Author Topic: Missing ID3v2 "Encoded by" tag is impossible to use in MusicBee  (Read 3946 times)

syldub

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Hi,
Maybe I miss something, but I tried a lot of things and didn't find any workaround to this issue (even if MusicBee is really an awesome software  8)).

My first wish was to use the "Encoded by" ID3v2 standard frame in MusicBee.
Since a long time, I used to set a personal specific string in the "Encoded by" frame in order to regognize if the MP3 has been processed by me or not yet (I rename all tags, set artwork, etc...).
The "Encoded by" field is very useful, because it can be shown as a column in Windows Explorer (so I can quickly check it).

I first saw that the "Encoded by" tag was not implemented by default in MusicBee.
So I decided to implement it using the Tag Editor (defining a new custom tag using Edit>Preferences>Tags(1)).

Sadly, this is NOT possible to add a real ID3v2 "Encoded by" tag in MusicBee.
It is only possible to create a "fake" "Encoded by", using "TENC" as string for id3 (.mp3).
But in this case, the ID3 will not be created in respect to the ID3v2 frame standard (http://id3.org/id3v2.3.0).
The standard says:
Frame ID       $xx xx xx xx (four characters)
Size           $xx xx xx xx
Flags          $xx xx

For instance, if we put "Test" in the TENC frame, the proper ID3v2 frame should be coded like this:
Frame ID: 54 45 4E 43 (= TENC)
Size: 00 00 00 05 (5 bytes)
Flags: 00 00 (no flags)
Data: 00 (indicates it's not Unicode)
      54 65 73 74 (= Test)

So the complete hexadecimal sequence should be:
54 45 4E 43 00 00 00 05 00 00 00 54 65 73 74
(That's what MP3Tag, Windows Explorer, and Winamp are doing).

But MusicBee is creating this hexadecimal sequence:
54 45 4E 43 00 54 65 73 74

Frame ID : 54 45 4E 43 (= TENC)
Size : ? (omitted)
Flags : ? (omitted)
Data : 00 (indicating it's not unicode)
       54 65 73 74 (= Test)

=> this can not be interpreted as an ID3v2 tag by other softwares as the ID3v2 frame structure is not respected.

I wish MusicBee had a complete implementation of the ID3v2 frame standard (with all tags listed in ID3v2 standard).

So I have 2 wishes:
- Could the "Encoded By" tag be implemented in standard?
- Could there be an option in the Tag Editor to create tags in respect to the ID3v2 frame structure?
I was a Winamp lover... until I discovered MusicBee! No other music player can beat it!

Pingaware

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Tag Editor>Properties. Encoded by is in the top right corner. Additionally, you can access and edit every tag attached to a file, regardless of whether or not it's in the main GUI, in the Tag Inspector (also accessed from the Tag Editor).
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psychoadept

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Tag Editor>Properties. Encoded by is in the top right corner.

Actually, that field is linked to TSSE (just checked).  And is constantly getting re-filled after I've cleared it in Picard.

+1 for changing it to TENC, since TSSE is in the custom tag list.
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syldub

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Tag Editor>Properties. Encoded by is in the top right corner.
No, you're wrong, this is the "Encoded with" tag (TSSE), not the "Encoded by" (TENC). Open the file using an hexadecimal editor, and read the tags, you will clearly see it.

Additionally, you can access and edit every tag attached to a file, regardless of whether or not it's in the main GUI, in the Tag Inspector (also accessed from the Tag Editor).
You're right, we can see & modify all the existing tags in the audio file using the Tag Inspector, but we cannot create standard tags with it.
We are only able to create TXXX user tags.
So we can't create TENC tag, but only TXXX/TENC (and the same for all ID3v2 tags)

Moreover, we will not be able to update this tag simultaneously on many file.

MusicBee clearly missed this!  :o
I was a Winamp lover... until I discovered MusicBee! No other music player can beat it!

Pingaware

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Turns out I was wrong on both points. My bad! Sorry guys  :)
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syldub

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Still no update for this issue after 2 years...
Steven, please implement it for version 3.0, just to comply with ID3 standard!
I was a Winamp lover... until I discovered MusicBee! No other music player can beat it!