File Managament

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 06-08-2007, 09:58 PM

I have run into a DRM nightmare.

Have found workarounds for most of it but in the end I have about 3000 music files. A bunch of them are named the same like "Track 01.mp3" , "Track 02.mp3" etc.

Does any body know a good app that would allow me to consolidate this mess and also provide an easy way to enter the mp3 tag information?

I have found a couple of .NET framework apps with source that provide a good start but I really don't want to work that hard.

Free is best of course but I don't mind spending a couple of bucks to get the job done.

**jmaker** · 06-08-2007, 10:11 PM

http://musicbrainz.org/

icky · 06-08-2007, 10:58 PM

I've been happy with Media Monkey for manipulating tags and filenames, but you need at least some info to start with. If you know the artist and album, you are most of the way there.

**CingularDuality** · 06-09-2007, 05:15 PM

I'm not sure how CDex matches albums up with info from the CDDB, but it has always been right on for me. It would only take a couple of seconds to name all the tracks in each album if they're already separated that way...

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 06-10-2007, 09:19 PM

Media - Monkey is pretty cool. I think I will use that, thanks Icky!

But MusicBrains Picard is amazing and I don't even know what it does! Tell it to analyze a file and it finds the the album it belongs in and puts it there. I don't know how. Some it can't find but a surprising number it accurately placed in the correct album. There was only the mis-spelled file name (westend grls.mp3) and it put it in the correct Album! I know this song came from a compilation because I ripped it from it many years ago. Think about that,West End Girls from the pet shop boys has been on multiple albums but it picked the correct one.

Maybe it is just coincidence but I am amazed. And the program is only .7.2 Still rough around the edges but still nice.

**ednos** · 06-10-2007, 10:07 PM

I think it has some sort of system for "fingerprinting" songs. Often two copies of the same song on different albums will not be carbon copies of each other, so that would explain the correct album choice.

**CingularDuality** · 06-11-2007, 12:58 AM

Wow, Picard is absolutely amazing.

**Twisted_Firestarter** · 06-13-2007, 04:29 PM

Yes, it actually uses a hashing algorithm to create a unique hash for each track. That hash is then compared to the database for a hit. Since these are digital files, theoretically the hash/match should be straightforward. The difficulty comes in because mp3 is a lossy compression. So, the hash for a track compressed using 192kbps will be different than one that is compressed @ 128kbps or @ 64kbps. Also, I am not sure if each mp3 encoder will encode a track exactly the same, so there could be hash differences there as well.

Certainly an interesting technology!

Acreo Aeneas · 06-14-2007, 03:44 AM

Hmm interesting. I figured it used a database for comparison, but didn't know it created an individual hash id for each track. Wow, so when it creates this "hash", how does it know which song is which?

**ednos** · 06-14-2007, 04:05 PM

People build up the database.

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 06-14-2007, 11:23 PM

When you rip a CD does it take the digital information from the cd then compress that or does it compress the music itself?

**ednos** · 06-15-2007, 12:54 AM

I'm fairly sure it's based on the audio itself, since it'll match any song you have against the database.

icky · 06-15-2007, 09:09 AM

I've used automated systems like that but found that they sometimes leave me crying. I had an AC/DC box set and the naming convention for each of the CDs in the database was different. That's why I fell for Media Monkey and it's Amazon.com lookup. A little bit of automation and a little bit of human intervention makes it easy.

I would love to have a little bit of song fingerprinting thrown into the mix tho.

Acreo Aeneas · 06-15-2007, 06:36 PM

Hmm, I'm worried about running my collection through Media Monkey or Brainz. I have some independant stuff (some of which I don't know the artist or song title to), and I'm just worried it'll confuse those with more popular songs.

**Twisted_Firestarter** · 06-19-2007, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

Hmm, I'm worried about running my collection through Media Monkey or Brainz. I have some independant stuff (some of which I don't know the artist or song title to), and I'm just worried it'll confuse those with more popular songs.

Erm...make a backup before running the app?

06-08-2007, 09:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
El_Gringo_Grande Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: OKIE HOMY Age: 40 Posts: 2,861	File Managament I have run into a DRM nightmare. Have found workarounds for most of it but in the end I have about 3000 music files. A bunch of them are named the same like "Track 01.mp3" , "Track 02.mp3" etc. Does any body know a good app that would allow me to consolidate this mess and also provide an easy way to enter the mp3 tag information? I have found a couple of .NET framework apps with source that provide a good start but I really don't want to work that hard. Free is best of course but I don't mind spending a couple of bucks to get the job done. __________________ I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host. - "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt - "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson - "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta - If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

06-08-2007, 10:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
jmaker Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Warren, OH Age: 28 Posts: 2,647	Re: File Managament http://musicbrainz.org/ __________________

06-08-2007, 10:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
icky Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ottawa Valley Posts: 6,154	Re: File Managament I've been happy with Media Monkey for manipulating tags and filenames, but you need at least some info to start with. If you know the artist and album, you are most of the way there. __________________ Peace through fear... since 1947!

06-09-2007, 05:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
CingularDuality Join Date: May 2003 Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas, USA Age: 33 Posts: 17,137	Re: File Managament I'm not sure how CDex matches albums up with info from the CDDB, but it has always been right on for me. It would only take a couple of seconds to name all the tracks in each album if they're already separated that way... __________________ Become a supporting member! Buy a Tactical Duck! Take the world's smallest political quiz! "I was touched by His Noodly Appendage." TacticalGamer TX LAN/BBQ Veteran:

06-10-2007, 09:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
El_Gringo_Grande Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: OKIE HOMY Age: 40 Posts: 2,861	Re: File Managament Media - Monkey is pretty cool. I think I will use that, thanks Icky! But MusicBrains Picard is amazing and I don't even know what it does! Tell it to analyze a file and it finds the the album it belongs in and puts it there. I don't know how. Some it can't find but a surprising number it accurately placed in the correct album. There was only the mis-spelled file name (westend grls.mp3) and it put it in the correct Album! I know this song came from a compilation because I ripped it from it many years ago. Think about that,West End Girls from the pet shop boys has been on multiple albums but it picked the correct one. Maybe it is just coincidence but I am amazed. And the program is only .7.2 Still rough around the edges but still nice. __________________ I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host. - "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt - "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson - "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta - If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

06-10-2007, 10:07 PM	#6 (permalink)
ednos Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,857	Re: File Managament I think it has some sort of system for "fingerprinting" songs. Often two copies of the same song on different albums will not be carbon copies of each other, so that would explain the correct album choice. __________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~ Bertrand Russell I have a tendency to key out three or four things and then let them battle for supremacy while I key, so there's a lot of backspacing as potential statements are slaughtered and eaten by the victors. ~ Magna Centipede

06-11-2007, 12:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
CingularDuality Join Date: May 2003 Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas, USA Age: 33 Posts: 17,137	Re: File Managament Wow, Picard is absolutely amazing. __________________ Become a supporting member! Buy a Tactical Duck! Take the world's smallest political quiz! "I was touched by His Noodly Appendage." TacticalGamer TX LAN/BBQ Veteran:

06-13-2007, 04:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
Twisted_Firestarter Join Date: May 2003 Location: 90064 Posts: 935	Re: File Managament Yes, it actually uses a hashing algorithm to create a unique hash for each track. That hash is then compared to the database for a hit. Since these are digital files, theoretically the hash/match should be straightforward. The difficulty comes in because mp3 is a lossy compression. So, the hash for a track compressed using 192kbps will be different than one that is compressed @ 128kbps or @ 64kbps. Also, I am not sure if each mp3 encoder will encode a track exactly the same, so there could be hash differences there as well. Certainly an interesting technology! __________________ Twisted Firestarter a.k.a \|TG\| Harkonian

06-14-2007, 03:44 AM	#9 (permalink)
Acreo Aeneas Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DePaul University (Chicago) Age: 22 Posts: 4,683	Re: File Managament Hmm interesting. I figured it used a database for comparison, but didn't know it created an individual hash id for each track. Wow, so when it creates this "hash", how does it know which song is which? __________________ Current Obsessions: Netbooks and other low-cost, small, and portable PCs. RSS Feeds: Bamboo

06-14-2007, 04:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
ednos Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,857	Re: File Managament People build up the database. __________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~ Bertrand Russell I have a tendency to key out three or four things and then let them battle for supremacy while I key, so there's a lot of backspacing as potential statements are slaughtered and eaten by the victors. ~ Magna Centipede

06-14-2007, 11:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
El_Gringo_Grande Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: OKIE HOMY Age: 40 Posts: 2,861	Re: File Managament When you rip a CD does it take the digital information from the cd then compress that or does it compress the music itself? __________________ I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host. - "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt - "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson - "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta - If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

06-15-2007, 12:54 AM	#12 (permalink)
ednos Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,857	Re: File Managament I'm fairly sure it's based on the audio itself, since it'll match any song you have against the database. __________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~ Bertrand Russell I have a tendency to key out three or four things and then let them battle for supremacy while I key, so there's a lot of backspacing as potential statements are slaughtered and eaten by the victors. ~ Magna Centipede

06-15-2007, 09:09 AM	#13 (permalink)
icky Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ottawa Valley Posts: 6,154	Re: File Managament I've used automated systems like that but found that they sometimes leave me crying. I had an AC/DC box set and the naming convention for each of the CDs in the database was different. That's why I fell for Media Monkey and it's Amazon.com lookup. A little bit of automation and a little bit of human intervention makes it easy. I would love to have a little bit of song fingerprinting thrown into the mix tho. __________________ Peace through fear... since 1947!

06-15-2007, 06:36 PM	#14 (permalink)
Acreo Aeneas Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DePaul University (Chicago) Age: 22 Posts: 4,683	Re: File Managament Hmm, I'm worried about running my collection through Media Monkey or Brainz. I have some independant stuff (some of which I don't know the artist or song title to), and I'm just worried it'll confuse those with more popular songs. __________________ Current Obsessions: Netbooks and other low-cost, small, and portable PCs. RSS Feeds: Bamboo

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