iTunes "Part of a compilation" vs Helium "Rel Does anyone know if Helium reads the iTunes "Part of a compilation" tag? Every time I run my mp3 music files through Helium for tagging, the files loose the value for the iTunes "Part of a compilation" tag. I've tried (and still continue) properly tagging the files with the "Release Type" tag in Helium so that it contains the value "Compilation" but iTunes doesn't recognize the Helium tagged field. What to do? What to do? I have some albums that are compilations and need to show up as such in iTunes (mainly because of the iPods). Does anyone have any alternatives as to what I should do? Maybe I should run the files through iTunes again and tag them with its "Part of a compilation" tag? But would that messup the other Helium tags? Thanks for the input.
No, since the current version of Helium doesn't read iTunes AAC files (Which contains this tag-field). Seriously, no, it doesn't. Before, this value have only been stored in their XML DB, but I just did a deeper check and found out that they seem to store it in a ID3 tag-field, named TCMP. (Non standard, non existing in id3.orgs specification). I will add support for this undocumented tag field in the next version (I will auto convert it to "release type - compilation")
Thanks for the post Mikael. Can you also make it so that Helium also writes this tag in a way that iTunes recognizes it? This needs to be done so iPods read the compilations right. Also, since I need this tag now, do you think it would be ok to run the files through iTunes and tag them accordingly after they were tagged by Helium? Or would that give me problems I don't want?
Hmm, Maybe. I'm not to happy to add special code that's against the ID3 standard, since I just cleaned up all that code in the new tag-engine. I'm not sure about this one, I guess you need to test if iTunes can "keep" all tag-fields that it doesn't handle.
I understand where you are coming from and I agree with you about all of these non standard tags. They are awful. However I think this is an exellent example of why Helium does need to learn how to write some (not all) proprietary tags back to files. The iPod is the most popular portable music player out there right now with about (or over) half the market. Helium needs to write iPod (and therefore iTunes) compatible tags so users can enjoy their music on more than just their computers. Maybe a new tab in the Tag Editor can be introduced in the next Helium version entitled "Proprietary Tags" where users can fill in such information. Helium would then write the proprietary tags back to the file when saving. (other names for the new tab might be: "iTunes/iPod Tags" or even "Musicmatch Tags") I'm not sure about this one, I guess you need to test if iTunes can "keep" all tag-fields that it doesn't handle.[/quote:3haowllr] Yes, that is why I asked. I'll test it and see what I come up with when I have some more time.
Hm, I don't really think that non-standard tags are very propriate ( ), but I have added it to an internal discuss list. It's a little thing anyway, because it only needs to be set if you have set releasetype to "compilation". It doesn't need a new field (I really don't wan't that!!!) in the tag editor(s). That's of little use/not possible since the tabs are all userdefined, but thanks for the tip anyway.
As long as Helium can write iPod compatible tags users will be happy. Otherwise, Intermedia Design and Helium will be forcing iPod users to use iTunes for their tagging/managing/playing needs.
Using iTunes for tagging/managing (not playing) is like going back to the stone age, compared to Helium. iTunes supports approx. 10-15% of Heliums tags, so if a user cares about tagging/managing, I would guess that they would choose Helium instead of iTunes for that need, EVEN if Helium does not support one tag (or not). Ok, back to the main topic; We WILL support both reading (implemented already) and writing of this tag (writing if it doesn't create conflicts with other applications, needs testing).
Oh I agree with you Mikael. Helium is much better than iTunes in every way. But iTunes is the only (official and decent) way to transfer music unto iPods. I use Helium for everything other than playing (which I use Winamp for). But I have to use iTunes because it is the only software [I know of at the moment] that writes the tags iPods recognize. Tags like "Compilation" can only be set with iTunes. If Helium could write iPod recognizable tags and transfer music to my iPod as gracefully as iTunes does, I'd dump iTunes in a heartbeat. I would then only use iTunes for ripping/encoding my CDs (unless again, there is a better solution out there). But alas, like I said, for us iPod users out there (and we are many) you are curently forcing us to use iTunes for this tagging need. Please understand that this is not turning into a Helium bashing thread. I'm simply giving you good reasons as to why Helium needs to be able to write these tags instead of just reading them. But it seams that you got the point.
Hmm, I don't own an iPod myself, nor have tested one, but how do you transfer files to it? Does it exists like an device with an own drive letter in Windows Explorer?
Yes, Windows formatted iPods show up as drives within Windows Explorer when they are connected to a computer. Transfering music unto the iPod is not a simple as drag and drop using Windows Explorer though. A service (installed by iTunes) runs in the backround called iPodService.exe that determines when the iPod is connected and tells iTunes that it is plugged in and ready for use or transfer of music. Apple iPod: http://www.apple.com/ipod/ Apple iTunes: http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Hmm, I have seen this service application. It's always installed with iTunes. I found a way that might make it possible to interact with iTunes from Helium (via a COM object, probably acceessing the running instance of the service), but that's another discussion Will be hard to test w/o an iPod though.
In that case, I hope you get access to an iPod ASAP. Most of us with iPods spend the majority of our time away from our computers so we listen to our music more on the iPod.
