Genre Tagging With Multiple Files Selected

[frankz]

Right now, if you select multiple files (as in a full album) that are tagged with different Genre tags, the "Edit" screen shows "Mixed".  Clicking the [...] box brings up the multiple tag entry box, but all the fields are blank.

It would be great if the box there was populated with all the tags that are currently in use for the selected tracks so that you can delete them from or apply them to the entire selection.  

Often I'll have one or two tracks from an album that I've tagged properly (Rock; Indie; Indie Rock for example) while listening on shuffle, and later go to tag the entire album, which I've either tagged only generically on import (Rock) or are improperly tagged by some other tool.  Right now, I've got to find one that is tagged properly from the list and either memorize its tags or select it alone and copy its tags and then select the entire album and edit/paste the tags.  

Being able to "Edit" and [...] the group and have all the in-use tags for that selection be available to use or discard would be slightly more convenient.

Basically the same functionality as the "Suggested Genres" button on the same screen, but in this case the person suggesting the genres is you, based on what you've previously entered for the selected tracks.

Thank you.

[redwing]

Select files and open tag inspector, and you can delete or edit existing tags for multiple files.

[frankz]

Cool!  I didn't know that. 

Wishlist item stands, though: Would be nice to see this in the interface where tags are entered / split, etc. 

[redwing]

That might be confusing as tag editor would apply the same set of entered tags to all files.

[frankz]

It's the same behavior as if you had manually typed them (or followed your Tag Inspector suggestion). The only change would be that they're pre-filled for you from what you're already using in the selected files in the interface the same way they're all listed in the tag inspector.

[redwing]

Say one file has pop and rock, another has rock and blues. If you select both files, it would list three genre tags.
What I'm saying is if you edit some of them and hit enter with tag editor, the both files will now have three tags while tag inspector will only edit existing tags. That's why it's better not to show them in tag editor.

[frankz]

Say one file has pop and rock, another has rock and blues. If you select both files, it will list three genre tags.

Yes, this is what I'm asking for.  

If you select all the files it will pre-fill Pop, Rock, Blues.  You realize Pop doesn't apply and delete it from the list. Then you update the files.  They now match at Rock; Blues because you want them to.

Keep in mind that you're, obviously, selecting and editing the tags for multiple files at once because you want those files to all be tagged the same way.  This is generally why a person would edit the tags in multiple files at once: to have the tags match across those files.

[redwing]

As I said, use tag inspector for that purpose. I think it would be a bad idea if tag editor tries to do the same as it will only confuse users.

[frankz]

I don't agree that people can't handle selecting their own genre tags from a list of items they've already entered for the files they're editing, but I appreciate your input.

The behavior I'm suggesting is basically the same as if you would click "Suggested Genres" on this screen, only it is you who is suggesting the genres based on what you've previously entered for the selected tracks.

[redwing]

I can see what you're trying to do. In that case, I would open tag editor and enter a new set of tags that will be applied to all files.
But if tag editor starts to show tags that are not uniformly entered to all files, some users must be assuming it will do as tag inspector does when it's not (keeping different set of tags for each file) and then ends up messing up tags. Even experienced users might be confused at times.

If you want to see the list of existing tags, use column browser. That will help when you're entering a new set of tags from existing tags.

[Steven]

I think this is a valid and useful request. Its already done for the next update in the genre splitter dialiog where the Lookup button has been replaced with a drop-down of the excluded mixed genres, so you can tick the ones you want to add and an extra item in the list to perform the internet search that the Lookup button used to perform.

[frankz]

That's great - even better than I'd hoped.  Thanks!

[Steven]

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V3_2/MusicBee32_Patched.zip