Mass tagging with Mp3tag

WORK IN PROGRESS

Mass tagging

Requirements

• Track files and their parent folders need to be named as follows:
• Each track file name starts with the track number.
• Each tracks parent folder name contains somewhere:
  • for a single-CD album, the album barcode number;
  • for each CD in a multi-CD album, the album barcode number, followed by dash (minus), followed by the CD number.
• Examples:
  My Music\El rey del compas (1941-1943) 828766933420\1 El rey del compás.mp3
  My Music\40 Grandes Exitos (CD1 of 2) 8427328146067-1\01 Patotero sentimental.mp3
  My Music\40 Grandes Exitos (CD2 of 2) 8427328146067-2\01 Porteño y bailarín.mp3

Setup

1. Go here to download Mp3tag (freeware supported by donation) V2.39f or later, install and launch.
2. Select the following two lines (mouse to the start of the first, then click and hold as you drag to the end of the second):

   $filename(,ansi)$loop(%dummy%)$regexp($regexp($regexp(\%_directory%\%_filename_ext%,.*?(\d{12,14})(?:-(\d+))?.*?\\(\d+).*,$1-$2-$3),^(\d+)--(\d+),$1-1-$2),\\(.*)\\(.*),Error: track and/or album number missing from filename "$2", foldername "$1")
   $loopend()

   and click Edit | Copy.

3. In Mp3tag, click Tools | Options (you'll get the Mp3tag Options dialog box) and then in the left-side list click Export.
4. Click the starred page icon (you'll get a dialog box) and click OK (you'll get a Notepad window).
5. In the Notepad window, click Edit | Select All and then Edit | Paste (all lines will be replaced by the lines you copied above).
6. Click File | Save.
7. Leaving the Notepad window open, switch back to the Mp3tag Options dialog box.
8. In Export file name type c:\mp3tag.txt .
9. Uncheck Show selection dialog.
10. Click OK, again click Tools | Options, and click New Configuration (workaround for Mp3tag V2.38f bug, awaiting fix).
11. Click OK (the dialog box will close).

Step 1 - Retrieve tag data

1. Launch Mp3tag if not already running.
2. Click File | Change directory... and select the folder containing your album folders. To add further folders, use File | Add directory....
3. Click File | Export (you'll get a dialog box) and click Yes (you'll get a Notepad window showing a list of track references).
4. Look for any lines saying Error: track and/or album number missing.... For any you find, either:
   • correct the reported file/folder names to meet the naming requirements above e.g. using Windows Explorer, then go back to 2. above, or;
   • exclude them: in Mp3Tag, click Path (for helpful grouping), select each corresponding track and press Delete, then go back to 3. above.
5. Click Edit | Select All and then Edit | Copy.
6. Go to http://tools.tango.info/tagging4.php.
7. Click in the (unlabelled) text box, click Edit | Paste, and click Submit. You'll get a tag list in the lower text box.

You've retrieved the list of tag lines for your tracks.

Step 2 - Save the tag data

1. Click on in the lower (unlabelled) text box (this will the tag list) and then click Edit | Copy.
2. Switch back to the Notepad window (containing the track references list, still selected) and click Edit | Paste (the contents will be replaced by the tag list).
3. Inspect the tag list for any line starting Error::
   • Error: track not found... means tango.info has no data for this track - the track will simply be skipped.
   • Error: input not in recognised format () on the very last line is due to a known and otherwise harmless bug, and may safely be ignored (improvement planned.)
   • Error: followed by anything else means a serious problem has occured - do not proceed.
4. Click File | Save.

You've saved the tag lines for your tracks.

Step 3 - Put the tag data into your track files

1. Switch back to Mp3tag.
2. Click Edit | Select all files
3. Click Convert | Text file - Tag (you'll get a dialog box).
4. In Filename enter c:\mp3tag.txt.
5. In Format string enter

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

6. Click OK. You'll get a dialog box saying e.g. Tag extracted from text file ' c:\mp3tag.txt" and saved in 2024 of 2024 files.
7. Verify the two numbers are the same. If not, you probably made a mistake in copying or pasting - click Edit | Undo and try again from Step 1.

You've put the tag data into your track files. Mp3tag shows you the result.

Please consider donating to Mp3Tag here.