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dadder · Jan 1, 2003, 08:17 PM

Which is better? It seems if renaming is done in iTunes, the iTunes app will rearrange the music folder and songs to adapt to your changes, but seems some changes can be made in the Music directory but not always updated in the iTunes app. I'm so used to working with the actual file and name. Which is really the right way?

OpenStep · Jan 1, 2003, 09:17 PM

In OS9 I had to change both the name in iTunes and then in the Documents:iTunes:iTunes music folder, but now with OS X i just let iTunes auto organize and rename the files from right inside iTunes. I've never even had to touch the iTunes Music folder since moving to OS X.

[APi]TheMan · Jan 1, 2003, 09:26 PM

I like to have correct mp3 tags as well as filenames... so I do both.

BatmanPPC · Jan 1, 2003, 10:02 PM

...but seems some changes can be made in the Music directory but not always updated in the iTunes app. I'm so used to working with the actual file and name. Which is really the right way? [/B]

When you change the filename in the music folder .. you're just changing the filename. nothing else. iTunes is using ID3 tags and it's own DB to store the other information about the file.

AKcrab · Jan 1, 2003, 10:07 PM

If I burn an MP3 CD to play in my DVD player, it does not read the ID3 tags, and displays the filename only. Until now, I was never concerned about the actual file name, as iTunes displays the ID3 tag info, but if I want legible entries on the DVD display, I must ensure filenames make sense, too.

mrtew · Jan 1, 2003, 11:00 PM

I name both. I don't trust iTunes to do any crazy stuff with moving files around etc.

dadder · Jan 1, 2003, 11:27 PM

Thanks for the advice. iTunes is pretty suave as far as renaming files, but iTunes has renamed and shuffled some songs that I had not 'cleaned up' but that I wanted to hear first before renaming. Well, I think I'll force myself to just use iTunes as often as possible.

Off Topic:
Anyone concerned with iTunes, being an application within Apple's OS, that when the recording industry figures out how to control copying of files and forces Apple to implement that law into their OS to protect them, that somehow all files so painstakingly organized and collected will one day be 'marked' by iTunes and the recording industry? Whereas, if it was a third party app for the Mac, they could avoid the recording industry law a little more loosely than a bluechip company like apple and keep your mp3s all snuggly and protected?
Or is my paranoia getting to me? Are you looking at me?

AKcrab · Jan 1, 2003, 11:49 PM

Now we know what the guy in your sig is smoking.

BatmanPPC · Jan 2, 2003, 02:11 AM

Originally posted by AKcrab:
If I burn an MP3 CD to play in my DVD player, it does not read the ID3 tags, and displays the filename only.

Probably because you're using ID3 version that isn't recognized by your player? Tried converting them to an older version? I'm not sure if the versions are incomaptible but it's just a thought.

AKcrab · Jan 2, 2003, 04:29 AM

Originally posted by BatmanPPC:
Probably because you're using ID3 version that isn't recognized by your player? Tried converting them to an older version? I'm not sure if the versions are incomaptible but it's just a thought.

Thanks for the suggestion, but the instructions for the player (Sony) actually say "ignores ID3 tags". Go figure.

ARENA · Jan 2, 2003, 07:51 AM

I am really obsessive when it comes to sorting and naming my MP3 collection, and i found a great application to handle ID3 tags in deatail and also generate filenames with user defined information from the ID3 tag.
I think it's a must have app for any MP3 fan.

The app name's ID3X.You can get it at VersionTracker or Macupdate.

Peter · Jan 2, 2003, 09:49 AM

I just rename them in iTunes and let iTunes do the rest ...

Apfhex · Jan 2, 2003, 09:43 PM

Originally posted by ARENA:
I am really obsessive when it comes to sorting and naming my MP3 collection, and i found a great application to handle ID3 tags in deatail and also generate filenames with user defined information from the ID3 tag.
I think it's a must have app for any MP3 fan.

The app name's ID3X.

I'm very picky when it comes to my ID3 tags, file names, and folder structures. ID3X is a good application, but as of late I've found it to be too buggy and slow for my needs. I recently sorted through a playlist of 1400 MP3s (all of the files having been dumped into a "New Music" folder over the past few months). I used iTunes to rename the tags (and batch rename many), and then to rename the files I decided to use MP3 Rage (the first time I've used that app, and it's pretty good!).

I stopped liking ID3X because very often it would read the incorrect tag from a file, not showing the changes I had made, or it woudln't read any tag at all, which makes things very difficult when using it to rename files. Not to big of a deal when dealing with only a few files now and then, but impossible to deal with with the number I had. Also, although much less significant, the interface seems laggy, and when scrolling with the wheel on my mouse, it only goes DOWN, not up. MP3 Rage, on the other hand, read all of the tags correctly and named my files perfectly.

I think both programs are good, and perhaps ID3X had problems because of how iTunes writes ID3 tags (I don't know about this though). I only wish iTunes would allow me to edit or REMOVE ID3 v1.x tags, much like Winamp does. That's a feature I like about ID3X too.