Itunes 12.7 bug: every song is its own album

Agreed.

As the behavior persists as of iTunes for Windows/Mac (12.7.5.9) with iOS 11.4, it became apparent that this is intended behavior. As there isn't much information available from Apple on the open public channels - and I'm not inclined to go down the Development SDK rabbit hole at this time - one is left with trial-and-error research, assumptions, and/or speculations.

This got me thinking that perhaps previous iterations of iTunes and iOS Music did not fully incorporate the latest ID3Tag implementation (ex: ID3v2.4).

Altering ID3Tag metadata to incorporate Sort Artist/Album/Name and Work Name/Work Number/Movement seems to produce a desired result when using iTunes as a conduit (i.e. not the iTunes Library) to copy songs to the iDevice. I suspect that copying the songs from the iTunes Library may have been broken on previous dot releases of iTunes 12.7.x and/or iOS 11.x and the latest versions seem to address this.

I typically set my ID3Tag Grouping field to match the Genre field as this allows the song to be properly handled by a variety of players such as WMP, KODI, WinAMP, FooBar, hardware vehicle players (BT, SD, Line-In, etc.); and until now, iTunes.

It certainly would have been helpful if Apple had provided additional details as to what metadata revisions (ex: ID3v2.4) they support in iTunes, iOS Music Players, etc.

I don't think that Tags are causing the problem. This is reproducible in the following manner:

1 - Copy album files (mp3) to iPhone by dragging mp3 files from Windows Explorer into iTunes on Windows. The result is all songs are their own album. NB: the only way to tell is by looking at your phone using iTunes because iTunes on Windows shows everything as one album.

2 - Using iTunes on Windows, delete the tracks/album from iphone.

3 - Using ITunes on Windows add tracks back just like in step 1 above. This time, all tracks appear as one album.

I use only IDv3 tags and have my Tag manager set to delete all IDv2 tags. This has worked fine with iTunes and every other application I've used to date; only Apple has this problem now. Apple just started malfunctioning about 5 months ago and they refuse to address the problem.

I've been doing this now for the last 4 months once I figured out this painful workaround. It's been consistent no matter what I tried and that was even trying IDv2 Tags, messing with Grouping. Adding tracks with no tags then editing them in iTunes to see if it would group them all under one album. Nothing worked. There's just a software bug dealing with the local database and the one that's on your phone.

Apple needs to allow other software makers to produce music playback software that is a replacement for iTunes, just like Microsoft had to allow for decoupling Internet Explorer from Windows back when the EU filed suit in order to allow for Web Browser competition. Netscape never recovered, but at least we have a lot of Web Browser options these days. How has Apple gotten away with this? I think it's time for another EU suit, this time focused on Apple and iTunes.

Not quite following the approach used as it seems to indicate *it is* tag related. In any case, one can see the issues using the following approach:

1. Create two types of test albums: same artist album, multi-artist album (soundtrack, compilation).

2. Using a "comprehensive" tag editing application, remove all ID3Tag (frame) details.

3. Ensure that iTunes (Windows/Mac) settings/preferences are set to *not* obtain any ID3Tag details from external sources - i.e. disable all query, ratings, etc. Ideally, a new/clean/empty library on the latest version of iTunes.

4. Drag-and-drop the test albums to the "Automatically Add To iTunes" folder. Observe the results, review the tracks using "Get Info". Then purge the test albums.

5. Drag-and-drop the test albums directly to the iTunes Library - i.e. into the UI window. Observe the results, review the tracks using "Get Info".

6. Sync a iDevice (iPhone/iPad) running iOS 11.4 and observe the results in the iDevice Music app. Ideally, a new/clean/empty library on the latest version of iTunes. Ensure the iDevice Music app settings are set to *not* obtain ID3Tag details from external sources.

TEST 1

What are the results of using "Get Info" to populate the ID3Tag details. Populate "Song" - i.e. not switching to "Work Name".

TEST 2

What are the results of populating the fields that appear when "Work Name" is selected.

TEST 3

Using a "comprehensive" tag editing application, examine the ID3Tag details of the files in the iTunes Media folder. Not reported ID3Tag implementation (ex: ID3v1, ID3v2, etc.). Quit iTunes and use the tag editing application to alter these tags to include additional fields that are present in ID3v2, then editing again to include additional fields in ID3v4, etc.

Relaunch iTunes and observe the results in iTunes, cleanup the iDevice, copy the files back to the iDevices and observe the results.

TEST 4

Copy the test albums found in the iTunes Music folder elsewhere - i.e. iTunes version of the test albums. Remove the test albums from iTunes. Cleanup the iDevice - i.e. clean iDevice library.

Drag-and-drop the original test albums to the iDevice via the iTunes UI. Observe the results.

Drag-and-drop the iTunes version of the test albums to the iDevice via the iTunes UI. Observe the results.

I think I found a workaround - it appears that Apple Music app is trying to concatenate Album name and Artist Name and use it as Album label - and i suspect there is probably a length limit on this label. But this is just a theory. Workaround follows:

1. Load tracks to iOS device using iTunes

2. In iTunes - go into device Music Library and highlight tracks you just loaded.

3. Right click and select Add To Playlist / New Play List

4. Assign name to your new playlist.

Now you can use playlists instead of albums.

I have number of CD-ripped books and this workaround appears to work.

Still - wish Apple had better QA processes.

Thank you!

I tried using audiobooks few years (and iOS versions) ago and it was a bit of a mess. Looks like after Apple moved Audiobooks into iBooks app the problems I had with them have been resolved.

Actually, there IS a solution - found on StackExchange - and it's pretty easy.

I I tested this with Mac:

1. If album(s) you want to move to iPhone are not in iTunes - import the into iTunes library on the desktop

2. Connect iPhone to laptop

3. Move (drag) album(s) from iTUNES LIBRARY onto the iPhone

that's it. The album, album art and all the tracks are imported and correctly assigned to the album(s).

So what the **** is gonna happen when I attempt to add my external 8TB music collection, full of mp3 and Flac files into the library aka the Itunes clusterf--ck?

I predict disaster. Why cant these ******** just undo the crap causing this problem in the first place !!!!

You ever try downgrading an Itunes from 12.XX to an older, smarter version when you are using High Sierra ?

Forget about it!!!!

God, this is insane. Of course it was transferring all 8T into my MacHD but it was also rearranging them by artist !!!!!

No no no!!!!

This company is more fascist than Microsoft ever DREAMED of being, but they got the empty headed hipster fanboys on their knees, swallowing the PR juice and declaring its a fine wine.

There are several issues at hand; some in iTunes and some in iOS 11.x ... both on macOS and Windows. Also note that some older operating systems may not support ID3v2.4 (ex: Windows 7) without 3rd party shell integration add-ons for Explorer and/or Windows Media Player. The same is likely true on older macOS (ex: El Capitan).

Using iTunes Library to Copy to iOS Device:

As of iTunes 12.7, ID3Tag v2.4 is supported. iTunes sets the "Work" ID3 tag equal to the "Grouping" tag. As previously mentioned in this thread, problems arise if the classical music tag details are partially filled in. This can be remedied by ensuring that the "Grouping" ID3Tag is empty.

iTunes expects files to be added to the Library via the "Automatically Add To iTunes" folder; during the add/import process, iTunes renames the files (ex: ## song name.mp3). Songs with the "Compilation" ID3Tag are placed in the "Compilations" folder. Artist/Album folders are initially determined by the "Album Artist" ID3Tag.

Copying the songs from the iTunes Library to the iOS 11.x device yields expected results.

Using iTunes to Copy to iOS Device (i.e. Not Using iTunes Library):

Copying the songs from the iTunes Library to the iOS 11.x device yields songs that appear as their own separate albums.

Removing the songs from the iOS device and recopying yields expected results providing that the ID3Tag information is correctly entered and "Grouping" ID3Tag is empty.

The reason is it works the second time around is that the Music SQLite database on the iOS device contains a list of all songs that have been copied to the device ... even when the song is removed. This can be seen by used a tool (ex: iMazing) to copy the SQLite database locally to a computer and using an SQLite DB Viewer to examine the tables.

Using a 3rd Party Application to Copy to iOS Device:

Using a 3rd Party Application to directly copy the songs to the iOS device yields the expected results regardless if the ID3Tags are properly set or not.

At first guess; it leaves me wondering if perhaps a further iOS update will be required as the problem persists on iOS 11.4.1.

Cheers,

Copy/paste typo; should have read ...

Using iTunes to Copy to iOS Device (i.e. Not Using iTunes Library):

Copying the songs via iTunes to the iOS 11.x device yields songs that appear as their own separate albums.

Apologies.

Hi all, I've kind of figured out a workaround, if you want to call it that.

Essentially, what you want to do is open "get info" for every song that is showing up as it's own album. In my case, it's every song that isn't in an album. When get info is opened, in the "album" field, just hit the spacebar once and save. Do this for all songs that aren't in an album. The caveat here is that every additional song added will need to have the typed space into the album field.

In my library, I sorted by album name and then I batch selected every song not in an album, and I edited the album field for all. I tested this first with a group of songs under one artist only, and it worked. Then it worked for the rest. Hope this helps you guys out there. I'm still waiting for the bug to be fixed too.

I've got a very similar problem, but only with about 1/3 of my music. It's also randomly dumped one song in the middle of a different album by a very different artist - despite the fact that everything is in the right place on iTunes on my PC :/

These are all tracked I've ripped from CD into iTunes, but so are about half the tracks that are behaving.

mezzuzah12 wrote:

If I downgrade, would my current music library still be compatible with the older version?

No. See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash for a workaround.

tt2

See Organizing audiobook chapters for some ideas for them.

tt2

Same here.