iPod Lyrics ID3, iPod

[mrzeve]

Hey guys,

So Im using Windows XP in this situation, and am trying to figure out where lyrics for particular songs are stored. I can right click a song, click properties, advanced, and type them in the lyrics field.

(If i then view the file in itunes, the lyrics show up)

Here is my question

Lets say I open up the properties tab using Windows Explorer from the actual iPod foldeer it self (h:\iPod_Control\Music\f18\file.mp3) and change the lyrics. How come those lyrics dont show up on the iPod when I go to check? Are they stored in another file on the iPod it self? Anyhelp would be awesome.

 

[kainjow]

It should work fine. I just tested it on my Mac, and when I edited the lyrics with a hex editor, the changes showed up on the iPod.

 

[mrzeve]

It should work fine. I just tested it on my Mac, and when I edited the lyrics with a hex editor, the changes showed up on the iPod.

Did you edit the MP3 file that was already on the iPod it self or did you modify the one in your iTunes library?

Also, did you edit the Lyrics field or the USLT (Unsyncronized Lyrics Text) field?

 

[kainjow]

Did you edit the MP3 file that was already on the iPod it self or did you modify the one in your iTunes library?

Also, did you edit the Lyrics field or the USLT (Unsyncronized Lyrics Text) field?

I edited the file on the iPod. Although I think it was an AAC file, not MP3. But either way the iPod loads it from the audio file... if you really think it's hiding the lyrics somewhere else, the only other place I think it would be would be in the /iPod_Control/iTunes/iTunesDB file, but I've checked previously and never seen any lyrics there.

 

[mrzeve]

I edited the file on the iPod. Although I think it was an AAC file, not MP3. But either way the iPod loads it from the audio file... if you really think it's hiding the lyrics somewhere else, the only other place I think it would be would be in the /iPod_Control/iTunes/iTunesDB file, but I've checked previously and never seen any lyrics there.

Can you please attempt the same thing with an MP3 file? I would really appreciate it. And if you do, can you take note of the ID3 version.

I would try my self but dont have the 5g, I was testing through a friend.

And in theory, if we edit the MP3 file it self, and then reconnect the iPod to the computer, if iTunes is set to automatically update the iPod, wont it erase what we have done?

 

[kainjow]

No, it won't. I was playing around with that earlier. iTunes only updates lyrics when you change them in iTunes. It doesn't check the lyrics of every file (would take a while). And I also noticed, if you delete a music file off the iPod, iTunes won't copy a new one over unless you change something about the song in iTunes...

I'll check it out later tonight (or tomorrow) with an MP3...

 

[mrzeve]

Thanks, Im looking forward to your test with an MP3 file.

 

[kainjow]

I just tested with an MP3... exactly the same as before. My manual changes to the MP3 result in the new lyrics showing up in the iPod.

 

[mrzeve]

I just tested with an MP3... exactly the same as before. My manual changes to the MP3 result in the new lyrics showing up in the iPod.

Wow, very strange.

Any reason why what your doing isnt working on my friends iPod when he tests this with a Windows machine? Any settings he needs to configure in iTunes, on the iPod it self, or anywhere at all?

Doesnt make much sense to me. After he changes the lyrics on the iPods mp3 file, he saves, and checks them using windows again, they show up there.



EDIT - Does anyone have a windows PC and a 5G iPod that can test out my application for me? It would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mrzeve]

It should work fine. I just tested it on my Mac, and when I edited the lyrics with a hex editor, the changes showed up on the iPod.

Is there any chance that your iTunes.app was open while you were editing the lyric field through a text editor?

 

[kainjow]

I don't remember...

What you can try, just to make sure the iPod isn't caching the lyrics (which I remember one instance back when I was testing it on my nano it did this) by holding down menu and reset for about 5 seconds.. see if that does the trick after you edit the lyrics...

 

[mrzeve]

I don't remember...

What you can try, just to make sure the iPod isn't caching the lyrics (which I remember one instance back when I was testing it on my nano it did this) by holding down menu and reset for about 5 seconds.. see if that does the trick after you edit the lyrics...

Someone actually just suggested the same exact thing to me. If this would be the case, do you know of a way to disable such cacheing?

 

[mrzeve]

I don't remember...

What you can try, just to make sure the iPod isn't caching the lyrics (which I remember one instance back when I was testing it on my nano it did this) by holding down menu and reset for about 5 seconds.. see if that does the trick after you edit the lyrics...

Didnt work.

 

[mrzeve]

Figured I would pop this back up rather then make a new thread.

So, the lyrics are being written to the MP3's ID3 tag. However, heres the problem. In order for the lyrics to appear on the iPod, I have to open iTunes, find the song that I just added lyrics for, right click it, and push get info, and then Ok or Cancel.

If I dont do this, then the lyrics will not show up on the iPod.

Does anybody know why this is happening? Is there a specific file the iPod has to open before it can accept the new changes, or something like that?

Any help would really be appreciated.

BTW this is using a Windows machine.