iTunes losing MP3 tags

Hmm, I really don't understand what the issue is. Are you saying that when you "remove a song from your library" that iTunes forgets about it and doesn't "remember" it when you bring it back? And you find something wrong about this behavior?

As for storing data embedded in the MP3 file itself versus storing in the library file, there are quite a few trade-offs in both directions, so perhaps Apple has decided to change some data storage from the MP3 file back into the library file, and that's what has you upset?

Think of these points:
(a) if the song meta-data (eg title, composer, genre, beats-per-minute, play count, last time played) are all stored directly inside the MP3 file, then as libraries grow larger, the time to load and search a library becomes huge, because each song file has to be opened, and the meta-data read. That is, I think, the primary reason why data is stored inside a single library file for all of your song files, rather than distributed out into every song file.

(b) a side-effect of storing everything directly in the MP3 file is that for every meta-data change, which means every song play, because part of the meta-data is play count and last time played, the song file would have to be updated. The consequence being for those of us who use automated incremental backup regularly to backup any changed files, is that every song file we play in a given week (or whatever backup interval we use) would then be, once again, copied to a backup. I much prefer just having all of the "routine" changes like play count, stored in a single library file, so in a week where I only play music (but don't add anything to my library) only the library file itself is included in the incremental backup, not every song file that was played.





I do have to ask, however, why you find the behavior of frequently removing songs from your library and then putting them back in your library to be desirable? I can't think of any instance where I've actually done that (and I have quite a large, complex library of music). Care to spread some insight as to why that is something users would want to do?

If you really want meta-data written to every MP3 file, I don't see what's so annoying about using the "Convert Tags" option. Select a bunch, or all, of the songs in your library, and use "convert tags" to update every MP3 file with its updated tags from the library file. And for doing more complicated manipulations on song meta-data, you might want to check out Doug' Applescripts at: http://www.dougscripts.com/

There's all sorts of useful capabilities already written as scripts there.

Don't know that this will help in any way, because, as I said, I really don't understand excatly what your problem is, so I might have given completely irrelevant information. But anyway, at least it's a reply...

G4 Dual 1 GHz MDD, PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

I'm having problems with the newest version of iTunes when it comes to updating the ID3 tags. It did it just fine with the previous version. I regularly download free MP3 files. I would add them to the library and update the ID3 tag information. WHen I upgraded it the information is in iTunes but not in Windows. When I try to update it again using Get Info it may or may not update the information. Most of the time it does not update. I would hate to have to install another program to do this since iTunes was the program I used.