iTunes metadata and artwork

I was out of commission all day today. I'll check this out tomorrow. Thanks!

BTW, I ran into some major artwork issues.

I have a lot of different folders where my music resides. Interestingly, I went into Folders/view/show system files. I wanted to make sure I saw everything in the folder. Some folders had a lot of artwork. Some had only a few. And some had none, even though I know there was artwork. These showed as "folder.jpg." Each one was named the same so there could be hundreds of file names with that same name.

I also went to create some folder structure (planning ahead as to what I hope to do). On a totally separate drive, independent of itunes, I created a main folder; MUSIC, then had some artists folders, then album folders for each artist. What I did was copy the file from the drive it was in and pasted it into the respective album.

I know you don't have much experience you said at PLEX, but I did add a library - which was basically that drive/MUSIC - and it brought in the few artist/albums I had created. Mysteriously (and frustratingly) it only showed some correct artwork.

So I think what's happening is that some of this artwork is either corrupt, or I'm not understanding how PLEX works (which is possible - I'm barely learning how that works myself).

I may try converting wav to lossless or AIFF and sending them directly to this new HD. Then grab artwork off the net or somewhere and then bring into PLEX and see if that matters.

What's bewildering to me is that the art is always correct in my iTunes library. Why it doesn't make it to other destinations is weird.

Anyway, I'll be back at it tomorrow and check out what you did.

Thanks so much!

I do see many "same album cover" in both larger and smaller images."

I don't really use WMP - in fact it's not even installed.

In Plex, I have it set to use my local folders for images, not LastFM (which I believe is a place for artwork to apply to a users library). I don't have that checked.

Can you explain what you mean when you say PLEX can read embedded artwork but not iTunes downloaded art?

i don't usually use iTunes Store for artwork as I've found it uses too many incorrect artwork. For example, it might use a greatest hits album for an artist instead of the correct album itself.

Should I go through the folders and delete all the folder.jpg files? Or just leave those be and have you come up with something in a tool that will do that?

i did notice also that there was only one image in this one folder but it was the image PLEX used across multiple playlists inside their program. Kind of weird.

I feel like theres a handshake waiting to happen here that i don't have figured out, or am not fully understanding yet.

Since the itunes Artwork folder is in the C My music drive and 99% of my music is on a different drive, is that a problem/issue?

When you say you are going to allow me to change format as part of this, is that a script that will have to do with converting song file type (lossless or AIFF of even 320 MP3) or am I misunderstanding once again?

ill try to follow your earlier instructions tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Thank you as always!

I meant to add last night that I checked the "folder.jpg" in a folder as it relates to the CFA script. I found a folder that had no such file. Then I ran your script in iTunes just to see what would happen and it put the folder.jpg back in the folder. Is that how it should work? I can test it again but I forgot to add that to my reply last night. Thanks!

YOU SAID: iTunes already has a feature that

lets you selectively consolidate files into its standard layout 

ME: What does that mean? How does that apply to

what we're doing?

YOU SAID: I have another script that allows you

more control with longer file and folder names than iTunes uses (40 char max.),

better character substitution for those that cannot be used in a file path

(iTunes uses _ for all of them), a custom layout based on file properties, etc.

ME: So if I have a folder longer than 40 char

max, that's an issue?

YOU SAID: iTunes doesn't generate any artwork

in the music folders, but it has a separate artwork cache using a custom layout

and image format. iTunes may associate downloaded artwork with a track without

embedding it in the tag.

ME: I'm slightly confused.

YOU SAID: If/when you let iTunes rearrange files

and folders (the Keep organized option) iTunes will ignore any images and leave

them behind when moving things around.

ME: 

Should I check that box under preferences/advanced?  I've never done that for whatever reason.

YOU SAID: Third party software such as Plex

should be able to read embedded art, but not iTunes downloaded art, which might

explain some of the discrepancies.

ME:  So

if I get the artwork from the iTunes store ("get album artwork") it

won't, but it would read artwork I pasted into iTunes? As I said, my album

covers probably constitute 85-90% of my library with the remainder being iTunes

ones.

YOU SAID: 

Plex also has its own tools for grabbing metadata, although I'm more

familiar with seeing what it does with movies.

ME: I'm not sure.  Perhaps this could be causing issues? This is

where I pointed PLEX to?  Even though

most of my music resides in the MP3 Master folder with a lot of folders under

it. BTW, I also pasted the XML and ITL files in that drive because I'd read

something about that. Perhaps that's mucking things up as well?

YOU SAID: To test it I first used the script to export metadata and artwork for a sample track. I then used iTunes to create a

copy of that track in Apple Lossless format

ME: Did you run the export/import script first above?  Are you saying you highlighted a track in iTunes and said to create a copy of that into lossless?  Was this just for demonstrative purposes? Taking a 160 file to lossless wouldn't be apropos would it?

YOU SAID: .. edited or removed most of the metadata from the ALAC version, including the artwork and the lyrics. I then

removed the ALAC copy from the library without deleting the file, and moved the original .mp3 to a new folder to break the link to the library. Next I ran the ExportImport script in import mode

ME: Are you talking about running the "export" and then running the "import" script - I'm confused as it's just one script isn't it? How does it know which it is doing?

YOU SAID: ..by dragging and dropping the exported metadata file onto the script. The script connected the now-broken

entry in the library that was pointed at the missing .mp3 file to the new .m4a ALAC replacement, and restored the correct metadata including artwork image and lyrics.

ME: So at what point did you move the ALAC version back into the library or into the folder the 160 resided in?

YOU SAID: Apple Lossless version with edited metadata to simulate a fresh conversion from a .wav original. Note I'm not

using the iTunes features to keep the media folder organized, so changing properties here doesn't change the filename or location:

ME: You didn't indicate a .wav file above. You said you converted to ALAC within iTunes on the original file I thought. I'm

confused here.  Again, should I use the "keep media folder organized"? And just what does that do (or not) related to your last sentence above?

And I'm confused by the screen shots for the export/import.  Does your script know that you've run it once and then when you run it again it runs the other part?  Here's the two script views in your captures:

YOU SAID: And the library now has an Apple Lossless version instead of the mp3 copy, with all of the same metadata:

ME: I'm kind of lost, I'm so sorry to say.  Perhaps if you could list the steps without images and your flow, that would help. 

I can give it a try but there's one spot here that I'm very confused by - which is the first part where you talked about

making a copy within iTunes.

Thanks!

I went back to your exchange yesterday and noticed you did list the sequence. So I'm not supposed to move out the old song? Should I follow this order? I'm so sorry - you're trying so hard to help me with this so know how much I appreciate it. I'm just trying to make sure I'm doing the right thing. And you said below you updated the EI script - but you updated it again on your post this morning so I'm assuming that's the one I should use - but still follow the sequence below? (Or if the sequence has changed per your last post, I'd appreciate it if you could do the list like this (though the screen shots you added help as well).

Yesterday....

YOU SAID: Hi,

I've updated ExportImport to capture artwork. This is the easier tweak. When running in export mode an image is created for each unique album and saved in same folder as the script in the form <Artist> - <Album>.jpg and another line is added to the exported information for that track. In the import phase the current file is checked to see it it has art, and if not, and if there is an image at the saved path, then it is inserted. As a test I used the script to export data for 27 tracks from three albums. I then removed the artwork and used the import mode to restore the artwork.

So step by step:

1. Select some tracks that you want to upgrade in iTunes.
2. Run the ExportImport script.
3. Replace the low resolution files with your higher rate conversions, in the same file format, and at the same paths.
4. Drag and drop the Export Import [<Date> <Time>].txt file that was created onto the ExportImport script.
5. Review the updated files in the library and Explorer to check that all the properties have been restored, artwork embedded, etc.

ME: So I'm to add the new version alongside the existing 160 quality one? When you say replace, I take it to me, copy over it. But if it's a different file extension, it won't save it but will have the new quality.

After reviewing the code for the script I've seen how you can use it to upgrade, for example, mp3 to Apple Lossless. Step 3.1 would be to edit the exported data file in a text editor

ME: You've lost me at your point above.

and perform a search and replace operation to change .mp3 to .m4a before saving the file. As long as you've removed the .mp3 files the script will attempt to relink iTunes to the path specified in the text file.

ME: I'm sorry, this still isn't making sense to me.

I should be able to add in something more elegant during the import phase that checks for the existence of a file at the location noted during export of <path>.ext and, if it isn't there, looks to see if there is a file with another valid extension from the list <path>.aif, <path>.mp3, <path>.m4a, <path>.wav, etc. If a potential match is found the script can then relink iTunes to that file before restoring the other properties.

ME: Hopefully you won't lose patience with me. I'm usually pretty good with this stuff (I build my own computers, I'm in radio, have created software companies and generally am pretty astute - but I'm not grasping the flow of this. Where I'm getting off-track is the export import, text file, replace this, edit that, import this, etc. It's all confusing me. :(

Sorry. Thanks.

I will review your posts. I was working on this when you sent and I didn't see. I was trying some things out so let me post my notes and then go back over what you sent tomorrow.

I tried to follow your instructions.  One thing I have zero clue about is when you talk about dragging and dropping this .txt file that is generated onto the script.  What does that mean? I drop it onto the .vbs file that that's script?  I was able to generate the .txt file of course and it saved to a location where the song was before I moved it into the folder where the 160 was.  In other words;

1.     I converted the .wav file and had it store in a temporary folder

2.     I then moved that to the folder where the 160 MP3 was (at some point in your instructions)

3.     I ran the script but the script put the .txt file in the temporary folder where the converted song was.  And this is not the song that has the metadata on it yet.  Here's the .txt that was created (this is one from the other day when I tried it - the actual one I did today is on a different computer):

Do I drag this content over, or the actual file that was saved? And where do I drag and drop it onto? The script? So I do that each time for each song? And what happens if I have a whole bunch of songs? Do I have to do this one at a time? That would take a ton of work.

I am so confused. 

I guess in its most simplistic form, let's assume I have converted a .wav file to ALAC (or AIFF or even MP3@320). (Side note: Do I do anything with the CreateFolderArt script or is that not relative anymore?)

 So what do I do next with this new higher quality song? Do I add it to iTunes first, while the 160 version is still there?

Do I add the .wav file to iTunes and convert to ALAC there? (I don't want to do it that way)

Do I move out the 160 file before I add the higher quality?

At what point do I run the Export script?

What do I do after I run it? When do I run it again? 

Where do I put the script? You mentioned dropping it onto the script but I'm clueless as to what you mean.

I'm sure it's somewhat maddening when you know the stuff so well but I just want to be clear as to what to do. So again, I think a very succinct list of steps to take would be really helpful.

Thanks again!!

YOU SAID:

1. Drag and drop the Export Import [<Date> <Time>].txt file that was created in step 2 onto the ExportImport script.

ME: I still don't understand what you mean. Drag it onto the exportImport script? I know to double click the script which starts the ball rolling. There's a .txt file that is created. I get that. So what I don't grasp AT ALL is dragging and dropping it onto the EI script. Do you mean dropping it onto the actual .vbs file? That doesn't seem right. I tried dragging the inside text from the .txt onto the first window that was open when the script ran but it blocked me from doing anything. Am I supposed to drag the actual .txt onto the first screen that comes up when I first run the script? I did not do that yet.

let me know. I'm so sorry for not grasping this. Maybe you could capture a short video showing what you're doing? That would be really helpful.

Sure appreciate your efforts and Thanks so much!!!

You can see the album art is there, but the album, title, year, and genre are not showing. Here it is blown up a bit:

Is there something wrong? Is there a step I didn't do?  Shouldn't this be showing?  I opened a ID3 metadata program I use and it is not showing there either:

Before I move to do these for a great many files, I need to make sure that the data is there.  If it stored the metadata as your script .txt file shows, and I drag that .txt file back onto the script, isn't that supposed to put it back?  Again, it shows perfectly fine in iTunes itself - but then the CFA script did as well. 

I've been playing around with things today to see if I could make headway. I noticed some things which I'm not sure are helpful or not.

In Windows, I set the folder to "show hidden files" and in Folders (such as 1700's, or 1800's, etc.) there are a ton of album art images. Yet if I go to my other computer - same music, same structure (basically copied onto that computer several years ago) - there are none in any of the folders I checked. I compared my Windows Folder settings (show hidden files) to make sure that was the same. How can my main computer have thing and the other doesn't? In the 1700's folder there are 1337 songs and 715 album art images for example.

And I went and many albums have the wrong artwork showing up in Windows but are correct in iTunes.

In a folder (1800's), there's an Elvis Presley song and it shows artwork with it. But in iTunes, there is no artwork on it.

And when I did Plex, I noticed this same image showing up multiple times for different playlists (meaning it's sort of like the main overview for a folder - if you follow) (I can send an image if you'd like). That image is simply called "folder.jpg." There appears to be one of those in each folder I checked, though not all. Some have a couple.

I also noticed an AIFF file I had been working with (converting the original .wav and testing your scripts) actually had the metadata on it and it was in iTunes. If I could remember what I did, I would try to replicate it. In fact I did try a number of things but I couldn't do it on other songs. Here's that song in Windows. I did nothing to the file inside iTunes.

This file was in a folder that was not in the same group of folders, but I tried other files to see if that could be why. Nonetheless, I remain baffled and strapped as I can't find out what is going on.

Can I delete all these albumart files inside each folder?

I hope to hear from you soon to see if you've found anything else out. Basically everything looks good and works in iTunes with your scripts (CFA and EI) but not in Windows Explorer (doesn't shown metadata). I tried you UpdateTagInfo yesterday but didn't get any positive outcome.

BTW, I can delete these jpegs and .txt files that are accumulating in the folder where your scripts are, correct?

Thanks!

That sounds intriguing. I'll give it a shot tonight or tomorrow morning.

The dBPower amp program is something I recently got so it would not have been used for .wav files. It's interesting that you can add tags to .wav with it. I have all these songs in .wav that took ages to burn, (I'm in the radio business I told you so I have a massive library) so I'd like to not have to burn them all again just to get tags on. I wonder if there's a way to use that program to put on existing wav? Do you see a way? If so, I could just add wav files to iTunes - as that would be the best sound quality. And Sonos, Plex, Sonology, iTunes all support it.

Related to the .wav and dBPower - you said; "I then used iTunes to rip the same album as .wav to get a more representative set of files." What is different with those .wav than dBAmp? Is it just the codec or process DB uses versus iTunes?

I'll try what you did and see if it works like your testing showed. I'll get the new version. BTW, how can I tell which version of EI script it is? I've downloaded several now but, even if I go to properties on the file, I'm not seeing a version number.

Great work - I hope it works. Let me know what you find out (if anything) on dbAmp. It would be awesome if I could just add the existing .wav - instead of converting. If not, that's fine.

BTW, have you tried this as AIFF files? Just curious.

Thanks so much!!!

YOU SAID: See my two posts on Artwork files on the previous page. It is possible to copy folders without including hidden files, and WMP may create such hidden images without you being aware of it doing so.

Me: I'll check that out!

YOU SAID: If it is only a few tracks that are affected you can copy the art in iTunes from the Song Info > Artwork tab, then paste the image into the small square at the top left to re-embed it. I can also write another script that exports images in the same way as ExportImport currently does, so that the right image is always used. Thinking about it I'm going to make those scripts make use of an Album Artwork folder in the same folder as the script so the artwork doesn't clutter up the working folder.

ME: At this moment, 98% of the files in my iTunes for a given album are scattered among a lot of different folders. It's just how the "radio" CD library I have was done. This is from a company called TM, and they are good quality files and they have different libraries such as "Classic Rock, Oldies, Country, Urban-Hip Hop, A/C, etc." and so an album by Springsteen might be included in a 600 series classic rock, or 500 for example (and each series has upwards of 100 CDs. So this is why I am going to end up revamping all this once I get this all figured out. I'll have Artist/Album - and then will copy these song files scattered around into the right album. So one album, all songs from the album. Now I do have a ton of these albums such as "Born To Run" by Springsteen as an example, but that will be more work than I need to do.

So if your script(s) can make this work, that would be excellent. If you need me to, I can take an example album and show you the different folders they're in. Sometimes, many or most are in one folder. But even if they are, they're organized by Folder (e.g. "500, 1700's, Superhits", etc.) and not Artist. Let me know when to try any updated scripts - and how to do it.

YOU SAID: A possibility is that you're .wav files aren't as devoid of metadata as I'd previously assumed. dBpoweramp seems to have added an extension to the file properties dialog in Windows Explorer which is able to display and edit tag data in .wma files. When I used it to convert the .wav files that it had ripped all of the metadata was also present in the Apple Lossless files that it made.

ME: As mentioned, dBPoweramp was not used to burn any .wav files in my library. Per my previous post in reply, is there a way to use this program to achieve the end results we're aiming at?

YOU SAID: Yes, assuming you don't want them for anything. In the second Artwork files post on the previous page I discuss another script that can systematically archive or delete these unwanted files so you don't have to go through each folder by hand.

ME: I'll give that a try.

Thanks. I'll let you know what I find out!