Author Topic: How to "SAVE Multiple Files" at the same time with the Tag Editor in MusicBee?  (Read 626 times)

leeuniverse

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So, I'm proceeding to convert all my files over to ID3 2.4 from 2.3 and hoping to **** every player me (or my sons whom I'm passing my music collection on to) use don't have issues with the 2.4 standard.
While I can add the NULL separator between multivalues in Mp3tag without a problem, Mp3tag has no way to add the special double "Year" tags as MusicBee does (per this pic).



Per Steven this is being done on purpose for this reason:

Quote
TYER is intentionally written in addition to TDRC, even though TYER is not a v2.4 tag. The reason i have commented in the code is for backwards compatibility which i recall was an issue for some people.

In other words, there being two years is because there are two different "types" of Year tags, and this is needed for some people for the year to be displayed.

Anyway, MusicBee is the only tag editor that I know of that adds these so I'm needing to save multiple files at a time in MusicBee so these tags are created.
However, it seems MusicBee can't save "more than one" file at a time?  I can of course save "more than one file" at a time in other tag editors, but again they can't create these null separated/different standard year tags, they will only create "one", whichever one they use (which I also can't seem to know).

This would be useful in general when people switch from 2.3 to 2.4, so all files can be converted over to the new standard.  So, this isn't just as issue with these particular tags.  People in general would need to save many files at once to convert their files.

So, how can I save more than one file at a time so all my files are converted over to the ID3 2.4 standard, and per my issue these double year tags are created...?

Thanks
Last Edit: May 25, 2022, 09:12:30 AM by leeuniverse


leeuniverse

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Maybe this article is as dated as my knowledge but support of 2.4 is (or was?) rather poor.
So I wonder if you gain anything by migrating to 2.4
https://picard-docs.musicbrainz.org/v2.4/en/config/options_tags_compatibility_id3.html


Appreciate the help, and yes, I've been working with the Picard Dev's in order to figure out workarounds to help me have consistency between programs, because I DO use Picard to create my initial metadata for my files.
But to answer you I have to explain "why" I'm needing to go to 2.4, but be aware my saying so sadly will cause certain "advocates" here to personally attack me rather than understanding the problem and trying to help.

So, the simple answer is MusicBee is forcing the NULL aka double back-slash separator when Saving in the Tag editor for those tags with multi-values, and Bee is doing this with 2.3 files also even though the NULL separator is NOT actually supported for 2.3.
So, I'm trying to switch over to 2.4, and it's causing all kinds of problems in my ability to edit files across applications (Mp3tag and Picard, the actual professionals when it comes to tag editing).  I've had to switch from using the Semi-colon and space, which is the most common standard to the back-slashes, and NONE of the tag editors do what MusicBee does in forcing null, they save/use what WE want to use as a separator, so that's causing issues trying to figure out "work-arounds" for various things.

Believe me, I wanted to use 2.3 for compatibility reasons, and I had set up everything perfectly.  I use Picard to get my primary data, then I edit as needed in Mp3tag, and then I use MusicBee as my player and use the editor as needed to add missing things.

However, when another individual on the forum brought up the subject of their separators being changed on him when saving in the Editor in MusicBee, I then discovered MusicBee was doing this with my separators as well (had noticed it happening but hadn't had a chance to look into it yet), and everything is now messed up.  I was wanting to use 2.3 so I (nor my sons) wouldn't have any issues playing the music files on whatever device, but doing so prevents me (and others I've talked to) from being able to use the MusicBee editor, and while I would do that, there are some things such as Lyrics and other things in which using the MusicBee editor is useful.  All because MusicBee choses to be "outside the norm" in relation to Tag editing.

I'm not the only one with this problem, others are highly disappointed about it just as I am and have contacted me in PM, on other forums etc telling me the same frustrations.  When the other guy and me then tried to explain that this was an issue, we were given an education about Null separators, which was understood, but when we further explained that this is a problem and how, we were continually abused, treated as if we didn't understand, so several attacked the two of us who tried to raise these issues, and the other one they attacked has been using tag editors for 20 years, so he wasn't a newbie, and me after the initial explanation was well aware and understood what the NULL separator was, but they continued to personally attack him and me as if we were "disabled" and thus deserving of being personally attacked, when we tried to explain that this "forced" standard needs to be changed, especially since it's one nobody else forces on people, that it causes several problems, but us trying to explain the problems just further enraged the abusers who continued doing so across more than one thread.

Anyway, now you know, and here comes the personal attacks, justifications for it, etc.  Rather than recognizing the problem, and encouraging the current process to be changed, especially since NULL separators are NOT the standard for 2.3, yet they would continually say it WAS the standard, and then berate us when we explained it wasn't.  But, they do this instead of helping me and others so we don't have the problems anymore.  BTW, the other editors don't even force it on 2.4.
I didn't want to mention this because it would derail the thread and get it closed like they've done with others, but, you asked, so this is why....

Let's hope they can hold their personal attacks and just focus on the issues mentioned...  But, I won't hold my breath.
Last Edit: May 25, 2022, 03:45:28 PM by leeuniverse

vincent kars

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I see.
Indeed the "/" was chosen as a delimiter in 2.3 and it has become famous as the AC/DC problem.
https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php?topic=120661.0

Because of this workarounds has been formulated
https://github.com/beetbox/mediafile/issues/21

I'm afraid you have to choose between your Scylla and your Charybdis.
Not all software reading 2.3 will recognize the NULL as a separator.
Not all software will read 2.4 properly.

leeuniverse

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I see.
Indeed the "/" was chosen as a delimiter in 2.3 and it has become famous as the AC/DC problem.
https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php?topic=120661.0

Because of this workarounds has been formulated
https://github.com/beetbox/mediafile/issues/21

I'm afraid you have to choose between your Scylla and your Charybdis.
Not all software reading 2.3 will recognize the NULL as a separator.
Not all software will read 2.4 properly.


Exactly...  Wouldn't be having a problem though if MusicBee didn't force the Null separator on multi-values on ID3 2.3.
I had everything perfectly set up, good to go, then I discovered this problem.  They could simply do as other do and allow you to save what separator we want to save on 2.3, more for example I like the most common which is the Semi-Colon and Space.  It worked perfect across all the applications, I was good to go, now I'm tooting myself in the head, on top of the abuse we got for just trying to explain the problem, and why it IS a problem that should be fixed.

Anyway, thanks for trying...  :)

My problem now since I can't fix the real problem is how to save all my files in MusicBee so I can get their unique year tags entered into my files.
I really don't want to have to save each one one at a time, over some 4,000 files.
Last Edit: May 25, 2022, 05:21:35 PM by leeuniverse

vincent kars

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I wonder if I understand your problem correctly.
If I select 10 tracks and using "Edit" and enter "10 tracks" in e.g. the Comment Tag, all 10 will be saved on pressing the Save button.

Might it be you are looking for methods to copy the value of one tag to another tag in the bulk?

leeuniverse

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I wonder if I understand your problem correctly.
If I select 10 tracks and using "Edit" and enter "10 tracks" in e.g. the Comment Tag, all 10 will be saved on pressing the Save button.

Might it be you are looking for methods to copy the value of one tag to another tag in the bulk?

So, it DOES Save for you then when you select multiple tracks?

So, then it appears my issue is that the Multi-track Save "doesn't work" unless you've actually "changed something" in the Editor?
In Mp3tag for example, you can select multiple files, and even if you haven't changed anything you can SAVE all the files, for example if you've switched from ID3 2.3 to 2.4.
The files will then all convert to 2.4 from 2.3.

This is the same kind of thing I'm needing to do in MusicBee.  Convert all the files over to 2.4, which will in turn also create the double year tags.
Though, in my case the files will already be 2.4, but they just need to be saved in MusicBee so the double year tags can be created since MusicBee is the only one that creates them.

So, sounds like the Save functionality needs to be adjusted to be able to save multi-files even if the files haven't been edited.
MusicBee WILL save just "one" selected file even if nothing been edited, but I'm not able to save "more than one" at a time.

Appreciate your help, looks like we've found what the issue is...  Can you confirm?

So, now we need to know if there's a way around this, or if this is a feature improvement needed to MusicBee?
Last Edit: May 25, 2022, 07:14:40 PM by leeuniverse

vincent kars

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Quote
So, it DOES Save for you then when you select multiple tracks?

Of course, standard functionality for years.
If you don't believe, select a couple of tracks and select "Edit"
In the Editor you wille see 2 kind of tracks
-Empty ones, this are the ones that are different e.g. Title (and you want to keep it this way)
- Populate ones. This are the ones with common values.

Just select one e.g. ALBUM=XYZ. Change this to XYZ2 and  all tracks now have XYZ2 as a value.

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Though, in my case the files will already be 2.4
So what?
If this tags is populated, it is.
Editing, saving, etc.  won't by magic all of sudden populates a empty tag.