip. Add your own art. It is the only way to be sure.

If you want to add art (or artist.jpgs) later on down the road, I highly recommend Album Art Downloader, available on Hydrogen Audio.

I don't know what it is, but Apple lossless just doesn't seem all that good.

@Frank Abela: What is wrong with Apple Lossless?

quote:

Originally posted by Ballan:
I use iTunes, but I don't like the way it handles metadata.

This doesn't sound like problem so much as the CDDB/Gracenote database iTunes looks to when you rip CDs. Like many social collaboration tools, it's a bit monkeys/typewriters, and the results are a bit shonky.

Also, not everyone likes the same approach (tho' I'm 100% with you on the guests thing)…

Simon

Try ripping using DBpoweramp. This gives you various options for metadata, including AMG, FreeDB, GD3, and MusicBrainz. If you need to do any editing then this is easily done before you rip. It'll usually also find a decent 500 x 500 image for cover art. This also allows you to rip to ALAC. I love the fact that it will rip to WAV and provide tagging as well.

If you need to do any tidying up then I find Mediamonkey to be a very useful tool

db and media monkey are secure go for it

dbpoweramp for ripping.
mp3tag for editing metadata post rip.
There is a decent add on for mediamonkey to find album covers.
Foobar for playback

If only life were simpler

On mac for post processing there is nothing better than Media Rage

Hello, I am new to the forum and hope it's ok to jump in.

Quote from Mr Richard Dane:

Try ripping using DBpoweramp. This gives you various options for metadata, including AMG, FreeDB, GD3, and MusicBrainz. If you need to do any editing then this is easily done before you rip. It'll usually also find a decent 500 x 500 image for cover art. This also allows you to rip to ALAC. I love the fact that it will rip to WAV and provide tagging as well.

If you need to do any tidying up then I find Mediamonkey to be a very useful tool


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I have used these programs to rip my collection to flac and have stored them on a Readynas_nvx in preparation for when I receive the Qute I have on order. I have also ripped a few albums to wav to compare. Could I please ask if you know whether or not the Qute will be able to read the wav tags written by DBpoweramp?

Wireless is not an option for me, so I propose to use the remote only to select our music.

Many thanks
Peter

Peter, unfortunately I'm unable to answer this for you (but I am curious, all the same). I don't have a Qute or Uniti where I am so I'm unable to try this. I would suggest you e-mail Naim support for an answer here. Note that Naim are closed for the bank holiday today.

Thank you Richard. I will just have to restrain myself for a while longer, and give the folks in Salisbury a chance to get on and build a few more units. I will delay ripping any more albums to wav until I get mine to try.
Thanks again
Peter

I'd stick with FLAC - tagged WAV files are not universally supported.