Zune Boards - Quick Tip: Editing Song Info

Quick Tip: Editing Song Info

Written by ACE

Friday, 16 November 2007

browse/list One of the biggest gripes of the new software is the apparent inability to edit meta data of songs. This is not true, however, as I'll show you. There's a feature many have overlooked that helps greatly to manage your personal collection. Look to the upper right above your music when viewing the main songs menu. There's an option to 'browse' or 'list'. This list feature is the one I'm talking about. Click to read more....

list view

The list menu allows you to select, sort, and edit your music in multiple ways. To edit, simply right click the songs and select 'edit' in the drop down window. Why so many people have missed this is beyond me, but it's another wrinkle in this software that really makes me applaud MS for their attention to detail. After reading many reviews already, a lot of people are surprised saying, "Microsoft made this?" Yes they did and they did it very well.... Hope this helped!

EDIT: If your collection has its album art messed up, this is not the tip you're looking for. There's an issue with the program files that is easily fixable and found in the forums....

Comments

Guest User

| 67.158.134.xxx | 2007-11-16 03:41:03

Uh... I don't think any of us missed this. I try to edit mine in list view and it still reverts back to what it was. Not only that, if there are things that I CAN change, the changed don't carry over into browse view but stay sorted under wrong albums.

Guest User

| 68.114.198.xxx | 2007-11-16 03:50:48

Is there a way to do the old find album info option where it would find track info for you, I cant find it and that was quite convenient

Leif902

| 98.18.104.xxx | 2007-11-16 04:09:43

I knew of list view, the problem is not that. It's that there is no convenient editor for meta data (like WMP11's advanced meta-data editor)

Skiks

| Registered | 2007-11-16 04:24:34

Leif902 wrote:

I knew of list view, the problem is not that. It's that there is no convenient editor for meta data (like WMP11's advanced meta-data editor)

If you're talking about the advanced tag editor of WMP11, this is much simpler than that! You don't have to open up a window for every song you want to edit! I don't get why you want to hold onto such a inefficient way of editing when this does it for you in a much simpler fashion... or if it's all the additional info you want to add, why? Forgive me, but I simply find it not necessary...

Guest User

| 68.161.172.xxx | 2007-11-16 04:28:42

ughh, i still hate the fact that u can no longer copy and paste the album art on the software..thats what i loved about the old software, i didnt actually have to save the album art on my computer

JFocus47

| 71.247.132.xxx | 2007-11-16 04:35:42

Software sucks. I'm downgrading till they 'Get It Together'.

Skagmire

| 148.137.233.xxx | 2007-11-16 06:47:51

Microsoft really dropped the ball on editing tags with the new software. Although I was never impressed with the original zune software's capabilities for tagging. I guess I'm a tool because I use iTunes for doing rips and re-encodes... I guess iTunes grew on me after tagging 70 gigs of music...
If anybody knows of a better program, for the love of god, tell me!

Guest User

| 210.124.129.xxx | 2007-11-16 09:03:32

I use MP3Tage http://www.mp3tag.de/en/ It is awesome, and I redid all my tags on my 15000+ songs, and it took about 3 days to do that all. You can even add custom tags, and album art as well. Plus if you have the full album, it has a couple database it will search for the Album info, and if you use the amazon.com it will donwload the correct album art while updating the tag info for you.

Mark in St. Louis

| 75.105.183.xxx | 2007-11-16 12:59:42

Try changing a track number with this method!

RonV	\| 63.169.105.xxx \| 2007-11-16 14:19:42

Yes but this is really a slow way of editing. Also there are fields that this view just dont list. For example the ordering issue of the track numbers is due to the "Set" field which is used to identify a multi-cd set. Some software just leaves the value blank some puts a number there. When the Zune software displays the songs by track order it sorts by the "Set" field first.

Guest User

| 75.187.138.xxx | 2007-11-16 14:24:53

Ya this suck, very slow way of editing! Plus this biggest issues is that it will not save alot of the data, spent two hours FIXEING what Version 2 firmware killed, then came back 15 minutes later and it was reverted back to before I changed it, what crap. [smiley=angry]

Guest User

| 10.96.60.xxx | 2007-11-16 14:58:24

there might be some other interesting news i read on zdnet.com that microsoft might introduce an wifi music download store just like apple - doesn't that sound good??

jaybee

| 209.104.229.xxx | 2007-11-16 15:11:57

I want them to fix the issues that we already have before they start introducing new things...I'm sick of albums showing up in the wrong place and the editing idea doesn't really work everything goes right back to the wrong place....

Skiks

| Registered | 2007-11-16 16:44:44

[b][color=#FF0000]Fo
r everyone still having issues with their software, Microsoft has already released information on how to fix them as well as ZuneBoards having quite a few fixes of their own. Quit all the complaining! This is not a flame board so get over to forums.zune.net or our own forum to figure out what you need to do. It's like you guys have never dealt with technology before....[/color][/b]

RDP II

| 66.41.30.xxx | 2007-11-16 17:59:07

Anyone know if you can sync Zune with WMP, all my album art, music, etc. is correct. I tried some of the fixes with the Zune software and though it got better there is still alot of errors. I'd rather not spend the time to manually fix everything, and spend my $25 a week on music else where.

Guest User

| 67.158.134.xxx | 2007-11-16 18:32:08

ACE, if you're going to continue to insult the intelligence of the users, why shouldn't they flame back at you? Clearly these "fixes" don't seem to fix things and the users are upset. Don't post a fix and call people stupid just because it works fine for you. There are many of us, as you can see, that still have issues. As much as you'd like the software to be perfect, it just isn't. I think it's awesome and I love the Zune, I just want it work properly.

Guest User

| 67.122.181.xxx | 2007-11-16 19:02:53

MP3 Tag...that's the only program you'll never need.

http://www.mp3tag.de/en/index.html

Guest User

| 74.227.106.xxx | 2007-11-16 20:33:06

I Love mp3 tag but this works for a few things too.

Trout Of Death

| 75.37.71.xxx | 2007-11-16 21:25:30

I don't like how you cant sort by Genre or Edit the tags. Like the effort Microsoft put into the spiffy new look, but not worth the problems.

Spyda Kat

| 69.57.238.xxx | 2007-11-16 21:57:37

Good sh1t ACE will you shut the hell up?! These fixes dont work for everyone and M$ seriously needs to get off thier A$$es and fix this right now, just updating the firmware isnt good enough for us loyal OG Zuners. I mean i love my zune and the new firmware but the software is seriously crippled and lacking BASIC features, i mean no album update?! WTF

Guest User

| 170.185.30.xxx | 2007-11-16 22:09:17

well, i want to be able to edit the track number, and album, but i havent found out yet...can someone tell me how??

Malone

| 76.106.210.xxx | 2007-11-17 01:08:53

They really need to put update album info back in. Seemed like they updated that feature not too long ago on the old software and worked so much better and now they get rid of it totally!? you dont remove good features on new software, I'm disappointed in microsoft, praying they hear our crys and get some updates out

Guest User

| 24.26.253.xxx | 2007-11-17 01:21:30

Ace,
Here's a quick tip ~
If you don't like people commenting on your article, turn the comments off.

Now, breath deep, take a pill, and delete your flame

Blex	\| 71.243.67.xxx \| 2007-11-17 02:13:42

JUST USE iTUNES TO EDIT THE TAGS. ITS WHAT I ALWAYS DO AND iTUNES HAS QUICK ACCESS TO ALBUM ART SO YEAH...

aflyingedward

| 79.77.209.xxx | 2007-11-17 12:51:17

Are you kidding me?

This method of editing is truly awful:
Where is the batch editing?
How do I edit anything more than just artist, song and album name?
Where is the option to 'find album' as in WMP11?
Where is the drag and drop to merge albums?
Where is the copy and paste album art function?

It is just mind-numbingly crazy to release a library application without even simple-tag editing. That's right, I barely even categorise the current editing possibilities as simple!

Mark in St. Louis

| 75.105.183.xxx | 2007-11-17 14:11:33

Trout,

Using the "List" view, you can add fields to view and sort by, including Genre. Can't help you with the editing, though.

WANAHE54

| 69.108.80.xxx | 2007-11-18 17:23:50

Does anyone know how to change the Songs Number? like the number of the track ? Because i remember that the old one let you do that and i can't doing on this new one[smiley=sad]

Guest User

| 129.109.118.xxx | 2007-11-19 16:28:22

I have had similar problems. Most annoying-I have one album that Zune software insists on splitting into 3 separate albums even though it is tagged correctly (even in LIST view). I re-typed all information in again (What? no batch editing!) to no avail. I also can't comprehend leaving out the simple copy/paste album art function(to fix what the program messed up to begin with). I understand they wanted to "dumb-down" the interface but it wasn't necessary to leave out such basic functions.

LOGANARCHY

| 74.184.31.xxx | 2007-11-21 01:29:10

Hey I got this problem as well. The hack worked though. Thanks guys.
PS: Doesn't work for videos. Maybe because there's no browse or list option for them?

Guest User

| 24.45.142.xxx | 2007-11-25 01:19:19

i have no problems and i have over 15 thousand songs all of them are organized to the T and it was very easy

Guest User

| 190.157.14.xxx | 2007-12-02 06:20:56

how can i edit several fields at a time
in zune software 1 you highlight the ones that you want to tag with the same genre or album, and just edit one and automaticly change the others, but in ZS2 the edit menu apears inactive when i have selected various files, any help?

Guest User

| 74.93.9.xxx | 2007-12-04 01:02:32

Yep, I too am using iTunes to edit the tags on the videos for my Zune [smiley=laugh]

JimR - Tag Editor

| 71.77.200.xxx | 2008-01-22 05:07:51

Hello fellow Zune users. I'm a new Zune user and was having some of the same issues you all have, but I'm an old geek too.

For Tag editing, I use Media Monkey. Checks against Amazon, and also is a format converter from MP3 to wma, aac, and back again in whatever bit rate you want, and you can sort/edit/organize however you want, right in the columns. It's free, and very good quality conversions. Google it.

For editing directly in the Zune software and it reverts back, or if your album art isn't picking up, try this: Copy the song file to another folder, delete permanently in the Zune software, then copy it back. It worked great on both occasions for me. The reason this works is because you've done something with that file, such as recently playing it, and your OS locks it down. Deleting it breaks this lock.

Also, in the new Zune software settings, there's a check block to automatically update tag information. I'd be careful using this and test it on a few songs copi...

TS	\| 210.124.154.xxx \| 2008-02-09 12:05:47

Yeah, same crap w/ my Zune. Can't merge albums, so I have a whole series of albums with one or two songs in them. ITunes is so much easier. F%Ck Microsoft.

Anonymous

| 74.194.191.xxx | 2008-03-01 13:03:31

so is there or is there not a way to change the song numbers of songs???

sergiohblanco

| Registered | 2008-03-05 12:14:43

media monkey is pretty good, the amazon taging feature helped me.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 16 November 2007 )

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