MusicBee Doesn't Read ReplayGain Metadata From MP3Gain

[Eincrou]

For many years before I began using MusicBee, I maintained ReplayGain tags for my entire library with MP3Gain.

MusicBee doesn't recognize the ReplayGain tags created by MP3Gain, and I have to rescan almost all of my library so that ReplayGain will function in MusicBee.


(I have no idea why the reported file size increased so dramatically after I rescanned it with MusicBee, but it's the same file)

These days, I only use MusicBee to scan ReplayGain information for new additions to my library, and it's way better because it also supports more formats than only MP3, like FLAC and AAC.  But if MusicBee would also read in the tags from the old MP3Gain application, that would save me a lot of effort rescanning my library.  Thanks.

[Steven]

can you send me a link to one file that has the mp3 gain tags

[Zak]

(I have no idea why the reported file size increased so dramatically after I rescanned it with MusicBee, but it's the same file)

That's definitely not normal, and you don't want to be wasting 1+ MB each time you scan a file.
The only thing that comes to mind is if high-res cover art is being embedded somehow.

[Eincrou]

can you send me a link to one file that has the mp3 gain tags

Whoops, I'd forgotten to subscribe to notifications.  Sorry for the late response.

A track with ReplayGain tags from MP3Gain.

The only thing that comes to mind is if high-res cover art is being embedded somehow.

You're probably right!  I think I'd had the MediaInfo window for the pre-MusicBee Volume Leveling version of the file open for a while before opening another MediaInfo window for the updated file, which reports two embedded images.

I've been using MusicBee's excellent auto-tagging tools to improve the tags and cover arts in my library, so I probably did that in between opening those MediaInfo windows.

[hiccup]

can you send me a link to one file that has the mp3 gain tags

Whoops, I'd forgotten to subscribe to notifications.  Sorry for the late response.

Your file contains the ReplayGain tags in the APEv2 format, not in the IDv3 format.

So either set the other tool you are using to use IDv3, or set MB to use APEv2.
Configuration > Tags (1)

[Eincrou]

You're right that APEv2 is the format for my old ReplayGain tags.

A: I'm not using the other tool anymore. I used it for a decade to add ReplayGain tags to tens of thousands of audio files, which I'd like to to use in MusicBee without re-analyzing and rewriting tags.

Also, although I don't use MP3Gain anymore, it only supports writing to APEv2.

B: Changing the format MusicBee uses to store tags is a simple change with big implications.  Switching it to APEv2, and then rescanning audio files, allows MusicBee to read the old ReplayGain tags.  But, then my library's tag format for primary tags will be changed from ID3 every time I modify tags, and I'm not excited about that.


Maybe this issue isn't really a "bug," since as hiccup points out, it's a matter of different metadata formats in the same file.

When I was generating these ReplayGain values using MP3Gain, that was when I was still using Winamp. Winamp was able to handle reading both the ID3 main tags and APEv2 ReplayGain tags at the same time.  If possible, the same functionality in MusicBee would be ideal.

[Steven]

I just tried your file and its fine for me ie. it reads the APEv2 replay gain tags as I would have expected.
Are you using the latest version from the downloads page