Thread: Mp3 tagging straight from Discogs - A Survey

After a few hours of reading, head scratching, installing, deleting and more head scratching, I've finally discovered a way of tagging mp3s where the information comes straight from Discogs including Artist, title, year, genre, album etc. and even album cover art!

From what I can gather a few of you already do this and although I know it's not the quickest process in the world (most of our members have hay-ooge mp3 collections), I still argue that it beats manually typing in all the information into seperate fields whilst keep flicking back to the source (i.e. 'Cogs, rolldabeats, etc.) to check stuff.

Unfortunately, the system I use doesn't do multiple/batch files and one must remember that Discogs isn't entirely accurate; the info is supplied by users, although to contradict myself, most of the users are as anal as me about correct cataloguing.
The other downside is that for each mp3 you tag, there is a need for the copy & paste function twice, but that's about it.

Basically, I'm prepared to do an idiot's guide on how to install the software and how to use it and all that (little bit finicky for those not too savvy on the old PC), but wonder is it really worth my while doing so?

Think the post may take about 2-3 hours to complete and check

personaly i wouldnt use it..


but that said, if you are prepared to spend time doing the post, then id say go for it.

im sure loads of people would be made up that you have taken the time and effort to share a worthwhile way of tagging.


i must just stress though you are totally correct about the cogs not bein 100% correct...... i found a couple of my tunes were listed with the wrong date on cogs yesterday.... 1999 instead of 1998...... not a major deal granted, but if your that into listing your mp3 then ya deffo have to 2nd check the info from another source.

I agree with the diseased one. From a purely selfish point of view, i can't see how the process would be sped up that significantly from what i do now. If you could batch-tag then its a whole different box of frogs.

Save yout energy fella. Just think, thats a couple more hours you'll have to find the perfect dress....

Your supposed to be able to tag mp3s with discogs through foobar but i cant work out how it works, i downloaded this foobar2000: Components Repository - Discogs Tagger but still dont know how to use it.

Originally Posted by dodders

From a purely selfish point of view, i can't see how the process would be sped up that significantly from what i do now.

I'm under the (probably wrong) assumption that you 'manually' type out the different fields?

If this is the case, then the software I'm currently using involves the following for each mp3 tag:

C+P mp3 name into Cogs
Search for tune
C+P ID number at end of URL into software search box
Press OK (if happy with release info)
Automatically saves

Although I understand it's horses for courses and everyone's got their own way, I'm trying to show just by the 4 ops above how simple it is; surely that's quicker than typing stuff out into individual fields?

Originally Posted by Phizzal

Your supposed to be able to tag mp3s with discogs through foobar but i cant work out how it works, i downloaded this foobar2000: Components Repository - Discogs Tagger but still dont know how to use it.

I had a serious look at this and correct me if I'm wrong, it's a plug-in for Foobar2000... which would mean changing media-players & libraries I imagine. Read on a couple of forums that it's easy to install, but using it is a bugger - apparently does batch files though

Your right it is a plug-in, i have foobar & downloaded the plugin but i dont know what i need to do to get the plug-in to work. Do i just put the plug-in in the foobar program file folder or do i need to change some settings in foobar? Clicking the plug-in did'nt seem to do anything.

Originally Posted by swipezster

I'm under the (probably wrong) assumption that you 'manually' type out the different fields?

Well, copy & paste but you're along the right lines. Not quite as painstaking as it seems as most of my MP3's have some info attatched to them.

If wot u say is correct, fancy doing a little experiment for me? Dunno if you've set up that prog i sent you but if so, would you mind adding a couple of the tunes that you've tagged to the d/b - i'd like to know if they get read correctly - and if they do, i might be changing my mind about the whole show.....

Originally Posted by Phizzal

Your right it is a plug-in, i have foobar & downloaded the plugin but i dont know what i need to do to get the plug-in to work. Do i just put the plug-in in the foobar program file folder or do i need to change some settings in foobar? Clicking the plug-in did'nt seem to do anything.

I have no idea Phizzal mate I saw that Foobar was a media player and ran for the hills..

... would imagine there's a Tools function in the Foobar player window and I'd put the plug-in in the program files list, both zipped and extracted or something

Originally Posted by dodders

Well, copy & paste but you're along the right lines. Not quite as painstaking as it seems as most of my MP3's have some info attatched to them.

If wot u say is correct, fancy doing a little experiment for me? Dunno if you've set up that prog i sent you but if so, would you mind adding a couple of the tunes that you've tagged to the d/b - i'd like to know if they get read correctly - and if they do, i might be changing my mind about the whole show.....

Sorry dodders mate, I didn't have the heart to tell you that I installed the program and uninstalled it a minute later - too busy and cluttered for my liking I'm afraid

What I will do though mate over the weekend is upload an mp3 (which you have and have also tagged) which has been tagged 'my' way, then you can d/l it and compare
Am I on your wavelength (sorry, in the middle of bingo calling )???

^^^^^^

Good plan - but if u could do it with a tune i haven't got it'd be easier. That way i can just throw it in & see how it looks.

I know you've explained it to me but what are the benefits of doing this?

Originally Posted by dodders

^^^^^^

Good plan - but if u could do it with a tune i haven't got it'd be easier. That way i can just throw it in & see how it looks.

Okay... understand now, will upload you a tagged mp3 weekend mate

Originally Posted by Curly

I know you've explained it to me but what are the benefits of doing this?

You don't need it mate, it's for the analists. Your track artist & title come up above each deck on Serato I noticed, so sorted

Thank fook for that. I was about to start a 10 year project to tag my mp3's

So, you & Dodders are proper analists then?

Gosh!

Shock!

Horror!

Look how Curly has turned a perfectly innocuous thread into bum-fun

Originally Posted by Curly

So, you & Dodders are proper analists then?

I refuse to get involved - i am not stooping down to your shoe-size.........

Here we go

Another perfectly good, professional, debatable oldskool thread ruined

Originally Posted by swipezster

Here we go

Another perfectly good, professional, debatable oldskool thread ruined

Eh, at least i voted - unlike everyone else......

Granted, there's a fair chance i voted wrong but the point still stands....

I would like a guide please Swipezster - i use Discogs and Rolldabeats for info.

If it saves me time typing then it gets a thumbs up from me

I use mp3tag.de to do this with the discogs plugin.
If u use Traktor, Trainspotter can tag your Traktor collection and integrate with discogs too.
Once they're tagged properly u can make smart playlists using the tag info and scan through playlists looking for cover art just like you would flicking through a record box.

Originally Posted by Hippie

Once they're tagged properly u can make smart playlists using the tag info and scan through playlists looking for cover art just like you would flicking through a record box.

That sounds really appealing to me, I hate looking through folders for certain mp3's, I'm terrible at remembering track names, but usually remember what tracks are in which record sleeve.

So I have mp3tag, and I have Traktor Scratch Pro, but how do I make this work?

The foobar way would be this.
Install:
foobar2000
If you're having troubles, check forums & tutorials for Installing and how to use components, such as:
Foobar2000 - A guide to installation and skinning. - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net
There's also the dev forum, but there's a lot of tech talk:
Hydrogenaudio Forums -> foobar2000

After installing you'd only need the discogs tagger plugin/component:
foobar2000: Components Repository - Discogs Tagger

Saved me so much tag typing time...

Oh, had another quick look as the whole thing of getting the basic components sorted took me a few hours. Here's a rundown of what to do how.
foobar2000 tutorial: essential components

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Si Cosis

That sounds really appealing to me, I hate looking through folders for certain mp3's, I'm terrible at remembering track names, but usually remember what tracks are in which record sleeve.

So I have mp3tag, and I have Traktor Scratch Pro, but how do I make this work?

Sorry for the late reply.
See the Trainspotter site - Trainspotter :: Traktor Discogs Mashup - for the Trainspotter sw and info on the smart playlists and tagging taxonomies.
And grab the Discogs script for mp3tag from their forums.
I think I use these 1s
[WS] Discogs Album search + VA - Mp3tag Forums
[WS] Discogs ALL - Mp3tag Forums

Trainspotter accesses the Traktor collection.nml so it's a good idea to backup your collection.nml file before you start making any changes and set Traktor to do a consistency check on startup to pick up the changes you've made with mp3tag or Trainspotter.