What we need: iTunes DB fields into MP3 id3 v2 tags and back util
Well I for one am impressed with the ease of use of iTunes and its ability to be picked up by people who've had no exposure of digital music should be commended.
I have one major gripe and this is starting to worry other people judging by some of the other questions that are being asked.
What we should worry about is the fact that some of the most interesting information that iTunes tracks is held only within the database and does not get fed back to our mp3 files. There also does not seem to be a mechanism within iTunes for windows that lets you move a whole music collection to another machine whilst keeping ratings, play counts and last played data.
My solution to this would be a little utility that takes rating, play count and last played data and writes these to the individual mp3 files. The second part would be an ability to take the information from these fields in the mp3 id3 tag and write it back into the iTunes database.
Does anyone else agree with this and is there anyone with the skill and tools to try to get something like this working? Would be nice I think.
Graeme
[1144 byte] By [
bighairy] at [2007-11-9 15:19:10]
# 2 Re: What we need: iTunes DB fields into MP3 id3 v2 tags and back util
I feel the same way on the PC migration issue - but I'm not sure the data should be written to the MP3 files. After all, ratings, playcounts and last played data are personal, and having them in the files might be a problem on multi-user systems.
Ideally, I'd like to see these data incorporated into the library files in such a way that allows export to another PC.
# 3 Re: What we need: iTunes DB fields into MP3 id3 v2 tags and back util
Samwise, I do agree about the personal nature of the ratings and playcount data. The reason I suggested writing the data to the mp3s is that it is the most robust method. Your own collection of mp3s is what you will move around: to transfer the rating info to any kind of external database just increases the chance that the data will become disconnected from the original file.
I like the idea of the mp3s holding the info because (to a large extent) I don't share my mp3s and they are the part of the equation that I move from computer to computer and from one library program to another.
Graeme
# 4 Re: What we need: iTunes DB fields into MP3 id3 v2 tags and back util
Actually the information you are asking for here is stored very easy in a file on your PC.
In a .xml file actually .. I think apple stored all #### in a .xml structure for people to easy have access to their files and stuff.. I think ratings is in that file too!!
However, IF YOU CHANGE this file, there will be no effect in the libary.. THis file get produced every time u do changes to libary i think.
Correct me if im wrong though
EsspeN at 2007-11-15 16:49:04 >
# 5 Re: What we need: iTunes DB fields into MP3 id3 v2 tags and back util
The reason I suggested writing the data to the mp3s is that it is the most robust method. Your own collection of mp3s is what you will move around: to transfer the rating info to any kind of external database just increases the chance that the data will become disconnected from the original file.
I like the idea of the mp3s holding the info because (to a large extent) I don't share my mp3s and they are the part of the equation that I move from computer to computer and from one library program to another.Robustness is a very good reason for storing the info in the individual files - it's clearly much safer, as well as just making more sense on a visceral level. As someone who really cares about the integrity of my files as a shared resource though, the thought of my (and others') non-standard, personal data cluttering up the files puts me off slightly:
1) Obviously, I don't want my friends'/colleagues'/relatives' play/rating data showing up in my library any more than they want mine;
2) It wouldn't add a great deal to the filesizes, but the addition of even one bit is enough to (for example) change the file's checksum value on those p2p networks which use checksums to ensure file integrity. This could potentially impact these networks' usefulness for music sharing; every user's version of the file would differ due to their playcounts/ratings. Other checksum-dependent systems (including a number of backup suites, I believe) would also be affected. I'm sure there'd be workarounds there, but I'd hate to see iTunes' behaviour being the root of any problems.
Actually the information you are asking for here is stored very easy in a file on your PC.
In a .xml file actually .. I think apple stored all #### in a .xml structure for people to easy have access to their files and stuff.. I think ratings is in that file too!!
However, IF YOU CHANGE this file, there will be no effect in the libary.. THis file get produced every time u do changes to libary i think.
Correct me if im wrong thoughYou're absolutely right - ratings, play counts and play dates are all in the XML file along with the other information. Then there seems to be another, more cryptic file (with a .itl extension) - I'm not sure what that does.
I didn't think you were right at first - I checked the XML and ITL files in my designated music folder (E:\My Music) and there was no rating/playcount/date data in there. However: the My Music folder in My Documents appears to contain the latest version of my database, despite my having changed the preference in iTunes some time ago.
In other words - iTunes seems to keep the library XML and ITL files inside My Documents > My Music, regardless of where you ask it to store your music collection. I see this as a negative; I'd prefer every bit of data which pertains to my music collection to be stored with my music collection. The usual response to this kind of point is: let iTunes take care of everything, rather than worrying about file locations. When it comes to making backups though, you need to know!
