The main problem with iTunes, and most music players for that matter, is that it relied on tags. If you had a big music library organized by filename and directory you were screwed, it only cared about tags.
Even if you ripped all your music from CDs the database that iTunes used (CDDB) was complete crap. The inconsistencies for basic stuff like artist name and genera screwed up your organization.
In fact the best option was to pirate all your music instead, because the pirates set strict standards for taggin
Manual tagging is better than both. But XLD actually connects to better metadata services than Apple's. And it's a better ripper.
My music is thoroughly tagged AND organized by directory and filename (and these days you can automate copying one structure to the other or vice versa). But tags are multidimensional. Folders can only organize by one hierarchy. If you have music with a composer AND a performer, for example. And album art is nice (combined with folder.jpg because I do care about the folder structure too). Genres are useful. Track numbers AND disc numbers for playback order. Tags are just more flexible.
kid3 works better for tag editing. Even if I use iTunes for playback now and then, you can set it to leave your folders alone and do your tagging and ripping externally.
Duplicate songs (Score:5, Funny)
Duplicate songs, from when I copied my Napster-based library of MP3s from one computer to another.
Duplicate songs, from when I copied my Napster-based library of MP3s from one computer to another. (1)
Duplicate songs, from when I copied my Napster-based library of MP3s from one computer to another - Copy
Duplicate songs, from when I copied my Napster-based library of MP3s from one computer to another - Copy (1)
Re: (Score:2)
The main problem with iTunes, and most music players for that matter, is that it relied on tags. If you had a big music library organized by filename and directory you were screwed, it only cared about tags.
Even if you ripped all your music from CDs the database that iTunes used (CDDB) was complete crap. The inconsistencies for basic stuff like artist name and genera screwed up your organization.
In fact the best option was to pirate all your music instead, because the pirates set strict standards for taggin
Re:Duplicate songs (Score:2)
Manual tagging is better than both. But XLD actually connects to better metadata services than Apple's. And it's a better ripper.
My music is thoroughly tagged AND organized by directory and filename (and these days you can automate copying one structure to the other or vice versa). But tags are multidimensional. Folders can only organize by one hierarchy. If you have music with a composer AND a performer, for example. And album art is nice (combined with folder.jpg because I do care about the folder structure too). Genres are useful. Track numbers AND disc numbers for playback order. Tags are just more flexible.
kid3 works better for tag editing. Even if I use iTunes for playback now and then, you can set it to leave your folders alone and do your tagging and ripping externally.