h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just put some audio files on an mp3 player. I changed the names of the files before I did, but on the player the original names are showing. I'll have a fiddle to see if I can force the new names, but I'm curious, does this mean that when I change a file name, the original is still available somewhere?

Audio files, such as MP3 files have a file name, but they also have the name of the track held inside them. You can get at the track name in Windows using Properties of the file - it's in the Advanced Properties tab. In iTunes, the original file name is never displayed, only the track name held within the file.

I presume your MP3 player also displays the track names rather than the file names.

The player takes it's info from the ID3 tags not the file name.

If you right click on the file, go to properties>advanced you can change most of the settings there.

If you're using iTunes right click the file in the player list and click on get info. This is a better way to do it as track numbers don't always stay deleted if you do it through properties (and it's easier to add album art etc.)

Actually...*does* iTunes take it straight from the ID3 tags? I had an idea (I may be utterly mistaken) that it stripped out all the filenames and ID3 and cross-referenced new, auto-generated filenames against the stripped-out ID3 data now compiled in the iTunes Database.

>>If you right click on the file, go to properties>advanced you can change most of the settings there.

But that suggests not. I've not tried it that way - I've used ID3 editing tools which I assumed were hacking the iTunes db.

I've tried it with Audacity, which has some fairly good results.

Properties from the file itself works for most of it, but for some reason, if you delete a track number it comes straight back again, even when not included in the actual file name.

Right clicking on the file from within iTunes seems to work best, with every alteration remaining firmly in the place it was put. It also seems to be the most stable way of adding artwork to the file.

As for what it actually does to achieve the end result, I couldn't say for sure. I just know it works.

I was a bit surprised to find iTunes happily accepts files named in Japanese Kanji. I'm not sure why I was surprised, it makes perfect sense for it to do so when you think about it, but I was.

The file names altered from iTunes show up in other media players though, so wouldn't that mean it would have to be changing the tags?

The mp3 player is very basic. I renamed and loaded six files. One file shows on the mp3 with the new name, all the rest with the old ones. I'll try changing the ID3 tags and see what happens.

>>The file names altered from iTunes show up in other media players though, so wouldn't that mean it would have to be changing the tags?

I *think* (eg) Banshee reads the iTunes db. But I may be mistaken.

Certainly I researched metadata in an entirely different context and discovered the difference between internal and referenced metadata.

> One file shows on the mp3 with the new name

Which suggests that that file doesn't have ID3 tags, so the player is falling back to using the filename.

TRiG.

I opened them all in itunes, then changed the name in the info page, and then stuck them back on the mp3 player. They all now have the new name. Except for one which still has the original name on the mp3 player

How do I find the ID3 tags on a mac?

Mac...dunno. But for 'doze and Tux there are various free ID3 readers/editors you can download.

Does Audacity do a Mac version? That has a specific 'edit ID3 tags' function. It's a free download on a PC, presume a Mac version would be the same.

I have Audacity, so will check that out, thanks

currently using audacity 1.3.12 beta on my mbp.

Try 'file' > 'open metadata editor'

You can also edit metadata, (id3 tags), using iTunes, and with apps such as the open source XLD -- http://tmkk.pv.land.to/xld/index_e.html

Where is it in iTunes Taliesin?

Audacity should open the ID3 tag editor automatically when you select 'export as .mp3'