Correcting crappy file info?
 

I see files all the time with incorrect data. For example, here's a bit of silliness I recently ran across

Donna Summers: I Will Survive, 80's pop

First, it's Donna Summer, not Summers, I Will Survive is in fact performed by Gloria Gaynor, and it's a 70's disco song, not 80's pop.

Obviously, this bad description problem can be found all over the place, not just song titles.

So there are a few things in this one file that need to be fixed, just as there would be in all sorts of other files. Although I can correct the info in my Mac's (OS X 10.4) iTunes (v 5.0.1) to the proper stuff, if I then look at this same file in LimeWire's Library, it still has the bad info. I assume the original person whop created the file had access to this embedded data (and fudged it) but I suspect there must be SOME way of changing it...

How do I make corrections to the file's metadata (I presume) in the Library so that anyone else checking for Gloria Gaynor's disco tune I Will Survive will find this file since it still says it's an 80's Donna Summers song?

as well as doing exactly what you do I find it helps to change the id3 tag to 2.3. If that doesn't do it then I convert the file :"to mp3" and then rechange the id3 tag to 2.3 again since iTunes used 2.2 by default which is no use, afaics.

I have tried changing info. in the Limewire library, and I gave it up as the info you change often reverts to what it was before.

You can also use other id3 tag editors, and I understand Media rage (previously mp3 rage) does the job better than iTunes.

I have not tried these things out very fully, so please let us know if it helps. Sadly you are in a minority on the Network and most people really couldn't care less what the tag says and are quite happy for Summer Of 69 by Bruce Springsteen and Stuck in the Middle With You by Bob Dylan to be distributed freely despite the fact that both artists are totally wrong:)

Well, I went ahead and got me a id3 editor and went through my Shared files updating, correcting and improving all the file info. That only took some 12 hours. Fortunately I don't have a massive music library or I could easily have been at this for a few days. Hunting up info on each song (original date, album, track number, album art where possible) proved rather difficult.

There should be a library of such info out there somewhere so a person could find out at least the basics like the original release date of Dinah Shore's version of "I could have danced all night" (1956, 78 rpm single, in case anyone cares) . But even stuff from the 80's is hard to locate. Tons of re-release compilations dating 2002 or some such, or the song just isn't popular enough anymore to even be noted.

Only some obscure places keep track of small collections. So it does seem a little difficult to get precise info on a lot of stuff. However, that doesn't excuse people from thinking all disco songs were sung by Donna Summers.

Well, anyway, I got MY stuff cleaned up. Now it's up to everybody else to do the same.

I'm totally impressed. I'm not going to ask how you did the 12 hors work in 4 1/2 hours but where there's a will there's a way:)

I'm not sure if you are aware of the existence of the Bitzi.com site but this site tries to list all mp3s with the correct details. these are often missing and it is up to people like us to fill in the details. If you right click on any file in Limewire you will see an option to view the Bitzi ticket. I think mac users are not able as yet to contribute to the site's imformation, but if you have a few more spare hours ........
:D:D well it was just a thought! :)

The Bad news is that most Gnutella users never visit these forums and many couldn't care less about the information on thier files. I guess we can only try to educate by example.

As you suggested there's numerous sites out there that can give correct details of song files. I often use http://www.gracenote.com/music/index_old.html although even sometimes their details are not 100% accurate or are lacking in-depth details. A google of the artist name can sometimes get you to a site that is dedicated to that artist & their history or artists as a whole. Unfortunately some people are lazy when they're labelling their songs & many don't know so they guess the details. Some are bad guessers & poor spellers. But then there's also the odd one who deliberately mislabels files. Poor joke I think.