Thread: MP3 Tagging with Discogs

Okay then, here's a (hopefully) dummies' guide to mp3 tagging straight from the Discogs website.

mp3tag does NOT read WAV files!!!


Sounds like witchcraft but it does work, and I'd say once you get into it, it takes no longer than 15 seconds to tag each mp3. It also automatically downloads the cover too, as well as other tags like year, album, etc.

Tagging takes time, commitment and dedication, but if you follow these step-by-step instructions, it'll make life a little easier.


Firstly, download the actual mp3 tagger & install: Mp3tag - Download
Now download: discogs_extended_08.zip
Move the rar file discogs_extended_08 into wherever you installed it (usually Program Files in the C drive) Mp3tag > data > sources. Extract it recommended winrar only in the sources folder.

Update 31/08/11: * * * Okay, now very carefully read >this< and download update 3.7 for installing * * *

Fire up mp3tag, and click this icon: 1.png
This icon selects which music folder you wish to tag - trust me (thanks dodders ), you want to tag your mp3s by folder, not your whole collection!

So, now you have a folder selected (after it's read the contents) which should look something like this, here's my drum & bass folder:

2.jpg

Click the arrow (drop-down menu)on this icon: 3.png and select the release ID extended: 5.png

Okay, this should set you up nicely now ready for some serious hardcore tagging

Part 2 to follow...

All sounds a bit complicated....

What do you do if all your mp3's are already tagged & artworked up?

not everyone is as perfect as you Thrash

Originally Posted by swipezster

not everyone is as perfect as you Thrash

'Tis a fair point well made.... I blame having a German mother & ocd!

Okay, now for tagging...

Highlight a track name until it turns blue, notice the tagging area in the left-hand side of the screen is blank (untagged) and copy the track name (I use CTRL & C rather than right-clicking, etc.)

1.jpg

Paste the track name (again, keyboard shortcut CTRL & V) into the Discogs website search box and find the correct release. Copy & paste the digits at the end of the address bar - this is the Discogs release ID. Copy this ID (or remember it if you're as clever as our Thrash):

2.png

Now, click this icon: 3.png and a box like this will appear: 4.jpg
Paste the Discogs ID number into the box & click the Next button, you should get this screen:

5.jpg

The left-hand lower box is the Discogs 'official' tag, the right-hand box your current tag for that track. Click OK, and it will auto-save. For multiple tracks on a record (E.P. / Album, etc), click the track in the right-hand box and use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to correspond with the left-hand box.

Hopefully the rest is self-explanatory

Happy tagging

Nice guide m8 - been doing it this way myself for a while now (and might have mentioned it once or twice lolol).

You can select all the tracks on album/EP/release and tag them all in 1 go by holding control and clicking on each mp3 in the release to highlight them btw. When it gets to the Adjust Tag Info screen make sure that the lists in the bottom left and right boxes match by moving the tracks in the right pane up n down.

^^^ Yer I had difficulty putting that into words mate about the panes, and thanks for the appreciation; I've been planning on doing this guide for well over 6 months now and thankfully it was easier than I thought.
I'm still only up to the "Fs" in the one folder and taking my sweet time about it too... I'm concerned that audio technology will change by the time I finish tagging everything I own, and mp3s will be obsolete



Anyway, you lot know me, any questions, drop us a line and I'll help you as much as possible (and hopefully Hippie too!)

Originally Posted by Thrash

'Tis a fair point well made.... I blame having a German mother & ocd!

Thanks for the guide Swipezster

Is it not complete yet

Originally Posted by swipezster

^^^ Yer I had difficulty putting that into words mate about the panes, and thanks for the appreciation; I've been planning on doing this guide for well over 6 months now and thankfully it was easier than I thought.
I'm still only up to the "Fs" in the one folder and taking my sweet time about it too... I'm concerned that audio technology will change by the time I finish tagging everything I own, and mp3s will be obsolete



Anyway, you lot know me, any questions, drop us a line and I'll help you as much as possible (and hopefully Hippie too!)

I've finally decided to tackle the job of tagging my rather large and disorganised mp3 collection and came across your guide.

When I unzip the discogs file into sources I get the following but when I go into MP3TAg there is only one option for dscogs and no arrow to get second drop down box for release ID extended.

Any help would be appreciated as I'm stuck!!

OOps! Should say I moved the zip file to MP3TAG source but got error when tryting to unzip so moved it to desktop and then unzipped and moved files to MP3TAG source. Running Windows 7 64bit does that make any difference?

You need to extract the Discogs Extended zip file to
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Mp3tag\data\sour ces

You'll find a couple of other Discogs addons and the latest updates here
Search Results

Originally Posted by zbd1800

I've finally decided to tackle the job of tagging my rather large and disorganised mp3 collection and came across your guide.

When I unzip the discogs file into sources I get the following but when I go into MP3TAg there is only one option for dscogs and no arrow to get second drop down box for release ID extended.

Any help would be appreciated as I'm stuck!!

OOps! Should say I moved the zip file to MP3TAG source but got error when tryting to unzip so moved it to desktop and then unzipped and moved files to MP3TAG source. Running Windows 7 64bit does that make any difference?

Okay I've been looking into this as although it works fine on my home laptops, I was having trouble with it at work.

I've had my fingers burnt before putting stuff onto the HD @ work so now everything goes through my USB stick. The extended tagging will not work on USB drives, desktops or anything else like that - only in the C: drive (which the installer defaults at) for some reason.
So I took the risk and put it on the work's HD and as it's a harmless small program which only extracts files onto the HD, it works fine.
Just to piss on my own chips, I can't tag at work because the Firewall (out of my control) blocks access to Discogs through programs like Mp3tag

Also mate, I've read in the forums that Mp3tag is glitchy with 64-bit versions, but as far as I'm aware it's only Vista where this fault occurs

Have tried again uninstalling MP3TAG and the Discogs file. Reinstalled MP3TAG and un zipped Discogs files on desktop and then put them in the sources folder but still cant acess database when I open MP3TAG. The discogs folder only seemed to unzip successfully on desktop as when I tried to unzip direct to sources I got error messages??

Any more ideas, thanks for the help so far by the way.

Sorry to be a pain but this is doing my nut in!!

On a different note speaking of old school anybody remember Shoop! Records from Scotland back in the day, that was my label.

Copy all the SRC files you've unzipped to the location I posted before m8 (it's different to the location in the original post)
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Mp3tag\data\sour ces
Where it says username will be your username for your windows account
ie mine says C:\Users\Hippie\AppData\Roaming\Mp3tag\data\source s

Easy chapsWould love to try this but I have got a mac. Any versions for mac?

Originally Posted by Hippie

Copy all the SRC files you've unzipped to the location I posted before m8 (it's different to the location in the original post)
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Mp3tag\data\sour ces
Where it says username will be your username for your windows account
ie mine says C:\Users\Hippie\AppData\Roaming\Mp3tag\data\source s

Tried again but when unzipping the files I could only browse as far as c:\Users\Gordon and there was no AppData folder so I tried to create one to match the folder location above but then my PC told me appdata folder already exists do I want to merge, I said yes but when I go to explorer to check my computer files I can't find it!!!! It doesn't appear in the folder thing down RHS under c:\Users\Gordon.

I would really appreciate any help as I am getting into Digital DJing but my MP3 titles are a mess.

Just another aside the link you posted above for Discog updates and addons is broken.

Maybe your appdata folder is a hidden file

I think you left it too long before following the search link I posted for you

Windows is nannying you and hiding the folder, so you need to select "show hidden files and folders" in the Windows Explorer options.

Here's the thread that gets updated with the latest version of the script and a link to their instructions
[WS] Discogs Album search + VA - Mp3tag Forums

For more scripts see this section of the forum
Mp3tag Forums -> Web Sources Scripts

I have just installed the files and it works for me - no probs and i followed Swipezsters instructions

And i have tagged my first tune - although when you need to click on the blue ball with the horizontal yellow arrows you first need to highlight a file before you can click on it

Originally Posted by Hippie

I think you left it too long before following the search link I posted for you

Windows is nannying you and hiding the folder, so you need to select "show hidden files and folders" in the Windows Explorer options.

Here's the thread that gets updated with the latest version of the script and a link to their instructions
[WS] Discogs Album search + VA - Mp3tag Forums

For more scripts see this section of the forum
Mp3tag Forums -> Web Sources Scripts

Cheers for helping out my noobish self!!

Getting a wee bit further forward can now get as far as C:\Users\Gordon\AppData\Roaming but there is no mp3tag folder in there. I have uninstalled and reinstalled mp3tag. Could it be Windows 7 64 bit is trying its best to p me off as mp3tag installs to C:\Program Files (x86)?

I didn't expect tagging would be easy but am doing my nut here.

Once again thanks for your and others help and advice so far.

Nice one Swipezster I'm obsessed with tagging my mp3s and getting the correct info and artwork for tunes in the media player.

Originally Posted by swipezster

2.jpg

Nice to see you kept my tune stu, I see it there at the top. And I'm loving your new sig pic, who's that handsome dude stood to the left of euph?

Seriously though, nice post mate I'm gonna give this a go...

I'm getting an error when extracting the discogs folder thing, 6 errors its saying

I installed the mp3tag first then i downloaded the Discogs zip and saved it to the sorces folder - how i got to the sources folder -

click start - My Computer - c drive - program files - mp3tag - data - sources.

Once i downloaded it i unzipped there - then everything should work

this thing is a load of me bollix, Wont work proper on my PC at all. Keeps saying cant find artists or cannot connect to discogs.com when I try too look for the rare trance records I have. Bah! I give up, I bloody hate technology.