Update Missing Artwork won't update the tag

[MehNick80]

To "Update Missing Artwork", you right-click on the files that don't already have an image embedded to their ID3v2, and MusicBee attempts to find cover art for those files. Now when I inspect the actual file in Explorer, or any other program on PC or mobile for that matter, there is no picture added to the file.
How can you make MusicBee add the cover art to the file's tag?
Thanks in advance.

[frankz]

Edit->Edit Preferences->Tags(1)...artwork...embed picture in the music file

If that's already, set then you'll need to explain your process more clearly so we can figure out what you're doing incorrectly. You say "MusicBee attempts to find cover art..." but don't say what you do afterward.

[MehNick80]

Thanks for your response.
"Embed picture in the music file" is already ticked.
After clicking on "Update Missing Artwork", I get the message you see below, click "Proceed" and that's it.

Now when I inspect the actual file, there's no picture added.

But if I go through right-click, Edit, and select a picture on my hd there, the file DOES save.

[frankz]

There's artwork for that album.  I can see it in the screenshot, so obviously MB can see it as artwork for that album.  What does the status show when you click proceed?

Have you tried this for albums that are actually missing artwork? Is the result different. 

[MehNick80]

That artwork you see is because there's no actual artwork embedded to the file... MB searches the web automatically and shows whatever it finds there. The file is still picture-less.
When I click proceed, it downloads a picture and you'd think it has saved it to the file. But nope, it's only showing the picture on MB, and nowhere else. If you want, you can try it yourself and see; take a mp3 file without any picture embedded and let MB "Update Missing Artwork". Than go to Explorer or any other program, and boom!  No picture.

[frankz]

I'm assuming you have "and save without prompt" checked at Edit->Edit Preferences->Tags(2)...auto-tagging...artwork, then?

What does the status show when you click proceed?

You didn't answer this.

[MehNick80]

The status bar reads: "Auto-tag completed with 12 files updated."

And I just ticked on the "and save without prompt" option, did the whole process again, and still no picture on the mp3 file itself.

[frankz]

How are you seeing that there's "no picture on the mp3 file itself"?  In MediaInfo, or in MB, or in some other program?

[MehNick80]

I don't see the artwork in any program other than MB, be it on Windows, or Android phone.

[frankz]

If you go into the tag editor on a file and hover on the art, it'll tell you how the art for that role is stored. If it says embedded, it's embedded in the file. Can't speak for how well windows explorer scans for, reads or displays artwork or for your Android phone.

[MehNick80]

If you go into the tag editor on a file and hover on the art......

First of all thank you for helping out, because that's when I realized what the "problem" was: MB is linking the file to the cover.jpg that's already in the folder! From here on it's easy: how can I make MB embed the cover.jpg to the file AUTOMATICALLY when I select "Update Missing Artwork"? Remember, "and save without prompt" is ticked in Preferences.

[frankz]

You can't AUTOMATICALLY directly as far as I know. I'm not sure why don't want to just use the art that's already there in the format that already exists (if you have lots of albums, embedding the same high quality art in each file can quickly become a huge waste of space) but if you're set on embedding art in each file there are ways to do it WITH WORK depending on why you ultimately want this.

This for example.

If you remove everything but embedded from your Edit->Edit Preferences->Tags(1)...artwork...set which pictures are displayed and only have "embed..." selected to the left of that, the album artwork manager will see all the artwork as missing and REDOWNLOAD it all for you. But that's also work because you have to do it album by album.

I can give better advice if you tell me why you would want to do this.  To me it seems like more work than it's worth.

[MehNick80]

Yes, you're right, it IS a waste of space to embed huge cover images to each and every mp3 file. And I'm aware of the manual method. But your "If you remove everything but embedded from..." worked!  I made MB stop looking inside the folder to find cover.jpg ect., and instead directly download and embed to the file... It may seem illogical to embed pictures and waste space, but I just wanted to have the option since MusicBee is the only mediaplayer on Windows since WinAmp that doesn't suck. All the other players have MAJOR flaws, and I'm just not going to give up on my 500,000+ mp3 collection and become a hip Spotify user! I've been collecting mp3's since 1997 and since recently MusicBee has become my favorite player. Thank you very much for your help and bearing with me.