I keep my MP3 files organized in a folder structure of:
Artist - Album.

The MP3 file names are in the format:
Artist - Track # - Track name.mp3

At least that is what I thought I was doing but as I look at them more critically I find exceptions to the rule in my mp3s and mistakes in naming. For the moment I am most concerned with removing the naming mistakes. For example I have an artist name Joseph Hayden which should be Joseph Haydn. At the moment I have two folders with several albums in each because someone mis-spelled the name when submitting to CDDB or FreeDB. Now I know to more carefully check this information before ripping my CDs!

I downloaded Mp3/Tag Studio v2.18 hoping to change file name and mp3 tags enmasse. While the name and tag tools Direct Rename Files and Autowrite Tags Based on File Names sounded perfect it seems all I can do is change order and field information, ie, format. I have not figured out how to change Joseph Hayden to Joseph Haydn in all the files in a folder short of using Windows Explorer on each file.

Am I using the wrong tool or just not using it correctly?

Michael

PS - I am new at building my MP3 database from my CDs. I am open to comments or suggestions, particularly on structure and tagging, on how to do it differently or better. I am using Audiograbber and LAME encoding.

I have not figured out how to change Joseph Hayden to Joseph Haydn in all the files in a folder short of using Windows Explorer on each file.

Put all the files in the same folder. Mass set tags on the artist field only for the group-selected files in that folder. Then rename/organize based on tags.

Or use this handy little renamer.

In case you haven't tried Dave's utility yet and so you can learn a little bit about how Tag Studio works, here's how you do what you asked:

First, set your working directory for where you have your MP3s.

1. Under "Mass set tags/flags", click "Use filtering".
2. Click "Setup".
3. Check the box for "Filter tag contents".
4. Check the box for "Artist"
5. Check the box for either "Equal to" or "Containing".
6. In the text box to the right, enter "Joseph Hayden".
7. Click "Ok".
8. Check the box for "Artist".
9. In the text box to the right, enter "Joseph Haydn".
10. *IF* you have subdirectories containing more Joseph Haydn MP3s, check the box labeled "Incl. subdirs".
11. Click "Execute!".

That's it. If you mess it up, just click "Undo" and everything will revert back. The filtering capability of Magnus' Tag Studio is unreal. (BTW... if you haven't purchased it, I'd urge you to do so. It's definitely worth it, if you use it on a regular basis.) Copy some MP3s to a seperate directory and do some experimenting with the program. That's the best way to learn. Let me know if you need any more help using his program.

Thanks to all for your timely help. Tony and George, I used your suggestions and have cleaned up almost all the naming errors in my files. I am experimenting, as George suggested, with the power of Mp3/Tag Studio on a "dummy" set of folders and files to see what other damage I can do.

I have also downloaded Dave's renamer and will give it a try also. Thanks again for the help.

There's also an undo button, so don't panic if you happen to do something wrong.

"Let me know if you need any more help using this program."

George,
I do need a little help.
My Mp3-Tag Studio v2.06 seems to only write ID3v1 tags.
If there is an ID3v2 tag already written, it takes precedence.
I can't find where within the program it's possible to check for
ID3v2 tags. (I have read previously that Mp3 Tag-Studio handles both).
At the moment I cannot check to see if an ID3v2 tag is present.
Also, ID3v2 tags are ideal for long song titles.

On the same note, I had a version of Winamp that displayed both the
ID3v1 and ID3v2 information, and you could choose either and edit accordingly.
My current version 2.5c only shows ID3v1.
Does anyone know which version I am looking for?
Oh, I just found v2.76 on a backup CD, I'll give it a try.

And, I also found Mp3Tag-Studio v2.17 !!
I'll try both of these and see if I answer my own question.

I'd appreciate if anyone guides me in the right direction.
Thanks

I am using Mp3/Tag Studio v2.18. It displays both ID3v1 and ID3v2 tag information.

You can find v2.18 at www.magnusbrading.com/mp3ts/

I waited to see what happened. Have you tried the 2.18 version yet? Pretty much all the functions have some sort of differentiation between v1 and v2 tags. They allow you to choose what you want to do to each one. If you try 2.18 and can't figure out how to do what you want, let me know.

George,
thanks for your interest.
Yes, v2.18 solved/answered what I wanted to know.
The later Winamp was also the answer.

One other thing though;
I rip using Audiocatalyst/Xing.
It automatically attaches a v1 tag.
This subsequently drops off all characters after the initial 30 spaces,
in either the track or artist fields.
How do I rename based on file name to v2 tags?
All my mass-set sequences go to v1 tags, unless I manually set
individual v2 tags, which is too cumbersum.

BTW, is there any detriment to using v2 tags over v1?
Is it a case of "6 of one or half doz of the other"?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Let's see...

First, I'd highly suggest switching from Audiocatalyst to Audiograbber. I was using Audiocatalyst for a long time, until I found Audiograbber. I think you'll like it much better. It fully supports v2 tags and is much more feature-packed. I've got a feeling others may chime in with their own personal choices, but Audiograbber is nearly identical to what you're currently using, so it doesn't require much of a learning change.

That aside, to retag using filenames in Tag Studio, you'd use the "Auto write tags based on filenames" tab. That, you probably figured out already. You'll notice that there is no option for choosing an ID3 version there. The reason is that the ID3 version is a "global" setting. If you go to File --> Settings in Tag Studio, you'll see an option that says "Primary ID3 version", with two radio buttons for each ID3 version. For your situation, you'd select "v2". Immediately under that, you'll see a box labeled "Perform write operations on both tag versions when possible".

Straight out of the help file in Tag Studio:

In reply to:

---

Perform write operations on both tag versions when possible:

When this is active, all writing of tag data (except from the browse/edit tool, which has its own settings for this) will be made to both the ID3v1 and ID3v2 tag of a file. Otherwise it will be written only to the tag with the chosen primary ID3 version (see above). E.g. if you only want Mp3/Tag Studio to write ID3v1 tags, like in earlier versions of the program, simply choose v1 as primary ID3 version (see above) and uncheck this setting.

---

So, if you check "v2" as your primary ID3 version and UNCHECK this box, it will ONLY write ID3 v2 tags.

I think most programs nowadays read v2 tags and then revert to v1 tags if the former doesn't exist. Originally, this was the "detriment" to using v2 tags... not every program supported them. I don't think there are many programs that don't support v2 anymore, so you're probably safe. If you do find one, you might want to upgrade the version or change programs, as it may run into problems with the MP3 files. The most obvious reason people use v2 tags is because it broke the limitation on the use of long track names.

Personally, I write both v1 and v2 tags, so that I know if a program is having difficulty with the MP3 file and can do something about it... yet it won't stop me from knowing what track is playing. It's all personal preference.

Hope this helps!