MM "Comments" incompatible with iTunes

[iamsid]

After reading several threads (see below) and doing a lot of experimenting, I am now thoroughly convinced that this represents a bug in MM.

http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... =1&t=11477
http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... =1&t=14653

Although both of those links are old, the problem remains the same. Any time MM touches the "Comments" field on a tag, then the song is added to iTunes, the "Comments" do not show up. They show up in just about every other application, but not iTunes. Likewise, any changes to comments made in just about any other application (Mp3tag for example), show up fine in iTunes and elsewhere. It's only when MediaMonkey touches the tag (either through direct editing or using the "Syncronize Tags" function, that it somehow puts the "Comment" field in a slightly different format than iTunes can read. Also, MediaMonkey has no problems reading the comments that have been created in iTunes.

There's definitely something strange going on and some sort of compatibility issues when going *from* MediaMonkey *to* iTunes.

Using Win7 64, at first I thought it might be the new version of iTunes that was the problem or just my DB being corrupt, but I've done a full clean install of iTunes (both version 11.0.5.5 AND gone back to 10.7) and the issue appears to be the same.

I've also tried this with MediaMonkey versions 3.1.1.1261, 4.0.5.1496, and 4.0.7.1511 - (all lifetime gold) - thinking that maybe the issue was with the latest MM. All iterations and combinations yielded the same result.

The comments do not appear to be an issue in any other application, but definitely seem to be affected by mediamonkey as the root cause.

This is a huge issue for me as it's where I keep rating information so that the information will cross applications in case of DB loss. I've never noticed the issue before as all my rating (and therefore comments) were made in itunes since I do the ratings on my ipod. Recently, I had to rebuild my iTunes DB and the rescan showed next to no comments available on more than 35,000 tracks.

I use mediamonkey EXTENSIVELY to manage the tags on my rather large collection and LOVE the program, but I was under the impression that I could make changes in MM and use them ANYWHERE because of the standardization.

That appears to not be the case. I'd blame iTunes but if other programs are editing and saving the comment field in such a way that iTunes recognize it, I'm afraid the problem lies with MediaMonkey not following the standard that all the others are.

Can anyone help?

[Peke]

Hmm, I'm not being able to replicate. Can you open Support ticket and give us link where we can download sample file?

[iamsid]

Yes, I will submit a ticket. What do you want in the sample file though? Just one song?

Sid

[nohitter151]

Already reported and fixed for the beta version:
http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=11218

[iamsid]

Using MediaMonkey 4.1.6.1736 to manage music exclusively for the last several months. Out of 294 songs, 175 have ratings and comments. Just uninstalled and reinstalled itunes
(12.1.2.27) and pointed it at the same folder, scanned the songs and added all 294 songs to the library. They are the only songs in the itunes library.

Only 1 out of all 294 had any comment, and none had ratings. I did not expect the ratings to transfer over, but DID expect the comments to transfer over. This issue clearly has not been fixed. MediaMonkey is not writing the comment data to the same tag space as is read by itunes. This absolutely needs to be addressed as the comment field is one of the few common fields I can be sure will transfer over.

Sid

[Lowlander]

This issue is about MM reading iTunes tags (which often uses proprietary solutions). That should be fixed.

[iamsid]

Lowlander: Just to clarify, it's the other way around with regards to MM reading itunes tags. When the comment field is written in itunes, MM reads that just fine - however, the reverse is not true. When MM writes to the comment field, the comment is not read appropriately by itunes. Since the comment field is one of only a few common, non-proprietary fields that itunes reads in the ID3 space, this field should be easily transferable between the two programs. This used to be the case with older versions of MM (as mentioned in the original posts, I've been using MM for a while). Somewhere along the line, MM started writing comment data to a space that itunes cannot read.

I pointed this out in 2013, and was assured it was fixed. However, until recently, I hadn't had the opportunity to verify as I had stopped using itunes and gone exclusively with MM to manage my ipods. But, recently, I needed to look at something in itunes, so I decided to see if the tag data edited (and created) in MM properly transferred over. When it did not, I posted here.

[Lowlander]

That's what I said, the problem was about MM not reading iTunes comments.

[iamsid]

Sorry if I misunderstood you Lowlander.

to the admins / experts: Regardless of how you read the issue, does anyone have a solution / fix for the problem? There is CLEARLY a disconnect between the itunes comments field and MM's ability to write to that field correctly.

I use MM largely to avoid issues like this. I want to make sure whatever changes I make to my tags are read everywhere. Since the comments field is one of the few common fields between all platforms / library managers, it should be dealt with in a common fashion. Please, please, someone help solve this.

Sid

[Lowlander]

it should be dealt with in a common fashion

iTunes doesn't deal with things in a common fashion, it often uses proprietary solutions instead of standards that have been defined.

You haven't mentioned which file type(s) have this issue.

[nohitter151]

Since the comments field is one of the few common fields between all platforms / library managers, it should be dealt with in a common fashion. Please, please, someone help solve this.

Sid

If MM writes to the comments field in a way that iTunes can read, it will break compatibility with other programs/platforms. MM uses the ID3 standard, iTunes does not.

[iamsid]

iTunes *DOES* use the ID3 standard for certain fields. Album, Artist, Title, etc. A matrix of what those fields are can be found here:

http://help.mp3tag.de/main_tags.html

As you can see, comment is one of those fields that iTunes does use the ID3 standard for and there USED to be complete compatibility between MM and iTunes on this field. Both supposedly use the COMM frame for comments. If for some, inane reason iTunes moved away from this for the comment field (which I am skeptical of), MM should at least have the functionality to write to that field as custom or similar. Other programs (like MP3Tag) write to the comment field and iTunes reads it just fine. Just not MM.

As for filetypes, all my music is .mp3 - for the same reason as I'm concerned about the comment field - cross platform compatibility.

[nohitter151]

iTunes *DOES* use the ID3 standard for certain fields. Album, Artist, Title, etc. A matrix of what those fields are can be found here:

http://help.mp3tag.de/main_tags.html

As you can see, comment is one of those fields that iTunes does use the ID3 standard for and there USED to be complete compatibility between MM and iTunes on this field. Both supposedly use the COMM frame for comments. If for some, inane reason iTunes moved away from this for the comment field (which I am skeptical of), MM should at least have the functionality to write to that field as custom or similar. Other programs (like MP3Tag) write to the comment field and iTunes reads it just fine. Just not MM.

As for filetypes, all my music is .mp3 - for the same reason as I'm concerned about the comment field - cross platform compatibility.

http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=2592

[iamsid]

nohitter151, thanks for the reference. it appears there is a long running difference of opinion on whether or not the "XXX" or "ENG" designation should be used for the COMM frame. I now understand that MediaMonkey is using the XXX for the frame and feels this is more universal.

However, is there any way for MediaMonkey to write to both XXX and ENG simultaneously? (obviously I'm beginning to get out of my depth here). Or perhaps to permananetly set the language of the COMM frame to the designated language of the MediaMonkey program (if there even is such a designation in MM) - via user selection option or otherwise?

Perhaps the answer is "no" to both of the above.

In that case, is there any way to use a script or utility within MM to bulk change those comments written by MM with the XXX designation to the ENG designation?

Currently, it seems the only solutions I could find are to essentially open up all songs that don't transfer comments to itunes correctly in another program (MP3tag, godfather, etc.) and then update the tags in that program before an itunes library update. That seems pretty inefficient.

I only really use MM and itunes to manage my devices. I would use only MM, but have had issues in compatibility with idevices (another issue entirely).

At the end of the day, I just need my common music files to cross platforms. The comment field is the only thing preventing this from happening for me and anything MediaMonkey can do to help me resolve that without using external programs would be a great help to me.

How can I go about getting MM to provide me with some way of resolving this issue?

Sid

[nohitter151]

nohitter151, thanks for the reference. it appears there is a long running difference of opinion on whether or not the "XXX" or "ENG" designation should be used for the COMM frame. I now understand that MediaMonkey is using the XXX for the frame and feels this is more universal.

However, is there any way for MediaMonkey to write to both XXX and ENG simultaneously? (obviously I'm beginning to get out of my depth here). Or perhaps to permananetly set the language of the COMM frame to the designated language of the MediaMonkey program (if there even is such a designation in MM) - via user selection option or otherwise?

Perhaps the answer is "no" to both of the above.

In that case, is there any way to use a script or utility within MM to bulk change those comments written by MM with the XXX designation to the ENG designation?

Currently, it seems the only solutions I could find are to essentially open up all songs that don't transfer comments to itunes correctly in another program (MP3tag, godfather, etc.) and then update the tags in that program before an itunes library update. That seems pretty inefficient.

I only really use MM and itunes to manage my devices. I would use only MM, but have had issues in compatibility with idevices (another issue entirely).

At the end of the day, I just need my common music files to cross platforms. The comment field is the only thing preventing this from happening for me and anything MediaMonkey can do to help me resolve that without using external programs would be a great help to me.

How can I go about getting MM to provide me with some way of resolving this issue?

Sid

No and no, unfortunately there is no way to modify how MM writes the comment tag. It will require developer involvement in some way in an update, as scripts and addons cannot change tagging in MM.