Subject:Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Posted by: Larry Clifford

Date:1/23/2016 4:32:07 PM

Environment: MS Windows 7 SP-1 with current fixes from MS 64-bit; Sound Forge Pro Version 11 Build 299; Windows Media Player (11?)

This refers to MP3 files. It may apply to other audio formats.

I create an MP3 file in Sound Forge and may even close Sound Forge. Then I locate the file with Windows Explorer and fill in some of the metadata (Correct term I hope. If not please tell me.) using the fields that can be modified along the bottom of Windows Explorer (Contributing artists, Album, Genre, Year, Title). I leave the other fields that can be modified blank (Rating, Track number, Album artist).

I then double click on the MP3 file to play it in Windows Media Player. The values in the different fields will display in the upper left corner (Title, "Various Artists", "Dennis Williams [Composer]), etc.

Usually Windows Media player will display a default music note (Cleft?) in the center of the window. I like that.

Sometimes it will display a picture of something completely inappropriate. It has even displayed a picture of the devil. These are 90% spiritual audio files (voice).

Does anyone know how the phrase "Various Artists" and "Dennis Williams [Composer]" became imbedded in the file. More importantly, how can I eliminate them. I even recreated the files.

I hope this does not occur with all future files.

I prefer that Sound Forge not fill in the data, but leave them blank. They change too often. I like using Windows Explorer because it is convenient. I know MP3 files should not be modified, but doing this one time per file has not caused the loss of quality.

Any additional suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:1/23/2016 9:16:34 PM

When you reuse the same MP3 template Sound Forge often "remembers" data that was in there from previous saves. Click the [Custom] button and check both pages of ID3 tags and make sure they're all blank, then re-save that template for future use.

Editing the tags in Explorer doesn't alter the audio data in any way, so there is no quality loss. I do this myself when i'm preparing a large number of MP3 files. It's a faster and easier to change them in Explorer than to do so in Sound Forge, plus it gives me the ability to fix typos i might have missed when saving them originally.

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: Larry Clifford

Date:1/24/2016 6:06:37 AM

I clicked on "Custom" in "Save As MP3". I use the "Default" without modifications.

The only fields filled in are "Encoding: ANSI" and "Genre: Other (pull down menu)".

I recreated the two .MP3 files from the original .WMA files. The next step was to modify the metadata with Windows Explorer. One MP3 file appeared OK, but the second on had junk.

I recreated the folder (about 2 levels off the root) and still had problems. I believe this has previously worked, but now I question if that was the solution.

I opened Windows Media Player by executing the program (not playing any file). The program memorized some of the inappropriate information and pictures. I do not need any of this memorized file information because the program is very difficult to use that way.

I deleted all memorized information relating to all audio files. Yes, I made sure it deleted only from the library (default) and not the actual file.

I then recreated the two .MP3 files from the original .WMA files. Fortunately editing these files is very simple. I just delete the parts of the audio before and after the part I want to save.

I appears everything is working. If this occurs again I will have to delete all of the information stored in Windows Media Player.

The next step will be to replace Windows Media Player (I believe it is a terrible program) with another one. A friend uses "VLC Media Player", and it is free. I just hope it does not add some extra programs.

Does anyone have another suggestion to replace Windows Media Player"?

Again, thank you for your help.

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:1/24/2016 10:38:53 AM

I use Windows Media Player almost exclusively, but i only use the "classic" skin, which makes it look a lot more like it was back in the 1990's, just a plain simple file player, none of the library nonsense.

When you went into custom, did you check the two pages of ID3 tags? You didn't mention that.

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: rraud

Date:1/24/2016 10:56:42 AM

I prefer the older Winamp player (around v2.9 I recall) which is small, opens almost instantaneous, has volume, pan faders, incremental jump- ahead/back (arrow keys) and allows fast easy MP3 metadata edits. I usually use the VLC or WIn classic media player for video.

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: ChristoC

Date:1/24/2016 2:44:34 PM

Sometimes it will display a picture of something completely inappropriate. It has even displayed a picture of the devil.

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Page or Sergey Brin?

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: Larry Clifford

Date:1/25/2016 11:28:51 AM

Chienworks:

Here are images in Dropbox of the two tabs for the "Save As MP3 - Custom"
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/299989/Larry%20Clifford%20-%20Sound%20Forge%20Pro%20V%2011%20Build%20299%20-%20Save%20As%20MP3%20-%20Forum%20Topic%20938615.zip

Just download them and then UnZIP the file.

I also use the default skin (I presume that is the background). I don't remember loading a different one.

The library automatically imports the file information after playing any MP3 files a short time. I believe it is less than 15 seconds.

ChristoC:

About the pictures of the devil I mean that is a literal picture of the devil. Sometimes it is other images that are inappropriate to send to other members of any faith.

I know who Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are I don't know Larry Page or Sergey Brin. Those are not the devils I am referring to.


About VLC:
A friend who is extremely tech savvy told me he uses VLC. I may install that soon.

I presume the installation program changes the file extensions of audio and video files to that program during the installation. Is that true?

Also, if I have a problem with the program and do an official uninstall will the file extensions revert back to Windows Media Player or do I have to manually? I know how if I have to.

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: rraud

Date:1/25/2016 1:19:08 PM

Some sort of malware associated with Gracenote? I would do thorough system scan w/ 'MalwareBytes', 'Search and Destroy' and your on-board virus/malware scan..

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: MissingTheFOUNDRY

Date:1/26/2016 12:42:22 PM

When it comes to METADATA, Soundforge is a like a toy, whereas JAIKOZ is a tool - a reaaally good power tool. 100% recommendation for jaikoz.

As an alternative to Media Player (or especially iTunes), I have grown to adore MediaMonkey. It's primary strength is the ability to employ scripts (except with SUBSTANTIALLY better documentation, forum activity, and existing user provided scripts than say...soundforge). I have made my version into an extremely powerful media player/MANAGER, that just keeps getting better and better as I think of ways to work faster and smarter.

I have tried some scripting for soundforge to take control of the metadata, and I find it works SOME, but also fails where it is supposed to work. Never mind that it is super clunky code for anything but a small handful of tags.

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:1/27/2016 3:55:19 PM

I suspect your rather random displays in WMP are a function of WMP, and nothing to do with the MP3 itself.

The pictures you have are not 'actually' of the devil, as the devil is a creation of fantasy. Something about your MP3 (maybe indexed to the exact length of the file through Gracenote in common with a different file) is triggering a link to an artistic impression of a devil. And at other times to a music clef .

geoff

Subject:RE: Where Is the Metadata (?) Originating Or Changing

Reply by: Larry Clifford

Date:1/29/2016 6:08:08 AM

Geoff Wood: I agree about Windows Media Player being the problem. I deleted every entry in the memorized library and the problem disappeared. That is why I want to use an alternative program.

VLC (mentioned earlier) appears to be the best, and possibly most accepted, alternative.

Gracenote was mentioned a few times in this thread. I have not heard of it until now.

As stated earlier, most of my audio files are talks from our different religious meetings. I also download MP3 files from YouTube and other sites I find.

This problem does not affect video files.