# Solved: ID3 Mass edit



## anjomayaja (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi! This may be impossible to do, but I hope there is someone out there that can help me! I will try to explain as best I can. Basically I have 15,000 karaoke songs with file names that are just the song title. I need to search for them by title and artist. The id3 data also just includes song title. I have all the music in an excel spreadsheet listed by title\artist\location on disk\etc...I've tried a ton of id3 mass editing software online(Scary because i don't like to download so many programs that i don't trust) and I haven't been able to get any of them to help!


So my question is...Is there any shortcut or program I can use to apply the excell data to the id3 tags without going song by song?

This is a stupid problem to have, but anyone out there that can help I would be SOOOO greatful!

If it matters I'm using windows 7.

Thank you so much for at least reading this far!

Sincerly,
Trying to not get tendonitus


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## Soundy (Feb 17, 2006)

I'm not sure if it will import your database, but you could give MusicBrainz Tagger a try - it will adjust ID3 tags based on filenames, and by analyzing songs and comparing them to an online database. It can also rename files based on ID3 info.

Hmm, a quick Google search gave me this: http://www.maniactools.com/soft/mp3tag/import-tags-from-text-file.shtml


> Import Tags from a Text File
> 
> mp3Tag can download missing tag info from FreeDB and Amazon. Alternatively, it can generate tags from filenames and folder names.
> 
> But if you have a considerable database of tag info in some text file (like CSV file), you will find this feature quite valuable. As most applications (MS Excel, MS Access etc.) can export information into text files, the feature may be used virtually with every database.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

The link Soundy gave you describes how to perform the task that you're trying to do using a program called mp3Tag Pro that costs $30. The same task can be done with a freeware program called Mp3tag.

One program is called mp3Tag and the other is Mp3tag, a tad confusing. 

The method is the same. Export the data from Excel as a CSV file, use the Text File to Tag conversion in Mp3tag to correct the tags and then use the Tag to Filename conversion to standardize the filenames.

If you need to do an internet lookup to fix some of them you can access MusicBrainz, Discogs or Amazon from within Mp3tag.


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## anjomayaja (Mar 11, 2010)

Thank you so much! You saved me so much trouble!


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Hi Everyone!,
I have almost *EXACTLY* the same problem as anjomayaja!

i have hundreds of karaoke tracks in folders with approx' 10 tracks to a folder with each folder named as say 'disc001', 'disc 002' etc, with each track having both .mp3's & .cdg's files named as say, 'track 1.mp3' & 'track 1.cdg')

The only track info i have is an excel sheet with the complete track listings for each folder and i'd need to somehow import the artist / track details from this.

I've downloaded Mp3tag, but i can't get it to do what's needed!
Do i save the whole excel list as a .csv or one for each folder? --i've tried to do it by folder but it only selects the mp3 from 'text file-tag' and then said it can't read the .csv file.

If i could save each track as a .zip file, containing both files for each track and then try and rename each zip file, it would help although it wouldn't rename the .mp3 and .cdg files enclosed.
Can anyone please guide me through what to do as i've been trying to do this for weeks! 
cheers
Miger.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Post a few lines of the CSV file so I can see what you're doing.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Ok stantley, thanks.
The csv looks like this:

disc001 1 Straight Up Paula Abdul 
disc001 2 Faith George Michael 
disc001 3 White Wedding Billy Idol 
disc001 4 Missing You John Wait 
disc001 5 You Keep Me Hanging On Kim Wilde 
disc001 6 Nothing Compares 2 U Sinead O'connor


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

You need a delimiter between the fields, use a semi-colon if you can. So it should look like this:

disc001;1;Straight Up;Paula Abdul

Then in Mp3tag the format string would be:

%_directory%;%track%;%title%;%artist%


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Do i have to enter the semi-colon to the files as new columns in excel and re-do the csv or edit the csv?


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Re-do the CSV file. I don't have Excel so I can't give you exact directions, but see if there's a way to choose a delimiter for the file. 

CSV stands for Comma Separated Values so at least it should give you something like this:

disc001,1,Straight Up,Paula Abdul 

The problem with that is if you have a comma in the song title it will won't work right.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

i get
'cannot parse line1'
'cannot parse line2'
'cannot parse line3' etc


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

With what Excel or Mp3tag?


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

mp3tag


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Post a few lines of the CSV file.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

disc001;1;Straight Up;Paula Abdul
disc001;2;Faith;George Michael
disc001;3;White Wedding;Billy Idol
disc001;4;Missing You;John Wait
disc001;5;You Keep Me Hanging On;Kim Wilde


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

OK, in Mp3tag go to File > Change Directory, put in the Disc001 folder and make sure they're sorted by filename. 

Then select all of the tracks (Ctrl-A), go to Convert > Text File - Tag, put in the filename of the CSV file and in Format String put %_directory%;%track%;%title%;%artist% 

You can click on Preview to see if it will work.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Ok, here's what i got:
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00101.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00102.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00103.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00104.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00105.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00106.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00107.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00108.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00109.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00110.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00111.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00112.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00113.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00114.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00115.mp3" ->
"C:\edit\disc 001\SF-00115.mp3" ->
Cannot parse line 1.
Cannot parse line 2.
Cannot parse line 3.
Cannot parse line 4.
Cannot parse line 5.
Cannot parse line 6.
Cannot parse line 7.
Cannot parse line 8.
Cannot parse line 9.
Cannot parse line 10.
Cannot parse line 11.
Cannot parse line 12.
Cannot parse line 13.
Cannot parse line 14.
Cannot parse line 15.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

I tested it out, it's working fine for me. You would get errors like that if there weren't semi-colons there or the line began with a semi-colon. Are you sure that's exactly what the file looks like?

You could also try this format:

%dummy%;%track%;%title%;%artist%

The file layout has to match the format string exactly. Here's more info: http://help.mp3tag.de/main_converter.html#tff


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## Soundy (Feb 17, 2006)

As stantly said, CSV stands for "comma separated value", so you have to have a comma in there. If you have the tracks in Excel, each track on its own line and each bit of info (track number, artist name, song title, etc.) in its own column, telling Excel to export as CSV should automatically create a file with commas. It should also (optionally) export with everything in quotes, eg: "disc001","1","Straight Up","Paula Abdul" - if there are commas in the data, that should allow it to be properly imported.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Thanks Soundy for the Excel info, I haven't worked with Excel for years, this was the missing piece.

So miger, export the CSV file as Soundy described, include the quotes. The file should look like this:

"disc001","1","Straight Up","Paula Abdul"

Then the Mp3tag format string should be: 

"%dummy%","%track%","%title%","%artist%"


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Cheers Guys! --i'll give it a go tomorrow and let you know how i got on.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Still no good --- as i save the csv in excel , and then open the csv, it opens again in excel with no commas.
By the way,i've tried entering the commas etc to the file name by inserting columns in excel but mp3tag previews exactly what i posted earlier still!


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

miger said:


> Still no good --- as i save the csv in excel , and then open the csv, it opens again in excel with no commas.


You create the csv file with Excel, but you don't open it with Excel, you open it with Mp3tag.

In Mp3tag when you do Convert > Text File - Tag, where it says Filename *put in the name of the CSV file.
*
See post #16.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

stantley said:


> You create the csv file with Excel, but you don't open it with Excel, you open it with Mp3tag.
> 
> In Mp3tag when you do Convert > Text File - Tag, where it says Filename *put in the name of the CSV file.*
> 
> See post #16.


Sorry, i must not have explained it clearly, but that's what i am doing. I only opened the csv in excel to see what it looked like.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Attach the csv file in your reply and post a screen shot of Mp3tag when you try to convert.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

here's the csv and a very compreesed screen grab.
I'm still not sure if i should enter new columns in the excel file to include the commas etc before saving to csv


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

The error you're getting is that Mp3tag can't open the file. Try closing Excel before you run Mp3tag, maybe Excel has the file locked.


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## Syst3mSh0ck (Jul 11, 2009)

There is no better audio player than foobar2000 on Windows, you can use this to mass edit the tags for many audio formats


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

ok, this is* exactly* what i'm doing.
i'm adding the commas etc to the file names by inserting 5 new columns in excel at the positions required so as the file looks like this: "disc001","1","Straight Up","Paula Abdul"
i then save this as a csv (comma delimited) to my 'edit' folder.
In mp3tag, in change directory,i select the 'edit' folder ,files to convert and click 'text_file-tag'.
In 'select format string' popup, i select the csv and check that string is: %dummy%,%track%,%title%,%artist
click preview and i get what's on the attached screen grab.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

I'm trying to get some help for you on the Mp3tag forum.

http://forums.mp3tag.de/index.php?showtopic=11399

dano on that forum spotted this, on that screen shot the format string is:

%dummy%,%track%,%title%,artist% you're missing a percent sign before artist, it should be:

%dummy%,%track%,%title%,%artist%


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

oh yes,
ok ,i'll try again.thanks.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

added the % sign ---same outcome as the screen shot


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

I hope $ was a typo for %. Keep trying.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

oops! yes it was --sorry


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

i'm now trying another set of the same files from a different source to see if that is the problem.they have a slightly different filename. Stantley, can you check that you can get this line to work too:

SF 001,1,Straight Up,Paula Abdul


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Works fine.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Can you explain exactly what you are doing and what the result looks like? everything i do ends up the same!


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

I used the file you attached earlier:

SF001,1,Straight Up,Paula Abdul
SF001,2,Faith,George Michael
SF001,3,White Wedding,Billy Idol
SF001,4,Missing You,John Wait
SF001,5,You Keep Me Hanging On,Kim Wilde
SF001,6,Nothing Compares 2 U,Sinead O'connor
SF001,7,Change,Lisa Stansfield
SF001,8,Crazy,Seal
SF001,9,I'm Not In Love,10cc
SF001,10,Alive And Kicking,Simple Minds
SF001,11,Thorn In My Side,Eurythmics
SF001,12,Senza Una Donna,Zuchero And Paul Young
SF001,13,Relax,Frankie Goes To Hollywood
SF001,14,Everything I Do I Do It For You,Bryan Adams
SF001,15,Heart Of Glass,Blondie

The first screen shot shows 15 selected mp3 files in Mp3tag. The second is when you do Convert Text file - Tag. The last is after the files have been updated.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks for your continued support on this m8---i really appreciate it!
Yes, that looks great!:up:
Could my problem be that, because these are karaoke files, mp3tag is looking for files where there are also .cdg files in the same folder and these are corrupting it?
Later, i'll try deleting the .cdg's to see if it makes a difference.
miger.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Might be worth a try. Copy only the Mp3 files to a different folder and load that one into Mp3tag.

The cannot parse error means that the file layout:

SF001,1,Straight Up,Paula Abdul

somehow doesn't match up with the format string:

%dummy%,%track%,%title%,%artist%

But why it works for me and not for you is still a mystery.


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## miger (Mar 13, 2010)

No ---Same outcome!


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## anjomayaja (Mar 11, 2010)

The way I did it is I orginized both the excell and mp3 tag exactly the same way, then copied the artist column by itself into a csv, then artist, etc.. I didn't try to do it all at once. Hope this helps


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