iTunes won't save mp3 tag edits

Question

iTunes won't save mp3 tag edits

Full disclosure: stuck on High Sierra and iTunes 12.8.

This was working totally fine yesterday, and now today I can't get iTunes to update song info on existing or newly added songs. It briefly shows the changes in the library window, but they vanish when you look at song info again.

Normally, there is a slight delay while the info is saved. If the same song is playing, it will drop for a split second. The delay is longer if the file is larger. Now there is 0 delay.

I havn't changed any iTunes settings since yesterday.

I tried restarting iTunes, with no change.

I tried restarting my Macbook, with no change.

I have tried converting the tag version, with no change.

I have tried re-importing as .m4a which DOES fix the issue, but only for .m4a. It's not realistic to re-encode my entire library, or every single file I want to edit a tag on or add to my library.

Any help?

MacBook Pro 17″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Mar 12, 2022 7:44 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Scott Bernard Author

Level 1

38 points

Mar 14, 2022 7:41 AM in response to Scott Bernard

Fixed!

I had iTunes playing music on my TV speakers, via AppleTV. As soon as I unselected/unchecked those speakers, iTunes worked normally again. I tested and the problem came back. It doesn't matter which track is being played vs. which track's tag is being edited.

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Answer 2

Mar 14, 2022 6:43 AM in response to Scott Bernard

Hello Scott,

We would suggest that you try starting up the system in what is called safe mode. This will help isolate this issue.

To start in safe mode, begin with the computer powered off. Follow the directions found here, depending on what type of Mac you have: How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

The computer will take longer to start in safe mode, and the screen may have some distorted video as it starts up. This is normal. Once you are logged in, use the system and test to see if the issue continues.

If everything seems to work as expected, go ahead and restart the computer normally and test again. Starting in safe mode forces the computer to run some disk checks similar to First Aid. This can resolve some issues.

Cheers.

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Answer 3

SnickZ.

Community Specialist

Mar 14, 2022 7:45 AM in response to Scott Bernard

That’s great to hear, Scott! We’re happy you were able to resolve the issue!

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

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iTunes won't save mp3 tag edits

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