I was wondering if it were possible to add an additional field within iTunes that can be used for smart playlist searches and the like. I have found that there are a limited number of numeric fields available to add data into. Thanks in advance for the answers!
Coop,
iTunes has no way to add a newly defined field into the metadata, much less into the Smart Playlist logic.
The best approach would be to use one of the existing fields. For example, BPM takes numeric values, and for many users is usually blank. Another option may be the Comments field.
Besides the BPM and year/track number fields, what other fields are numeric?
iTunes 12 has made it harder to access "irrelevant" fields that might be available. Season and episide numbers are intended for use with TV Shows but it might be possible to leveage them for some other task. What is it you have in mind?
tt2
Well it is something you responded too in one of my other threads. I am looking to add chart data in to music files. I will add some of this data in via the comments tag and the solution you provided the other day. However, I was trying to find a numeric field where I could add the data in so that when I do queries and searches, I don't have to search via text. I could use basic formulas such as greater than, or less than.
I am using the BPM and Year fields already, so they are non starters. Are season and episide numbers available for music files?
Episode number isn't available to smart playlists which makes season number the only one that might help. It cannot be manipulated with get info for music items, but it can be adjusted via script. Season number is already supported during the import phase of my ExportImport script. The values are only exported at the moment if the Show field is completed.
tt2
So I just need to have the Season field turned on from the location/playlist from which I am exporting the songs? Once I get that, I can then change it outside of ITunes and then re-import?
I haven't tested what iTunes does if you export a playlist and then reimport the edited data. It may or may not incorporate the change. For my script an entry in the import text such as:
<Season>3
will be processed. Valid values are 0 to 65535.
tt2
Perfect, Thank You!!!
You're welcome. 🙂
tt2
One more quick question. How do I get the show fields for Season to work for the export?
Ah, I just commented out the If ... End If statements at either end of this block.
If .Show & ""<>"" Then
WriteLine "<Show>" & .Show
WriteLine "<SortShow>" & SortValue(.Show,.SortShow)
WriteLine "<Season>" & .SeasonNumber
WriteLine "<Episode>" & .EpisodeNumber
WriteLine "<EpisodeID>" & .EpisodeID
End If
But replace it with this
' If .Show & ""<>"" Then
' WriteLine "<Show>" & .Show
' WriteLine "<SortShow>" & SortValue(.Show,.SortShow)
WriteLine "<Season>" & .SeasonNumber
' WriteLine "<Episode>" & .EpisodeNumber
' WriteLine "<EpisodeID>" & .EpisodeID
' End If
then you'll only get season exported.
tt2
Got it, Thank You!
One last question, what is the best way to import the exportedimport files into excel for editing and appending data?
It depends a bit on what you're trying to do. If you look back at your other thread Batch Add Comments Tag Solution? you could simply extend that scheme so I don't think you really need to do an export again.
Instead of:
Once that is done you could create a new sheet that construct rows of data of the form:
<ID>32F346B7-BF018101
<Comment>A Comment
<ID>B19F4321-CC716CE2
<Comment>A Comment
You have
<ID>32F346B7-BF018101
<Comment>A Comment
<Season>1
<ID>B19F4321-CC716CE2
<Comment>A Comment
<Season>250
tt2
Looks like the output of that script is a delimited text file ("iTunes Metadata.txt"), which you can open in Excel but invokes the data import wizard; however, you should be able to change the filename in the script to be "iTunes Metadata.csv" - this will then open directly in Excel. I use a modified version of another of tt2's scripts that I normally import into Access, but the .csv it produces opens fine in Excel, looking like this:
Its a somewhat simpler script but the principle is the same as the ExportImport.vbs one you're looking at.
Add additional numeric field to songs that can be searched
