Tagging

Software

• http://www.mp3tag.com

How to use http://tools.tango.info/tagging.php

These are instructions for ripping CDs to your hard drive and tagging the resulting track files (in format MP3, WMA, FLAC etc.) with tag info from tango.info.

Currently this procedure works only for single-CD albums.

The barcode number referred to below is the 13 or 14-digit number found next to the barcode which is usually found on the back cover of the album's CD case.

Step 1 - Rip CDs to your hard drive

Use a program such as CDex (http://cdexos.sourceforge.net).

Ensure the naming options are such that the track filename begins with the track number.

If you want to be able to tag multiple CDs in one operation, upon each rip ensure the destination folder name will contain the barcode number. One way to do this is to initially ensure the naming options are such that the folder name is the album title, and before starting each rip, when given the opportunity to enter/edit the album title, include in it (e.g. at the end) the barcode number. There must be only one folder with each TIN.

Step 2 - Retrieve tag info

You'll need the mp3tag program V2.39c or later, from http://www.mp3tag.de/en/ (English, free of charge).

Either

1. For a single CD for which you have the barcode number:
   1. Go to http://tools.tango.info/tagging.php.
   2. Enter the bar code number into the (unlabelled) query window and click Submit Query.
2. or, for a single CD for which you do not have the barcode number:
   1. Go to http://eng.tango.info, enter album's artist name and click search.
   2. In the search results, locate under CDs the title of your album, click on it, and then click on tools.tango.info/tagging.
3. or, for multiple CDs for which you have barcode numbers:
   1. Ensure each CD is in a separate folder the name of which somewhere contains the barcode number, and that all these folders are in a single containing folder with no other audio files.
   2. Launch mp3tag.
   3. Click File | Change directory... and select the folder containing your CD files.
   4. Click File | Export | <starred page icon> and click OK.
   5. In the text editor window, replace the entire content with the following two lines (taking care to preserve the line break):
      

$filename(,ansi)$loop($regexp($regexp(:%_directory%,^.*?('[''[':digit:']'']'{13,14}).*$,\1),:.*,),1)$regexp($regexp(:%_directory%,^.*?('[''[':digit:']'']'{13,14}).*$,\1
),:.*,)$loopend()

1. 1. Save the file.
   2. In the mp3tag Options dialog box, click OK.
   3. When asked Display Export file now?, click Yes.
   4. In the text editor window that appears (showing a list of the barcode numbers of all the CDs), copy all lines to the clipboard.
   5. Go to http://tools.tango.info/tagging.php.
   6. Paste into the (unlabelled) query window and click Submit Query.

Step 3 - Save tag info

With your mouse, highlight the list of tags you retrieved in Step 2, then right click and Copy it. (Note: don't copy the whole page, just the list of tags. Each line of this list begins with the 14-digit number and is followed by other tagging info such as album, song title, track number and year.) Launch Notepad, press CTRL+V to patste this list, then press CTRL+S to save and enter as the Filename c:\temp.txt.

Step 4 - Put tag info into the track files

1. Launch mp3tag.
2. Click File | Change directory... and select the folder containing your ripped CD(s).
3. If you are tagging a single CD:
   1. In the tracklist heading, click on Title then Filename - this will sort in ascending track order.
4. If you are tagging multiple CDs:
   1. Right-click the tracklist heading, and click Customise columns....
   2. In the Columns dialog box that appears, click <starred page icon>.
   3. In Name enter "TIN".
   4. In Value and Sort by enter
      

      $regexp($regexp(:%_directory%,^.*?('[''[':digit:']'']'{13,14}).*$,\1),:.*,no TIN found in folder name)-1-$regexp($regexp(:%_filename%,^:('[''[':digit:']'']'+).*$,\1),:.*,no track number found at start of file name)

   5. Click OK.
   6. In the tracklist heading, click on Title then TINT - this will sort in ascending CD barcode number and track order.

1. Click Edit | Select all files.
2. Click Convert | Text file - tag.
3. In Filename enter c:\temp.txt.
4. In Format string enter

   %dummy%;%album%;%track%;%title%;%artist%;%genre%;%year%;%dummy%

5. Click OK. The files will be tagged.

Note: If the file set fails to include every track from each CD, the tracklist will be misaligned with the tag list and hence mistagging will occur.

Notes

1 The 'disc_tin' field carries a TIN - see http://wiki.tango.info/mul/Tango_Information_Number .