id3 tags get changed when transferring to USB drive

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Level 1

22 points

id3 tags get changed when transferring to USB drive

When transferring mp3 tracks from my iMac to a USB thumb drive, the ID3 tags are somehow getting swapped. My car stereo then displays the correct track number, but plays and displays the wrong audio and track name. In this particular case I am trying to transfer an audio book with 66 chapters. I have named the files 001, 002, etc in order to play back in the correct order. The ID3 tags are named Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. I cannot figure out why then, when played back in my car, it will display Track 001, but play back the audio from Chapter 4, and display Chapter 4. The funny thing is, it only does this on my Mac. When I transfer the files from my Mac at work they play back correctly and display all the correct information. I have tried copying from iTunes and from the finder directly, and both ways switch the ID3 info; they even produce different results, but both are mixed up. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.5), 21.5/2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5

Posted on Feb 9, 2016 6:21 AM

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Answer 1

Limnos

Level 10

411,259 points

Feb 9, 2016 6:31 AM in response to Dan Kvalheim

I do not know how copying the files to your drive could possibly change the iD3 tags. They are part of the file and it would be like saying taking a book off a shelf and putting it in a box caused some of the pages to switch from book to book. Are you sure the track numbers you are seeing are the actual file names? What I think more likely is despite the file naming convention you are using your player is somehow playing the files out of order. I presume you have provided the correct track order in the tag track numbers and if there is a disc number that that too is consistent with the order you want.

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Answer 2

Dan Kvalheim Author

Level 1

22 points

Feb 9, 2016 7:28 AM in response to Limnos

It's exactly what's happening. My player displays the track (file) number correctly as 001, 002, 003. But it plays the content for "Chapter 4" instead of coinciding with the correct file number. It makes no sense at all. And only my Mac at home does this. Mac at work transfers files fine and they play back correctly, showing the correct ID3 info.

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Answer 3

Limnos

Level 10

411,259 points

Feb 9, 2016 7:35 AM in response to Dan Kvalheim

I presume this was not solved?

Open one of your supposedly bad files in Quicktime Player and use the media inspector window to see what tag information it displays. iTunes itself does not work with filenames so if they are named "001", etc. it must be you who have done this and it is possible you mislabeled your home tracks.

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Answer 4

Dan Kvalheim Author

Level 1

22 points

Feb 9, 2016 8:45 AM in response to Limnos

No, it was not solved -- it automatically marked it solved when I replied. I'm at work now and am unable to try your suggestion. For a little better idea of what is going on -- since my work Mac transferred the files correctly, I even copied the files back off the USB drive onto my home Mac. From there I added them to an iTunes playlist and checked the ID3 names against the actual file names. They matched in every case. I then copied them from the finder back to a new folder titled "Test" on the USB drive. Went to the car and they continued to playback in order and display correct ID3 info from the original folder, but played back in random order from the "Test" folder. For example, Chapter 10 would display as "Chapter 10", play as Chapter 10, but the actual file name showed as "Track 4". My Mac is somehow mixing the information up in the process of transferring the files. It makes no sense at all. I did the exact same thing on my wife's PC and the files transferred just fine.

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