Help with converting FLAC to ALAC while retaining metadata and cover art

Question

Level 2

224 points

Help with converting FLAC to ALAC while retaining metadata and cover art

Hi,

I've decided to embark on the long trek to convert my 18k+ FLAC music library into ALAC. I've decided on ALAC for mainly 2 reasons: iTunes/iPhone/iMac/Sonos compatibility and my desire to keep with a lossless format.

My library is pretty eclectic; I have quite a bit of classical music along with many other genres. I have spent quite a bit of time maintaining the correct tag information; I do not want to lose any of this info that I've painstakingly added to my library over the years. The tags that I use on my FLAC files are:

Filename
Title
Artist
Album
Album Artist
Disc Number
Disc Count
Compilation
Comment
Year
Genre
Track
Composer
Orchestra
Conductor
Performer
Length
Modified
Path

I want to be especially sure that I maintain the data in Composer, Orchestra, Performer and Conductor in my migration to ALAC. I also want to include my CD art in each track (many of which I had to scan since some of my CD's are not available for sale). The CD covers are stored in a "folder.jpg" file in the path of each CD's contents. I would really like the automated conversion process to pick up each "folder.jpg" and embed it in the appropriate tracks.

I have a license for dbPowerAmp, so I can do the conversion on the Windows side if need be (I have BootCamp set up and use Fusion), but I would prefer to do everything in Mac.

I am hoping that some of you good folks will offer up comments about the feasibility of this endeavor, and advise me on possible tools to use, paths to take, pitfalls to watch out for, etc.

Thank you for your time.

Mike

24" iMac 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo/1 TB/4 GB/WinXP Pro SP3/VMWare Fusion.., Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Sep 15, 2009 9:34 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 15, 2009 9:55 AM in response to ScuseMe

Give Max a try. Not only a superb-quality CD ripper, but a multi-purpose audio conversion tool with support for all manner of formats.

http://sbooth.org/Max/

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Answer 2

ScuseMe Author

Level 2

224 points

Sep 15, 2009 10:47 AM in response to Easybourne

Hi Easybourne,

I've been experimenting with Max for a few days now. It does the conversion from FLAC to ALAC fine, but I cannot get it to embed my folder.jpg's in the tracks.

I don't want to attach the thousands of cover art files manually to each track. There may be a setting somewhere to do this automatically, but I haven't found it.

Mike

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Answer 3

KelchM

Level 1

41 points

Sep 15, 2009 11:17 AM in response to ScuseMe

Yeah, I don't think Max will do Embedded Album Art.

I think XLD will, though. You can download XLD here: http://tmkk.hp.infoseek.co.jp/xld/index_e.html

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I don't think that XLD will pick up folder.jpg album art.

EDIT2: Also, I'd be careful using the DBPA ALAC encoder. I'd stick with using the official ALAC encoder via iTunesEncode... Assuming it still works. http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=35242

Message was edited by: KelchM

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Answer 4

ScuseMe Author

Level 2

224 points

Sep 15, 2009 11:34 AM in response to KelchM

Hi KelchM,

I also tried XLD, but it won't pick up my album art 😟

dBpoweramp does, but I'd like to do the conversion on the Mac side if at all possible.

Thanks for the link about the ALAC encoder; I'll take a look at that thread.

Mike

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Answer 5

ScuseMe Author

Level 2

224 points

Sep 16, 2009 8:47 AM in response to ScuseMe

Well, I've spent the last 2 days trying to find some way to automate the addition of my album art when I do the conversion. But the only way I can find to do this is to use dBpoweramp on the Windows side. Using dBpoweramp, once the FLAC's are converted to ALAC, iTunes picks up the embedded album art just fine.

I guess I'll need to dust off that old Voodoo XP machine and do the conversion there. I hope that dBpoweramp's ALAC encoder is as good as the company says it is. Luckily, I have plenty of space to keep both the FLACs and the ALACs. Just in case.

Mike

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Answer 6

ScuseMe Author

Level 2

224 points

Oct 4, 2009 4:14 PM in response to ScuseMe

I finally got done with the conversion. It took 2 weeks running XLD of 24x7, but at last it's over with.

I first used iTunes "download missing album art" to start the process. It populated about 50% of my collection, but I found that many of the album art was wrong. For instance, with collections (various artists) it populated the album art from the first track; with others, it put in the wrong album cover for the right CD. These were mostly because iTunes would get a contemporary cover, where my cover was from an older pressing of the disk.

I purchased a program called TuneUp which has helped with my missing album artwork, and also with correcting typos. But even with using TuneUp, I probably have a couple of weeks worth of work left to do.

Then comes the renaming of the Classical music tracks.

Mike

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