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Tagging ripped WAV files afterwards

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Roland68

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More and more devices (CD players) are appearing that can rip CDs autonomously onto a USB stick, e.g. Shanling CR60 and Fiio DM13.
When ripping, folders are created with the WAV files. Of course, there is no tagging function, as it is completely autonomous.

What is the easiest and most convenient way to tag these WAV rips with a database?
I know that I can load the folders into XLD and tag them, but I don't see any way to save them in the existing WAV data. Of course, you can convert them into FLACs with tags, but that is not my goal at the moment.

Ideas or alternatives?

Addendum:
I forgot to mention that I'm looking for something for Mac.
 
Last edited:
Generally there is almost no metadata stored in a WAV file. MP3TAG can edit what limited data can be changed. This is one of the strongest justifications for converting to FLAC which is lossless and has rich in-file metadata support.
 
MaxwellsEq said:
Generally there is almost no metadata stored in a WAV file. MP3TAG can edit what limited data can be changed. This is one of the strongest justifications for converting to FLAC which is lossless and has rich in-file metadata support.
Click to expand...
For now, it would be enough for me if the folders and files were renamed for the WAV files.

My problem with MP3TAG is that I have to tell the program which CD it is, or have I overlooked the function in MP3TAG that determines this itself?

The folders are just numbered after ripping and I don't want to record in any way which rip belongs to which CD.
 
I guess some programs can use CDDB or FreeDB to add tags. Foobar 2000 does. If you open a folder with tracks for a whole CD, then you can right click on folder and use menu Tagging->Get tags form FreeDB. Then you can select album and write tags.

f2k-tags.jpg
 
I use EAC and use its data import capability to name files and tag the metadata. MusicBee does this as well.
 
popej said:
I guess some programs can use CDDB or FreeDB to add tags. Foobar 2000 does. If you open a folder with tracks for a whole CD, then you can right click on folder and use menu Tagging->Get tags form FreeDB. Then you can select album and write tags.

View attachment 428869
Click to expand...
MaxwellsEq said:
I use EAC and use its data import capability to name files and tag the metadata. MusicBee does this as well.
Click to expand...
I forgot to mention that I'm looking for something for Mac.

I used to really enjoy working with EAC before I switched to Mac in 2008.
 
You might try a couple of media players for the Mac. A bit dated list: https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/OSX/Players.htm

Tagging WAV is a problem. Many even believe you cannot tag it at all. This is not true but it demonstrates that in practice it often behaves (or better the software used) as being not taggable.

FLAC is an excellent lossless format but if you are on a Mac, ALAC might be more convenient.

If Shanling, Fiio, etc don't supply the right tags or no tags at all, I wonder if there is any benefit using them.
If you do have to load a CD anyway, use XLD or dBpoweramp (it does tag WAV) and rip straight away on the Mac.
 
Roland68 said:
More and more devices (CD players) are appearing that can rip CDs autonomously onto a USB stick, e.g. Shanling CR60 and Fiio DM13.
When ripping, folders are created with the WAV files. Of course, there is no tagging function, as it is completely autonomous.

What is the easiest and most convenient way to tag these WAV rips with a database?
I know that I can load the folders into XLD and tag them, but I don't see any way to save them in the existing WAV data. Of course, you can convert them into FLACs with tags, but that is not my goal at the moment.

Ideas or alternatives?

Addendum:
I forgot to mention that I'm looking for something for Mac.
Click to expand...
I am on a Mac also and use Meta. It has wide format support and WAV is not an issue.

Here is a screen capture of a WAV and DFF needle drop tagged via Meta:

Meta.jpg
 
When I digitised my LP’s, over 15 years ago, all those data-bases were full of spelling mistakes so I spent hours checking and correcting.
No such thing as a free lunch… :p
 
Vincent Kars said:
You might try a couple of media players for the Mac. A bit dated list: https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/OSX/Players.htm

Tagging WAV is a problem. Many even believe you cannot tag it at all. This is not true but it demonstrates that in practice it often behaves (or better the software used) as being not taggable.

FLAC is an excellent lossless format but if you are on a Mac, ALAC might be more convenient.

If Shanling, Fiio, etc don't supply the right tags or no tags at all, I wonder if there is any benefit using them.
If you do have to load a CD anyway, use XLD or dBpoweramp (it does tag WAV) and rip straight away on the Mac.
Click to expand...
As the MP3TAG software shows, this is not really a problem with WAV, especially not with my low requirements (naming folders and titles).
However, MP3TAG cannot find the data for the rips itself, which is exactly my problem, since I don't know which rip contains which CD.
 
voodooless said:
Try XLD.
Click to expand...
As I wrote in the opening post, I can load the WAV files into XLD and XLD finds the tags itself, but I can't find a way to save them in the WAV files.

Actually, I just want to name CDs ripped as WAV files into a folder with artist, album, etc., without having to document which CD it is when ripping. Keyword autonomous ripping.
So something with the functionality like XLD, to find the appropriate data (tags) for the files and MP3TAG to then name/tag the files (and folders) in one program/work step.
I thought my requirement was simple, but I was probably too hasty :facepalm:

MatrixS2000 said:
I am on a Mac also and use Meta. It has wide format support and WAV is not an issue.

Here is a screen capture of a WAV and DFF needle drop tagged via Meta:

View attachment 428892
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, with Meta I have to enter the information I'm looking for, which I don't have or won't have.
 
Roland68 said:
Actually, I just want to name CDs ripped as WAV files into a folder with artist, album, etc., without having to document which CD it is when ripping. Keyword autonomous ripping
Click to expand...
Can’t XLD do this? I’ve ripped all my CDs this way (though to flac) using XLD.
 
voodooless said:
Can’t XLD do this? I’ve ripped all my CDs this way (though to flac) using XLD.
Click to expand...
It seems so, at least I can't find any point in XLD that supports it.

Since other drives from various manufacturers are planned with this functionality and these relatively cheap (€ 160-270) drives are ideal for autonomously ripping even larger CD collections, this will probably be a deal breaker for many in the future.
 
More and more devices (CD players) are appearing that can rip CDs autonomously onto a USB stick, e.g. Shanling CR60 and Fiio DM13.
When ripping, folders are created with the WAV files. Of course, there is no tagging function, as it is completely autonomous.
Click to expand...
You can get a USB CD/DVD drive for you Mac, starting for about $20 USD.

Unfortunately, with Meta I have to enter the information I'm looking for, which I don't have or won't have.
Click to expand...
What? If you have the CD & packaging you have the information, or you can find it "manually" on the Internet.

I use MP3Tag on Windows, and since you can select a folder-full of files at once to enter all of the common information, then the song title & track number, etc., it goes quickly. If I am ripping more than one disc I can finish tagging the 1st before the 2nd is done ripping. Even if it's tagged automatically, I often make some corrections or edits to my tastes/preferences. And sometimes the album art isn't included automatically.

Sometimes it takes a bit more time to find & download artwork, or to scan it.

Or if I have a compilation album I like to tag the songs with their original release dates. With automatic tagging ever song gets the same date, and sometimes it's the CD release date when it was originally on vinyl. That information can sometimes be hard (sometimes impossible) to find.
 
DVDdoug said:
You can get a USB CD/DVD drive for you Mac, starting for about $20 USD.


What? If you have the CD & packaging you have the information, or you can find it "manually" on the Internet.

I use MP3Tag on Windows, and since you can select a folder-full of files at once to enter all of the common information, then the song title & track number, etc., it goes quickly. If I am ripping more than one disc I can finish tagging the 1st before the 2nd is done ripping. Even if it's tagged automatically, I often make some corrections or edits to my tastes/preferences. And sometimes the album art isn't included automatically.

Sometimes it takes a bit more time to find & download artwork, or to scan it.

Or if I have a compilation album I like to tag the songs with their original release dates. With automatic tagging ever song gets the same date, and sometimes it's the CD release date when it was originally on vinyl. That information can sometimes be hard (sometimes impossible) to find.
Click to expand...
Please don't be mad at me, but you are completely ignoring what I asked.

I have a collection of the best drives for ripping, including the best old SCSI drives from Yamaha and Plextor. There are also workstations for Windows and Mac as well as jukebox systems to match.
But that's not the point.

It's all about the CD ripped autonomously onto USB sticks with the drives listed, which can rip CDs autonomously and without a PC, Mac, Internet, etc. (WAV only).

I want to rip the CDs from time to time, but without documenting anything. At some point there will be hundreds of ripped CDs on the USB stick that only have a consecutive number and no other information.
And that's exactly what I want to name with the album title and artist for the folder and the title name and artist for the files, and without much effort.

Many of my friends also have these requirements and you can read about them in the threads about these drives.
The fact that it could work is shown by the fact that XLD finds this information using the WAV files and MP3TAG, for example, can write them, but the combination is missing.
 
Roland68 said:
Unfortunately, with Meta I have to enter the information I'm looking for, which I don't have or won't have.
Click to expand...
Gotcha - I haven’t ripped a CD in years but when I did all of mine, I think that iTunes, at the time, did that. I have not tried with Music. Have you tried Music? You will need internet access though. Don’t know of any apps that would keep an accurate and up to date db locally.
 
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