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iTune screwing up WAV file data?

I am not sure if i'm doing something wrong or I'm just stupid...

When ever I whip out my computer to start fresh, iTune screws up my WAV files. All WAV files would only show up with track number, song name. All other info is deleted...(such as album name, artist, comments, etc..)

And the only way i know of to get all that info back is to re-rip EVERY CD... It's very time consuming. Made me stomp around the house, slamming doors, and almost made me cry.

Is there a correct procedure to back up all the info on WAV files? (I guess that's called metadata?)

I haven't tried it (because I'm affraid that I might be wrong) really dont want to go through all this again. But am I suppose to File--> Export...--> and save the Music.xml file. Then when I have to start fresh again, go to File--> Import.

But is that before or after I choose "Add Folder to Library"??

I hope I'm making sense...
spoolyt
10 responses Add your response
elf73
104 posts
 
You can't "tag" .wav files in iTunes. That is the major disadvantage with this format...and you can't play it on ipods either.

If you want bit for bit storage in iTunes with tagging, you have to use AIFF.

You can use Apple Lossless as well. Less memory use (about 25% smaller) and it's "suppose" to sound the same as bit for bit. You'll have to decide that.

I personally prefer AIFF, but most who use computer servers like Lossless and claim you can't hear any difference from bit for bit...
elf73
104 posts
 
Oh one more thing, to save time when you are tagging.. lets say you have an album with 10 tracks. Click on track one, move cursor down to track 10, press shift button, then click/highlight track ten.... all tracks will be highlighted.

Right click on highlighted area, go to "info" amd change all at once.

I like to use "cover flow" display. It's like having LPs. You can get artwork off of Amazon. Just google the album and drag the cover art to desktop and then to "artwork" section in "info"..

YOu might already know all this, then forgive me for being a know-it-all.

Cover flow display looks awesome and you can get to your music a lot quicker.
elf73
104 posts
 
OK.. sorry to be long winded.. but you don't have to re-rip all your CDs unless you smashed your computer already.

Go to itunes preferences > advance tab > importing > choose AIFF or Lossless > check all boxes below > OK

Go back to you music > highlight all your tracks > go to advanced tab > and it will say "convert selection to .....(whatever you chose"..

Then redo all the tagging.
sufentanil's avatar
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sufentanil
782 posts
 
Welcome to the frustration of using WAV files. This is why I no longer use WAV but rather other lossless formats (I personally use FLAC, but it's not well supported in iTunes). And it is why I cannot recommend the use of WAV. WAV does not have standard ways of identifying the artist, album, genre, etc. Note that I say "does not have standard ways". Each software has its own method for embedding that information in WAV. What software did you use to rip them? If it was something besides iTunes, try going back to that software and convert them to another format that preserves the tags.

Sorry for the frustration.
spoolyt OP
20 posts
 
Well, I used iTunes to rip the WAV...
I just like the fact that I can always go to a lower format from WAV. Somehow knowing that I preserved the most info possible comforts me...

One thing i do know, when iTunes ask to re-organize/rename your files, click NO!!! when iTunes does that, thats when it screws up all the info!!!
spoolyt OP
20 posts
 
I am soooo ready to smash my HP laptop! My LCD screen is busted, I cannot display color correctly. Things that should be black, turns to a solid green, right now it's even hard for me to read text. and i have mutiple vertical lines goes across the screeen... So I will have to import all my file to new laptop sooner or later...

When I have time, i'm gonna piece together a computer from all the spare parts i have sitting around. Copy all my music onto its hardrive and try a few different ways to preseve the info/data when migrating/re-constitute/re-install everything... I guess i'll let y'all know what happens.
jkscherk
43 posts
 
I'm curious to what you guys mean my not tagging it correctly? I've been torn among which format to use as I want the absolute best sound into my 2-channel system and don't use the library for my iPod. Storage space is a non-issue. Therefore I thought I'd try wav. When I ripped, I got all of the track names, artist, album, etc. to come up just fine in iTunes. Am I missing something?
spoolyt OP
20 posts
 
Jkscherk,
I'm talking about when there is time that you have to reinstall everything, or when you buy/build a new computer. And when you try to put the WAV files back in, most of the info gets deleted.

Everything is good when ripped.
jkscherk
43 posts
 
Oh...Now I get it. In that case, I guess you're reliant on having to reuse the same hard drive, or have the drive mirrored in a backup.

It also seems to me that depending on what hardware you use for reproduction, you should chose the file format accordingly. Squeezebox and you go with FLAC; AppleTV and you go with WAV. Would that make sense?
bigamp
219 posts
 
You can't "tag" .wav files in iTunes. That is the major disadvantage with this format...and you can't play it on ipods either.

You can play wav files on ipods. I'm doing it right now. But on the pc side, I use jriver which let's you tag wav files. Personally, I stayed away from itunes -- I believe it doesn't make bit-perfect rips and in my experience the playback is not as good as other players, like jriver and foobar. Your mileage may vary.
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