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Level 7

22,506 points

Compilation albums in iTunes 11

This thread is as a result of a post in December 2012, in another thread ( https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3566848?answerId=20450908022#20450908022 ) by jacdan. I felt it would be preferable if this discussion was kept separate from the original post.

Until now, iTunes regarded a Compilation Album as one with multiple artists, but the music industry and consequently a lot of the entries on Gracenote regarded an album by a single artist - but with songs from various stages of their career - as a compilation. Looking at the Artist list in iTunes, there was no entry for "Various Artists", and albums were instead listed under "Compilations". This has meant for example, that not only was "Now XX listed under Compilations, but so too was "The Whole Story" by Kate Bush (a compilation of her earlier work). If that was the only album of hers in my Library, her name would not be listed in the Artists section. I also found it necessary to fill in the Album Artist field on Compilation albums with "Various Artist".

With iTunes 11, in the Artists section of the Library, Compilation Albums (by various artists) are now listed under Various Artists. I discovered several albums in my Library that did not have "Various Artists" in the album name field and these were listed under "Compilations" instead. Completeing the Album Artist field has sucessfuly moved those albums to Various Artists. The "Compilations" within the Artists section has now disappeared.

However, what is not quite clear, is when or how albums do get put into the Compilation section. I have experimented with the Kate Bush album, and a Mike & The Mechanics album, to see if I could get them to be entered into the "Compilations" section, but without success.

So perhaps this is actually a fix in iTunes 11. It just remains tro sort out why I cannot get Kate's "The Whole Story" into the Compilations section.

Phil

Posted on Dec 1, 2012 4:08 AM

23 replies

dan4ster

Level 1

20 points

Dec 10, 2012 4:47 PM in response to the fiend

Hello. I think I have a solution. At least it solved my problem. I made a post here that should cover it:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4567503?answerId=20555622022#20555622022

I hope that helps!

Message was edited by: dan4ster - fixed link

Mar 10, 2013 5:04 PM in response to the fiend

You can have it listed in search. This works for me. Click on the Artist view pane. Then type the artist name in the search box. Ignore the Spolight-style pop-up that appears below and intead just press Enter/Return. Then it will list anything with that Artist name. Even compilations, Various Artsists etc, as long as the correct name is in the "Artist" field for that track.

I didn't read all these posts; too many. But hope this helps. I was going nuts with that feature too. Just needs some trial and error.

Dec 25, 2013 2:13 PM in response to the fiend

Ok. because all I'm reading is mumbo jumbo up there I'm going to try and explain my current predicament.

i've got albums which have got many artist in them. When i tell itunes that it is a compilation album its brings the album together in the one group. however i also want to find each song in the artists folder/page and the songs are not in there. my album artist tag is empty because each song is written by a different artist.

when the album is not a complation album i can find all the songs in each artists folder page... however the album is split up into 30 different albums because obviously i haven't told itunes to group them.

⚠so how do you have a compliation album with each song also showing in each different artists artist folder?⚠

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

the fiend Author

Level 7

22,506 points

Dec 25, 2013 4:38 PM in response to Olympic Striker

Hi Olympic Striker:

It's all a bit very confusing, I know. No wonder Bernard Knight's head was hurting him!

One year on, with iTunes 11.1.3.8, although the situation has changed slightly - i.e. I cannot reproduce exactly the same condition as when I first posted about this - there is still an issue. I think it's basically the issue you have.

In the Songs view in iTunes, when I highlight an artist, it lists all their songs, no matter which album those songs appear on, so it includes songs by that artist, but appearing on compilation albums (by various artists). I believe this is the logical way to do it. However, looking at the same artist in the Artists View, it fails to show the songs by them that are on "various artists" (compilation) albums. See Fleetwood Mac in the screenshots below:

... seven albums shown in Songs View. But on the Artists View:

...and of course, this means that when looking at the Artists View, a whole load of their stuff is not shown! Maybe it's just me, but I think it's totally illogical.

So the way for you to look at a particular artist, and see all the songs you have in your Library, you need to look at the Songs View and with the Column Browser displayed (as I have in the top screenshot).

Perhaps someone out there can see Apple's logic here. But - if (like me) you own an IPod Classic, when I look for Fleetwood Mac in the Artists View, I can see all seven of the albums on which they appear, which is what I expect, and need, the iPod to do.

However - (sorry), there is another issue of which you need to be aware. If an artist appears on only a Various Artists album, that artist does not appear in the Artists View in your iTunes Library.

For example, on the compilation album below is one track by Brian Eno and another track by Klaus Schulze:

But only Klaus Schulze is listed under Artists, because I have an album of his in my Library. But because Brian Eno appears only on compilation albums (in my Library), he is missing from the Artists list in Songs View:

and...:

All is not totaly lost though. In my first screenshot, notice the information below the Column Browser, in particular the Artist. Let's look for Brian Eno:

and with Brian Wilson further down. All the other Brians in between appear only on compilations, which is why we only see them now.

The final twist!

While preparing these screenshots, when I first looked at the final shot, Brian Wilson was missing! I switched views and then came back to this one. Now - Brian Wilson was there! So the moral of that is - iTunes isn't perfect. Perhaps Apple will fix that one in the next iTunes update!

Dec 25, 2013 10:59 PM in response to the fiend

im pretty sure this has been done on purpose. i mean it would be easier to always show albums and songs in the artist view. i know common sense has been wiped off the planet but seriously this is plain stupid and if anyone in apple software was close to normal they would have already ironed this one out.

no wonder everyone is buying galaxy's

from the idiot that bought a iMac, iPad and 5s... go samsung

turingtest2

Level 10

272,773 points

Dec 26, 2013 6:35 AM in response to Olympic Striker

Olympic Striker wrote:

⚠so how do you have a compliation album with each song also showing in each different artists artist folder?⚠

Leave Album Artist blank, then in the Artists view use View > Show View Options (CTRL+J) and untick Group Compilations.

tt2

Dec 26, 2013 3:28 PM in response to turingtest2

im more worried about my iPhone/iPad. can you do the same changes in the settings for these products running the latest software?

turingtest2

Level 10

272,773 points

Dec 26, 2013 3:35 PM in response to Olympic Striker

Settings > Music > Group By Album Artist > Off.

Should list all artists, even those that only appear on compilations. May cause break up of album as, as far as I recall, the iOS music app doesn't process "part of a compilation". Leaving Album Artist filled in, e.g. as Various Artists, may get the view you want on the iPhone/iPad.

tt2

Compilation albums in iTunes 11