iTunes 7.0 Special Report: Incomplete ID3 tags for converted files

MacFixIt reader John Venzon reports an issue with incomplete ID3 tags that existed in iTunes 6.0.x and persists in version 7.0.

John writes:

"A problem that I've been running into starting with iTunes 6 and continues into 7 is malformed ID3 tags when iTunes converts from WAV or Lossless to MP3.

"I rip my new CDs to Lossless, then convert to MP3, saving me the time of ripping a CD twice. I was greeted with a nasty surprise when I had to restore a backup CD of MP3 files I created this way.

"If you rip a CD to Lossless, then switch to MP3 and choose 'Convert Selection to MP3' from the Advanced Menu, it will appear to work, the info will be identical to the Lossless file, but if you then try to add those MP3 files to another computer, the tagging info on the other Mac will list the name field the same as the file name, with none of the other information.

"This will also happen if you create a new empty iTunes library on the same Mac you've converted the MP3 files on. You don't notice the problem because the track info is cached from the library and XML file on the same computer.

"I have verified this on my MacBook Pro, my iMac G5 and iMac Core Duo. Up until 7, I would just highlight the converted MP3, and selected 'Convert ID3 Tags' and it would fix the problem, but with 7, if you restore the MP3 file, the album artwork disappears."

Index:

• AAC files and mobile phones: Problems playing, possible fix
• Accessing iTunes media in iMovie, other applications: Problems and fixes
• AirTunes streaming broken? Store issues? Enable IPv6
• Album browser confusion
• Artwork issues: How to make album covers portable, problems dragging and dropping
• Authorization problems: Unable to playback purchased media, more
• Brighter video display
• Downgrading (reverting) to iTunes 6.0.5
• Downloading purchased media: -50 errors, other
• Equalizer not appearing, fix
• Incomplete ID3 tags for converted files
• Inexplicable crashes: Bad plug-ins, other fixes
• iPod synchronization issues: Problems transferring music, crashes, making sure software is up to date
• Make sure you are using QuickTime 7.1.3
• Older versions of iTunes locked out from store
• Play/skip count discrepancies
• Playback problems with audio and video: Fixes (including disabling OSS 3D)
• Podcast problems, inadvertently deleted: Fixes
• Re-purchase required for higher resolution
• Release notes
• Satellite-based connections: Problems downloading media with
• Screen redraw slowness
• Slow music importing/conversion: Fixes
• Smart playlists not updating on iPods
• Store preview problems
• Two tracks playing simultaneously
• Using multiple libraries, selecting library at startup
• Volume Logic incompatibility: Workaround

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