Traktor creates ID3v1 tag if it's not existing...

Hi all,

quite some posts are dealing with MP3 ID3 tag issues. I'm aware of that

But I think, I found something "new", and this is actually annoying.

I've had some troubles with mixed/messed up ID3v2.4 vs. ID3V1.x tags. I was under the impression, that my library was in shape. But then I discovered some inconsistencies, which made me removing the crappy ID3V1.x tags all together. So far so good. While at that, I even solved my reoccuring cover art problem (Traktor appears to like cover art at max. 600px600px with less than 200kb. At larger sizes Traktor messes up the cover art within the tags. Not always, but often enough.)

Anyway, after re-importing my tracks into Traktor all seemed fine. But then, out of curiosity, I checked whether the ID3V1.x tags were still absent. But no, they are appearing again.

It happens, when Traktor gets shut down. It creates its TRAKTOR4-tag and additionally creates an all new ID3V1 tag. It does this, for all analyzed tracks.

Why the heck?

Has someone an idea how to disable this behaviour? I mean other than write-protect the library Traktor is using?

Cheers,
John

 

There's no setting to stop Traktor writing tags as far as I know.

 

that's not new, traktor always created id3 v1 tags in order to ensure back wards compatibility .

Why does this bother you so much ?

I never had any issue because of this.

 

Well, this "backwards compatibility" ...

If it would be some sort of programming framework, such things would be marked "depricated", and after a hopefully short while "obsolete".

The problem with those tags is, that they're not really backwards compatible. Hardly any actual software (which includes the firmware of hardware players) can't deal with ID3V2.x tags. Actually the newer tags are used, if they exist in the file.

But... and this is a rather big "but": There are these cases of misinterpreted "backwards compatibilty", in which changes are written into the v1 tags, as long as they fit in there. Only if they don't, the v2 tags are used. I was surprised myself, but that happens. And as soon as you stumble across some software, which actually ignores the v1 tags completely, you won't see the tagging ... that was, what happened to me reoccuringly. And that's what's bothering me.

But well, I guess I'll either work with copies within Traktor, so the v1 tag creation won't do that much harm, or I will write protect the files. I'll probably go with the copies solely, since the write protection is annoying, when you are about updating things.

Oh and by the way... as far as I have noticed: Even Traktor itself is ignoring any v1 content reading wise...

 

so what media players are ignoring the tags all together ?

 

Actually most current Players...
Traktor, iTunes, beaTunes (even if it's using its own database).

So you could argument, that you're fine as long as all information is in the V2 tags, and you stick with iTunes and Traktor. But to me, it leaves nonetheless a bad feeling, when I see that Traktor is re-creating V1 tags.

 

traktor has no problem

 

... that's good to hear

 

you never tried it ?

 

I never tried what exactly?

Actually I was pointing out the fact, that Traktor completely unnecessarily creates ID3V1 tags, in case they don't exist. Even more, that Traktor does create those tags, but ignores them by itself while reading.

Then you wanted to know, why that bothers me and what media players do ignore the ID3V1 tags completely while reading. I answered.

Your final comment, that Traktor does not have any problems... well, I don't mean to be rude by any means... but what are you trying to say?

 

I asked you also what software was not reading the tags correctly and you mentioned traktor as one of them I then told you that traktor does not have this problem and then you replied that it's good to know so I asked you if you ever tried it.

 

well... now I see...

My bad appearently. The whole topic was and is about re-creating ID3V1 tags by Traktor, and never about misreading or ignoring ID3V2 tags by any media player (including Traktor).

So I misinterpreted your question "so what media players are ignoring the tags all together ?" I understood it as being related to ID3V1 tags. I'm sorry 'bout that

Let me try to recap the whole thing:

For me I found, that I have had a little mess with my MP3 files' ID3 tags. Some had correct ID3V2 tags. Some had additional ID3V1 tags. And some of those have their information spreaded amongst both the ID3V2 and ID3V1 tags.

Players like Traktor, iTunes, beaTunes and MetaBliss don't see the ID3V1 tags at all. So within those players some information can't be seen. This is even worse for tracks with ID3V1 tags only.

I have yet to find out, what caused that mess.

The last couple of days I spend cleaning up my files completely. I used a small zoo of tools for all this, but this might be stuff for another thread

What made me wonder in the first place was, that Traktor actually re-creates ID3V1 tags, if they don't exist, although Traktor itself does not read ID3V1 tags anyways. And since I still don't know what actually lead to my messed up files here, I'm a bit worried, that re-establishing ID3V1 tags might start the mess all over again over time.

But I think I have to deal with it, since Traktor simply has this behaviour, and appearently it can't be switched off.

Cheers,
John