Tagging classical music

[simoncn]

(30-04-2014 13:45)DavidHB Wrote:  With MinimServer update 25 in mind (which is such an important release it is surprising that the version number was not advanced to 0.8.2),

I thought about this and decided not to do it, for the following reasons:

1) Advancing the version number requires users to manually download and install a new version, which is significantly more work than accepting the automatic offer to install an update.

2) The new features in this update are almost entirely compatible with previous versions, so installing this update shouldn't be a disruptive experience. The only exception to full compatibility is the new numeric sorting facility (enabled by default). I'm not expecting this to cause problems and it can be easily disabled if any problems occur.

3) It's my current intention to use version advancement for changes that affect the installation process (which can't be made in an update), changes that are incompatible (such as the change to transcoding in 0.8.1) or changes to fundamental aspects of MinimServer.

Quote:I have been re-reading the interesting discussion on the various methods of describing compositions and artists in metadata tags.

........

I hope these thoughts are useful.

David

They are useful and I agree with your thoughts on how users can make best use of metadata in their libraries.

Another dimension in this discussion about metadata is the broader metadata ecosystem, which consists of (at least) the following elements:

1) Tagging of downloaded audio files by record companies
2) Online metadata databases
3) Ripper programs that use the online databases to tag audio files
4) Servers that read metadata from audio files (and possibly other sources)
5) Control points that get metadata from servers (and possibly other sources) and display this to the user
6) Protocols used by servers and control points to request and provide metadata
7) User preferences for how they want to organise their libraries and interact with metadata
8) Renderer facilities that involve the use of metadata for control purposes (e.g., replay gain)

At present, there are issues with each of the above, and there are many more issues with attempting to combine them into a consistent and convenient picture. This hobby of ours will not capture the hearts and minds of the CD-playing public until this whole ecosystem works far better than it does today.

MinimServer is a small contribution to item 4). It is far from perfect, but it is (I hope) a step in the right direction.