4.1.25.1885b - Auto-tag issues and duplicate engine

Beta Testing for Windows Products and plugins

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Pathduck
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:26 am

4.1.25.1885b - Auto-tag issues and duplicate engine

Post by Pathduck »

Hey, since updating to the last beta (to fix the crash on tab), I've noticed the Auto-tag from web does not work as before.

Specifically, the Amazon engines just show the MM help page on tagging.

EDIT: I fixed the duplicate Discogs entry by deleting an old script in the MM install directory.

Image

Does not appear to be a skin issue.
Last edited by Pathduck on Sun Nov 17, 2019 7:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
rvonder
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:34 am
Location: Northern Virginia (D.C. Metro)

Re: 4.1.25.1885b - Auto-tag issues and duplicate engine

Post by rvonder »

I'm guessing you haven't tried tagging from Amazon for awhile? Unfortunately, this isn't a MM issue: Amazon changed its rules and no longer allows API access to its music metadata from any third-party products like MM. So rather than simply show an error message from Amazon, MM now displays that "Auto-Tag from Web" page. (And to MM's credit, if you read that Auto-Tag page, it does provide info about why Amazon is no longer available for auto-tagging, and suggests alternatives.)

Just for kicks, I did a little searching and found that as of around Feb. 2019, Amazon apparently re-enabled the music API. But it now carries so many restrictions that it's basically no longer usable as a metadata source. Paraphrased from comments on SourceForge for an open-source product called DataCrow:

Amazon's exposed docs and their support phone folks say that they have tightened this up, and API access now has to be driven by sales websites. Here are the new requirements:
  • You have to be apply and be accepted as an Amazon Affiliate in each region to get access to that region's API.
  • You have to have a sales-oriented website (i.e., one that refers buyers to Amazon for purchases) to become an Affiliate.
  • You have to generate x number of monthly Amazon sales via referrals from your site, and for each region, to remain an Affiliate and continue to have API access in each region.
  • You have to have a tax ID number, and collect and pay taxes on the fees they pay you for pushing sales their way via your website. So this becomes an income and tax issue too.
Based on their policy changes, it's pretty clear that Amazon is not interested in acting as a metadata source. Their API access is now only useful to someone trying monetize their own website.

Sad, because auto-tagging via Amazon was so much easier, quicker, and more flexible than the current add-ons for Discogs and MusicBrainz. But the MM devs are promising that MM 5 will improve on these, and perhaps add other sources as well. I can hardly wait, because robust tagging capabilities are (or, at least, were) one of the primary reasons MM was superior to anything else I've found - and I think I've tried them all by now!
Erwin Hanzl
Posts: 1189
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:47 am
Location: Vienna

Re: 4.1.25.1885b - Auto-tag issues and duplicate engine

Post by Erwin Hanzl »

Use the addon "Discogs Tagger 5.6.8"
You should run Mediamonkey as Administrator, when you install the Discogs Tagger
https://www.mediamonkey.com/addons/brow ... gs-tagger/
MMW 4.1.31.1919 Gold-Standardinstallation
Pathduck
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:26 am

Re: 4.1.25.1885b - Auto-tag issues and duplicate engine

Post by Pathduck »

Thanks for the very informative replies especially rvonder for all the information. I must have not used it for a while, even if I seem to remember them working not too long ago. I feel silly now... and the text is right there on the page... :oops:

I think one problem was the text of the "help" page shown is so small on 1440p I didn't care to read it, since the Explorer plugin does not do text scaling at all

I already use the Discogs tagger and it works great. In fact I think I didn't notice it because I've been using the Discogs tagger for such a long time. But it's kind of complex, the Amazon ones were easier to use for quick tagging.

Still, thanks be to the gods for Discogs, I remember when it started out as a site for DJs to organize all the white-labels and many aliases of the techno/house music scene, now it's a really fantastic resource :D
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