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Q: Missing Cover Art after update to 12.5.1.21

I just updated to 12.5.1.21.  I usually replace the audio book cover art with a jpg that has more resolution.  All of these replaced images are gone. (windows version of itunes- win 10)

 

1) Right click on a book..Choose "Get Info"...Click on "Artwork" Tab [Note: NO slider bar below artwork]

2) The OLD artwork is shown....Click on "Add Artwork"..... Choose new artwork (jpg) & click "Open"

3) New Artwork appears AND the Slider bar appears below artwork window

4) Using the slider I can see BOTH New & Old artwork. Note the following:

     a) You can 'add' the same (or different) artwork several times and each additional image will appear

     b) Sometimes you can right click on an image and choices to "delete" or "get" artwork are shown

     c) Choosing "Delete Artwork" makes the image disappear in the Artwork window - the slider bar shows it's gone

     b) BUT after clicking OK... the OLD image is back as the cover art AND if you right click .."Get Info".."Artwork"

          the New images you've added are gone!

Recap

All added images to audio books prior to 12.5.1.21  are gone (ie not in Get Info...Artwork - NO slider). Only old artwork.

If you add a new image to a audio book (Get Info,,Artwork...Add Artwork) it disappears when you click OK.

So.. right now if you upgrade you both loose any book covers you've added AND you can't add them back (think 500 books and custom covers....)

 

I should also add that this is not the 1st time an update has broken something with audio books. Usually Apple fixes it within 3 to 6 months.

Thanks,

John

Posted on Sep 13, 2016 4:52 PM

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Q: Missing Cover Art after update to 12.5.1.21

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  • by hhgttg27,

    hhgttg27 hhgttg27 Sep 13, 2016 5:03 PM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 5 (5,407 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 13, 2016 5:03 PM in response to Phillyacct

    Are these Audible (.aa) files?  If so, I can confirm the problem in 12.5.1.  I suspect that Apple have disabled the previous behavior where (unlike all other formats) modifying artwork for .aa files created a reference to a separate image file, rather than changing the embedded image within the audio file. 

  • by Phillyacct,

    Phillyacct Phillyacct Sep 14, 2016 4:12 AM in response to hhgttg27
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 14, 2016 4:12 AM in response to hhgttg27

    Yes, you're right they're "aa" files.  Oh well....

    Thanks,

    John

  • by Phillyacct,

    Phillyacct Phillyacct Sep 14, 2016 5:36 AM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 14, 2016 5:36 AM in response to Phillyacct

    I've just tested the following, but it takes a long time:

    1) Convert file to MP3

    2) Find it, and import into itunes

    3) Find it in itunes (it may not be where you think it is [unknown artist] & edit [get info] the file for

        Name,Media Type, Artist, Media Kind [options tab]

    4) If you've done this part correctly, your new mp3 file should show up under Author

    5) Now for the tricky part:  I can't seem to make a change to the artwork that 'sticks' using itunes.

         At the file level [Book level... File Level = Part 1, Part 2, ...] I can make a permanent change but

         not at the Book level.  SO... Using an MP3 editor [note 2 pieces of software -converter & editor]

         you can copy the new image & paste it into the mp3 file.

    6) I've tested this method & it works (for me!) - but it's a lot of work (see above..500 books) & I'd just

         as soon not break the DRM on the AA files (it's an itunes problem not an Audible one).

    If you've followed so far, I have a question:

         Does anyone know of an "AA" editor - Can you change the embedded image in the "AA" file              without converting it to an MP3 file?

    Thanks,

    John

  • by superyan,

    superyan superyan Sep 15, 2016 5:16 AM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 15, 2016 5:16 AM in response to Phillyacct

    I had the same thing happen.  I buy most of my music on Amazon because they give MP3 files or rip form CDs.  Everything that was was purchased on iTunes still has it.  Everything else has the artwork in the individual files, but not in the artist list.

     

    It's my fault for installing the update on the first day.  Hope they come up with something.

  • by Denmark user,

    Denmark user Denmark user Sep 17, 2016 9:40 AM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 17, 2016 9:40 AM in response to Phillyacct

    Hi All.

    I have the same problem. I just discovered that of all the songs/album i have, it is only the songs/albums that I have transferred to my iPhone that are missing the art in iTunes. All other songs/albums in my library, that I haven't put on my phone still have album art

  • by Phillyacct,

    Phillyacct Phillyacct Sep 18, 2016 12:32 PM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 18, 2016 12:32 PM in response to Phillyacct

    OK..I found a work around but it takes a while.

    KEY ITEM: Start playing the file you want to edit (??? Why ???) BEFORE you edit.

    Example: Nevada Barr - Firestorm Part 1 & 2

    1  Start Part 1 playing

    2  Select Part 1..Right Click..Get Info..Artwork Tab...Add Artwork...Browse to New Image & select..OK

    3  Now start part 2 Playing & repeat.

    4  After you're done, click on another author, then click back. Your changes should remain (mine did)

     

    A lot of work, perhaps I'll wait for Apple to fix the problem.

     

    John

  • by Phillyacct,

    Phillyacct Phillyacct Sep 18, 2016 12:41 PM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 18, 2016 12:41 PM in response to Phillyacct

    Sorry... this only works while the file is playing! Once you start another file, you changes are gone.

    Sorry for the incorrect info.

    We'll have to wait for Apple to fix.

    John

  • by Original Evie,

    Original Evie Original Evie Sep 20, 2016 4:41 PM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 20, 2016 4:41 PM in response to Phillyacct

    This is awesome. Thanks so much. It was doing my head in googling and finding no answer to fix it. I do have a question though, I have one audible file that has the extension .aax The artwork never changed for this and it plays, but when I tried changing the other files to .aax they wouldn't play. Why? Thanks.

  • by Original Evie,

    Original Evie Original Evie Sep 20, 2016 5:12 PM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 20, 2016 5:12 PM in response to Phillyacct

    Ok I get what you mean now. Haha. Just transferred some to my phone and the artwork disappeared on the phone and iTunes. I should read all the three before getting too excited. Thanks for your effort though.

  • by Original Evie,

    Original Evie Original Evie Sep 20, 2016 5:37 PM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 20, 2016 5:37 PM in response to Phillyacct

    Figured how to fix it!!
    There is not a problem with the artwork showing on .aax audible files. These are the Enhanced files. You will need to go into your audible account and re-download the files in an enhanced format. Screen Shot 2016-09-21 at 10.33.48 AM.png
    The files are about double the size of a Format 4 file. The Format 4 files (.aa) seem to be the ones reverting the artwork back to the original horrible pixel artwork.
    Just delete the old files from your iTunes library and replace with the enhanced files. They synced over fine to my iPhone 6sPlus just fine.

  • by hhgttg27,

    hhgttg27 hhgttg27 Sep 20, 2016 6:24 PM in response to Original Evie
    Level 5 (5,407 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 20, 2016 6:24 PM in response to Original Evie

    Yes, this does seem to work (based on a small sample, the image embedded in an "enhanced" Audible file is 500x500px, i.e., similar to that used for music downloads from iTunes or Amazon).

     

    This definitely comes under the category of "major irritation" since to restore the associated artwork images to a similar resolution that I had prior to 12.5.1 I'll need to:

     

    • redownload more than 200 audiobooks (excluding those purchased from Audible in the past but which are no longer available)
    • update the metadata for all of these so that they are sorted as I prefer within iTunes
    • make sure that I have more than double the disc space previously used to store Audible files in two different iTunes libraries, backups of both those libraries, and an archive of the "as downloaded" files.

     

    This seems a lot of effort to work around a change in the latest version of iTunes.  I'll certainly be pointing out to Audible that it seems ridiculous to be forced to download the largest files they offer, with audio quality exceeding that normally needed for spoken word material, just to get a usable artwork image.

  • by Original Evie,

    Original Evie Original Evie Sep 20, 2016 6:34 PM in response to hhgttg27
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 20, 2016 6:34 PM in response to hhgttg27

    I only had about 20 audible files. So not too much damage. These are mostly my kids books. The files don't seem to be too big compared to CD's we have imported which seem to have bigger files for the same amount of time running.

     

    I'm no expert on Audible I've only been connected for 12 months, but shouldn't all your files be in your account purchases? Isn't that the whole point of clouding information?

     

    I get the irritation though.

  • by Phillyacct,

    Phillyacct Phillyacct Sep 21, 2016 4:53 AM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 21, 2016 4:53 AM in response to Phillyacct

    OK...Here's my take on the matter:

    1) It's audible's fault that there does not exist a 'Tag' editor for "AA" files.

    2) Since Apple chose to support "AA" files (apple is very choosy is which file formats they support), and offered the ability to edit 'aa' files for artwork, it's their fault that that ability is broken & they should fix it.  This is not the 1st time Apple has 'broken' something having to do with audible files (competition?),  they usually fix it after 2 to 6 months.

    3) For myself, I'm not going to:

         a) Download audible files that are 3-4 times the size of format 4 - just to get a good cover image

         b) Convert files to MP3 & break audible DRM (it's apple's problem not audible's).

    So.."Audible: Please make a 'Tag' editor available for 'aa' files." & "Apple: please fix what you broke in itunes 12.5.1.21"

     

    John

  • by hhgttg27,

    hhgttg27 hhgttg27 Sep 21, 2016 7:35 PM in response to Phillyacct
    Level 5 (5,407 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 21, 2016 7:35 PM in response to Phillyacct

    One additional quirk here is that although iTunes 12.5.1 cannot alter the artwork image for Audible .aa files it seems to still support this for the "extended" format (.aax) files.  This suggests that the behavior for .aa files is a bug in 12.5.1 rather than an intentional change.