What is the best utility for tagging media files?

Is there a better ID3 tagging utility than Tag&Rename?

[Hubs]

Is there a program that uses gracenote or some other data base. If I have songs that are unrecognizable in Replay-music is there some program that I can use by playing song and can identify it from internet using some data base like gracenote? That Replay-Music misses.

I don't think that other client software using Gracenote will be any better than Replay Music.

It would really be interesting to know whether there are any alternatives to Gracenote database and client software supporting them.

Many programs support CDDB databases. And CDDB is seems to be owned by Gracenote now. However software like Tag and Rename can tag full album
only (using CDDB disc identification), while Replay Music can tag individual songs.

gracenote.com has a list of partner software but it is next to impossible to understand from their lists what software can tag individual songs.

Gracenote (CDDB2) alternatives:
1. FreeDB (CDDB or CDDB1 compatible; not compatible with Gracenote CDDB2). FreeDB is a free database with almost 2 mln. CDs.
You can get the artist, CD-title, tracklist and some additional info for the
whole CD only (No homemade CDs supported unless they are the copies of the original CDs. Although sometimes vinyl LPs converted to CDs can be recognized.)

2. AMG LASSO media recognition service from All Media Guide (AMG).
LASSO is a commercial service that recognizes CDs, DVDs, and digital audio files in formats such as MP3, WMA, and others. The service uses CD TOC, DVD TOC, and acoustic fingerprint based recognition technologies to recognize media.

3. MusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an open content music encyclopedia. Unlike FreeDB MusicBrainz has expanded its goals to reach beyond a compact disc metadata storehouse.
MusicBrainz has client software for Windows, Mac OS X and other platforms.

MusicBrainz rulez!!!

I've received a confirmation from a Replay Music developer, that he had tested MusicBrainz. He claims that Gracenote DB is much better.

Bottom line:

1. Use software supporting FreeDB or Musicbrainz for you CDs like Tag and Rename, MusicBrainz Tagger.
2. Use Replay Music to record music from online radio stations or online music subscription services (automatical tagging of individual songs is supported)
3. Use free Musicbrainz software to tag other individual songs. Although PicardTagger is CD oriented now, so I have no software suggestions so far.

[Hubs]

So, if I understand correctly musicbrainz is the only software that will give me a second chance at tagging a song that Replay Music missed using gracenote.

Sometimes Replay Music misses a song , So I end up with a track that is unrecognizable . It sure would be great if I could play it again and somehow give gracenote another shot at id ing that song again. Even if it was weeks later after database may have been updated.

[Hubs]

Hi all, just thought I would update , Downloaded musicbrainz.org .
Pretty nifty little program if you can get on to the server. I tryed using it to identify about 30 tracks . I kept getting error messages tell me server is full come back later. This morning at about 4:30 am I finally got on . It did not directly ( automatic ) identify any of the 30 songs immediatly but it has that ability, also ability to look up through a internal browser contained within musicbrainz software, to let you try to match the song yourself given about 4 or 5 choices that it thinks maybe relevant to your song file. Then it lets you tag manually. Not bad , another tool to try to help tagging missing id tags. HOOYAH !

[crs]

Originally Posted by Stream Recorder

Replay Media Catcher (RMC) and Replay Music can automatically tag and rename downloaded and recorded songs.

Personally I use TuneUp for tagging. RMC's tagging only works for songs downloaded through it (Replay Music's tagging only works for songs recorded with it). With TuneUp it doesn't matter where they come from and it can fix cover art, etc. as well.

I use a free version of Winamp player to tag MP3 files automatically. It might not have the best interface for tagging, but it is free.

[spicy_puerto_rican]

I think the absolute best one out there that I've used is Helium Music Manager 7 Network Version 7.3 which the Network Version part is the highest pro version you can go. Unfortunately, the program costs $50 for you folk who still want to pay for things but it was free for me of course cuz I got mine from warez web-site which the downloading of the program includes the serial number. Anyway this program has everything I ever wanted AND some!

You can sync to iPhones and other portable devices, stream access to the music via another pc in your home or halfway around the world, tag digital media and media that hasn't been in use since you were a kid like cassette tapes and vinyl records, convert to different formats and bit-rates, and the use of a strictly iPhone/iTouch-only app to control the media from your iPod/iTouch. This is just to name a few too.

For more info:
http://www.helium-music-manager.com/compare-versions/

P.S. The Helium Music Streamer to stream to any location is reported to be not that great on the site's forum so if you're looking for a decent streamer search for one on google or go here: subsonic.org/pages/index.jsp

Enjoy!