"Synchronize tags" sometimes doesn't

[AllBliss]

I checked both the bug and help fora before posting this...

Version: 3.0.3.1183

I've hit the Unsynchronized Tags node 4 times now in different sessions. Each time I visit, I select all and hit ^s. Each time I return there are fewer entries, but the entries are always among those from the prior visit, i.e., they're not synching. All files are MP3. I know this because before playing around with the unsynched tracks, I put them in a new playlist so I can revisit them.*

I've found two patterns so far:

Multi-artist tracks whose Artist entry repeats one of the artist's names (e.g., "Pink!; Pink!") don't synch. Once I eliminate the duplication, the tracks synch.

Tracks where the AlbumArtist is set in the file but the Album is not set in the database do not synch the AlbumArtist value (which might be blank.) These tracks do NOT show in the "Unsynchronized tags" node. But when I load them on another machine (different db) the database values for Album Artist on the second machine to not match those on the first. Another detail: Looking in Explorer, the Artist column does not show the value that appears in either database. Instead, it shows the original value.

The tracks that aren't synching now are both single and multi- artist with names like Jelly Roll Morton and Ranma 1/2.

I loaded all the unsynched tags on the other machine and without changing the database values for them, they appear in the unsynch tags list on that second machine.

Also, I get errors during the checking process. Things like "bad handle", and "not enough memory". My machine has 2g. FWIW, the last time I scanned I carefully avoided touching MM while it was checking and got no errors.

* It sure would be nice to be able to navigate to other nodes and return without losing the "query" results. I have a lot of tracks and rerunning takes hours each time. Maybe an option which says whether to retain query results and a "Requery" command to refresh them?

[Macarena]

save all the racks in the generated "Unsynch node" into a new playlist. Does this solve your problem?

[Fredke]

I'm having similar problems with 3.0.6.1190. It only happens with wma and aac files, and only on 188 out of 12,600 files.

This happens with both single-artist and multi-artist files.

If I check the files in another application (e.g., Winamp), the tags definitely aren't being written by MediaMonkey. If I highlight them and hit "Ctrl-S" MM says they're synching, but they remain unsynchronized. I've tried hitting "Clean Tags" for both id3v1 and id3v2. I've tried setting tagging to "ID3v2 only". I've tried shutting down MM and restarting it. The same 188 files continue to be unsynchronized.

Any suggestions?

[Lowlander]

See this for WMA files and this for AAC files.

[nohitter151]

It may relate to this bug: http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=4819

specifically:

I have checked this and there was problem with writing Track#'s string '03' to the M4A tag, there has been always written '3' instead of '03'.

Fixed in 1186.

[mistresso]

I'm not so sure this has been fixed. It's been a perennial problem on my end, and I definitely do NOT have m4a's... nor are these multi-artist albums in most cases.

I do know that 2 artists with oddball names will never sync as well ... there is a band called "1/2 Japanese" and another called "+/-". Both of these confuse the bejeebus out of the tag writer, it seems.

[nohitter151]

I'm not so sure this has been fixed. It's been a perennial problem on my end, and I definitely do NOT have m4a's... nor are these multi-artist albums in most cases.

I do know that 2 artists with oddball names will never sync as well ... there is a band called "1/2 Japanese" and another called "+/-". Both of these confuse the bejeebus out of the tag writer, it seems.

Well, I was really responding to Fredke who specifically mentioned AAC files (aac uses same tagging format as m4a).

Anyway note that the bug mentioned is fixed in 3.1 so you would not see any change unless you are currently running a beta version of MM.

[AllBliss]

Thanks for your comments.

I can't prove that these are the same issue, but here's some new info:

- If album = '', albumartist changes aren't written to the file.
- For some tracks, even if album != '', albumartist values aren't reflected in artistssongs. Modifying albumartist explicitly for these songs does not fix the problem.