Tagging classical music

[DavidHB]

I'd support what others have said about tagging. To that I would add that it is almost inevitable, however you get the tags into the files in the first place, you will need a tagging 'toolbox' to reorder things when you change your mind, do batch edits and search/replace on multiple files, and so on. For this, on a Windows computer, there is no better tool in my experience than MP3Tag, which, like MinimServer, is free with a donation requested.

In the discussion about tagging, no-one has, I think answered the request for advice on ripping programs. Here, again on Windows, there is a clear front runner - dBpoweramp. It is not free; the suite of tools you will need costs about $38, but it is excellent value. The features that stand out are the secure ripping capabilities (in particular the availability of the AccurateRip feature) and the fact that four separate on line libraries are searched to provide core metadata for the initial rip.

These two applications provide me with all I need to build and maintain my music library. I cannot comment on how they compare with MusiCHI, which I have never used. From its web page, it seems to have a number of interesting features; in particular, if the pre-built classical music metadata is any good, it will be a real godsend. At the same time, there is no mention of secure ripping, which I regard as absolutely essential for avoiding problems down the line. The catalogue-based implementation also seems to sit uneasily in a UPnP-based system with server, controller and renderer, because, so far as I can tell, MusiCHI is none of these. Though I cannot see that it would replace either or both of my main applications, I note that magister gives it a good report.

Finally, a word of cautionary encouragement; tagging classical music files is harder work than tagging music of other genres, but the work repays the effort. The on line libraries referenced by dbPoweramp and other applications usually provide a reasonable starting point, but the data may be error-prone and inconsistently presented and formatted, so you will often need to make amendments. Also, if you want to take full advantage of MinimServer's capabilities, you may well find yourself adding tags such as Composition, Group and ComposerSort. Like magister, I strongly support Simon's advice to start small and work out how you want to do things. I messed around with a collection of 20 to 30 albums before committing to a particular tagging scheme, and indeed before buying a network player.

David