Embedding Track Lables in Mix MP3, Displaying in MusicBee

[xyresic]

Apologies if this has been posted before, I cannot find it in the forum.

I have multiple MP3s that contain an hour or more of mixed music.  These MP3s came with embedded track times, which are displayed on the "Now Playing" task bar.  I can see the entry in the preferences where the format can be chosen, currently "<Artist> - <Title>".

Using Mp3Tag I can see in description tag the full list of timestamps for the mixed music.  I assumed MusicBee was reading this tag and using the timestamps to present the name of the artist and song at the various points throughout the mix.  Here's the format:

01 artist - title 00:00
02 artist - title 05:00
...

However, creating a new MP3 and entering my own description field with a similar list of tracks/times doesn't appear to do anything.  It's as if there is something different between the MP3 I created and the mix MP3 with the timestamps.  Again using Mp3Tag, I've checked the differences between the files. They differ by bitrate, the tags have the same ID3v2.3 version.  It almost seems like the description tag doesn't truly represent this function.

So the question:  Does MusicBee allow for users to embed their own track lists on long MP3s using a tag?  If so, is that in fact the Description tag or is there something else that needs to be configured with the MP3 for MusicBee to pick it up?

Thanks much for any assistance.

[xyresic]

Clarification:  When I mouse over the timebar, I can see this format in a popup that changes as I move the mouse:
   00:13/1:04:25 - 01 Artist TrackTitle
Keep moving the mouse
   06:30/1:04:25 - 02 Artist NextTrackTitle

Kind of dring me nuts to see where this data is set and how MusicBee is reading and showing it.

[Steven]

Can you send a link to one of the mp3 files.
They probably have chapter tags - i dont think mp3tag can read those

[xyresic]

That was it.  Mp3Tag doesn't edit chapter tags.  I didn't know what they were called and after some more internet sleuthing, I found some tools that will do it.  Successfully updated an MP3 today with the chapter tags.  Not terribly complicated once you find the right tool.  It was confusing because the mix MP3 had both embedded chapter tags and a description tag with the same information.  Thank you -

[Axxonn]

I have a lot of dj mixes and audiobooks as single mp3 files too. Unless you physically mean splitting the file into multiple mp3s, which can be done using a cuesheet or importing the list of timestamps into a program like Audacity then exporting each part... I think you must be referring to chapters like Steven says.

Personally, I have the lyrics box showing in the sidebar, and with the (timed) tracklist in the lyrics tag, it will either scroll along as you pass each marker (karaoke style), or you can click on the any of the lines in the 'lyrics' and it will jump right to the point that starts. Might be my favourite feature of MB!

The format has to be [00:00] Track 1, [03:30] Track 2 etc. in minutes and seconds, and thousandths of a second if necessary [mm:ss.ttt] . I could explain more if that sort of thing is what you mean, I do this quite often to add extra lines into tracks if I want to make a note at a particular point.

edit: looks like you sorted it while I was typing that, no worries 

[xyresic]

Exactly.  Out of curiosity, which app do you use to assign the markers?  I'm frankly kinda shocked that Mp3Tag doesn't do this.  There are a few audiobook/podcast apps, some quite old (markers appear to have been supported since 2005) but they are pretty klunky.  I did find a Github hosted app that runs in a browser that will take and MP3 and a text entry containing all the markers in the format you described.  One test proved successful, but it does require saving to a new file which I then need to copy back over to my repo.  It's just takes time and manual entry.  I may quickly code something to generate the list which I can copy/paste into the app to save some of the headache.

[MotleyG]

FYI - mp3tag can show chapter details, even edit them. But this needs to be enabled in the settings.
Options>Tags>Advanced>List chapters as separate files

[xyresic]

Enabled the "list chapters as separate files" checkbox in advanced settings.  This doesn't appear to do anything.  Right-clicking the MP3 file shows no additional options.  The view toolbar has no additional options.  The tag and advanced tag editor shows no additional info.  I found a few entries in the MP3Tag forums where people complained the software ran slow because it was showing files multiple times if they had chapters.  So I relaunched the app and read in a file that shows chapters in MusicBee.  That file still showed only once...no chapter info visible anywhere.  Confusing.  Not to worry, I have a solution and it's not using MP3Tag.  Using the alternative solution works and the chapters show in MusicBee.  Thx.