iTunes Compilation Organisation

[simontarr]

Hi there, I was wondering if you could share with me your tips for organising compilations. I'm a big fan of trance music, so the majority of my albums come in the form of two disc compilations. I often want to view my albums in coverflow mode, but, because I have two discs in each compilation, the artwork is duplicated, and it's a little annoying.

As an example then. I have the two disc compilation 'A State of Trance 2004'. Each disc has 13 tracks in it. Currently, I have two album entries in iTunes: A State of Trance 2004 [CD 1] & A State of Trance 2004 [CD 1]. This therefore duplicates the album cover in iTunes coverflow.

Is there a way round this? Can I organise it so that I have one album entry on the filter list ('A State if Trance 2004) and then when I click on this, the two discs are displayed inside this? Tracks 1-13 on disc 1 need to be kept in order because they flow, and the same is true for disc 2.

I hope this makes sense!

 

[balamw]

Can I organise it so that I have one album entry on the filter list ('A State if Trance 2004) and then when I click on this, the two discs are displayed inside this?

Select all the items from one disc. Right Click "Get Info".

Edit the "Disc Number" tags appropriately. (e.g. 1 of 2).

Repeat for disc two. (Except use 2 of 2).

Select all tracks from both discs and make sure they match (i.e. remove (Disc 1 of 2) if it is in the disc title).

They should now be merged.

NOTE: Now is a good time to double check the Artist/Album Artist and "Is part of a compilation" tags are set appropriately.

B

 

[simontarr]

Select all the items from one disc. Right Click "Get Info".

Edit the "Disc Number" tags appropriately. (e.g. 1 of 2).

Repeat for disc two. (Except use 2 of 2).

B

Well, that was pretty obvious! Sorry for the dumb question, and many thanks for your help!

There is one other issue with cover flow though...I have a compilation called 'Armada Trance 3' and each track in that compilation has a different artist. If I go into coverflow, I have a copy of the album artwork for each artist in the compilation, it's really annoying! I have ticked the options so that iTunes knows it's a compilation, and when viewing in coverflow, my music is sorted by album. Any ideas what is causing this?

Thanks

Simon

 

[balamw]

Any ideas what is causing this?

As I mentioned in my edit, you probably just need to make sure the Album Artist is common (even if you just make it "Various Artists").

B

 

[simontarr]

As I mentioned in my edit, you probably just need to make sure the Album Artist is common (even if you just make it "Various Artists").

B

I didn't notice that you had updated your post.

I have followed the instructions you've provided and it seems to be working for some albums, but not others.

Working -

Not Working -

What I don't understand is that how can Prague 11 be working (Album title is the same, every artist is different) but A State of Trance 2004 isn't (The artists are different, like Prague 11, but the album is exactly the same)

 

[balamw]

Select all tracks from the album that isn't working and force both the "Album Artist" and "Album" tags to be identical and check the "Part of a compilation" box.

Sometimes it's not obvious that they differ, you can often get a trailing space that you can't see as a difference.

EDIT: Can you edit your post to use TIMG for the screenshots?

B

 

[simontarr]

Select all tracks from the album that isn't working and force both the "Album Artist" and "Album" tags to be identical and check the "Part of a compilation" box.

Sometimes it's not obvious that they differ, you can often get a trailing space that you can't see as a difference.

EDIT: Can you edit your post to use TIMG for the screenshots?

B

I have made sure the part of compilation box is ticked.

I can't see how the artist information will make a difference? If the artists are all over the place on the Prague CDs, why should it be any different if the artists are different on A State of Trance?

 

[balamw]

I have made sure the part of compilation box is ticked.

I can't see how the artist information will make a difference? If the artists are all over the place on the Prague CDs, why should it be any different if the artists are different on A State of Trance?

"Artist" and "Album Artist" are two distinct tags.

EDIT: It's probably confused by the fact that one disc has a common "Artist" while the other doesn't. Make that the "Album Artist" for all tracks.

B

 

[simontarr]

"Artist" and "Album Artist" are two distinct tags.

EDIT: It's probably confused by the fact that one disc has a common "Artist" while the other doesn't. Make that the "Album Artist" for all tracks.

B

I appreciate that.

But what I don't understand is that Prague has the same 'album artist' for each track but a different 'artist' for each individual track. The compilation box is ticked and life is good- it's displaying the 2 CDs under the one heading and it's fine.

With the ASOT 04 CD- the album artist is the same for each track (like Prague) and the artist if different for each individual track (again, like Prague) Yet it doesn't display the two CDs under the same heading.

Ignoring the fact that the tracks are different between the CDs, there is nothing fundamentally different between the two compilations.

Very confused!

 

[neko girl]

Make sure "Disc" column is visible in iTunes, if you care to see it.
Populate Album Artist = Various Artists
Population Artist = Track specific artist
Compilation = Yes for all tracks

I'm sorry, attachments are not working for me so I'm unable to post screenshots. Let me know if you need them.

 

[balamw]

I appreciate that.

But what I don't understand is that Prague has the same 'album artist' for each track but a different 'artist' for each individual track. The compilation box is ticked and life is good- it's displaying the 2 CDs under the one heading and it's fine.

With the ASOT 04 CD- the album artist is the same for each track (like Prague) and the artist if different for each individual track (again, like Prague) Yet it doesn't display the two CDs under the same heading.

Ignoring the fact that the tracks are different between the CDs, there is nothing fundamentally different between the two compilations.

Very confused!

There is clearly something you are missing in the tags that does differ.

You might be able to get a hint by looking at where iTunes put the files. (Assuming you are letting iTunes organize your library). Right click on one track of ASOT 04 and "Show in Finder" and then repeat for another track that is seen as being on a different album. If they are not in the same folder there is some difference in the tags.

EDIT: If it were me I would retag the disc 1 with the individual artists as seen on Amazon's listing http://www.amazon.com/State-Trance-...samples/B0001KL5KI/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

B

 

[simontarr]

There is clearly something you are missing in the tags that does differ.

You might be able to get a hint by looking at where iTunes put the files. (Assuming you are letting iTunes organize your library). Right click on one track of ASOT 04 and "Show in Finder" and then repeat for another track that is seen as being on a different album. If they are not in the same folder there is some difference in the tags.

EDIT: If it were me I would retag the disc 1 with the individual artists as seen on Amazon's listing http://www.amazon.com/State-Trance-...samples/B0001KL5KI/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

B

It appears that iTunes is taking each track and putting it in it's own folder for each artist (/Artist Name/Album)

I really have no idea what's causing the issue. When I changed Prague as per your instructions earlier, it worked first time. Why it isn't working for the ASOT Albums is unclear (It's not working for ASOT 05 either)

EDIT - Okay, I've allowed iTunes to organise my library but it doesn't seem to have done anything that may have helped. Here is a screenshot showing the file locations of the two compilations. As you can see, they are "the same" apart from the different track names. The one of the left is kaputt, the one of the right is fine.

 

[balamw]

Select all the tracks for the album that isn't working and right click get info. Post a screenshot.

We should be able to track it down.

B

 

[simontarr]

Make sure "Disc" column is visible in iTunes, if you care to see it.
Populate Album Artist = Various Artists
Population Artist = Track specific artist
Compilation = Yes for all tracks

I'm sorry, attachments are not working for me so I'm unable to post screenshots. Let me know if you need them.

Hi there, I have already done this, still no joy

 

[simontarr]

Select all the tracks for the album that isn't working and right click get info. Post a screenshot.

We should be able to track it down.

B

Here you go:



I'm presuming most of the fields appear blank because the information is coming from multiple sources?

 

[balamw]

I'm presuming most of the fields appear blank because the information is coming from multiple sources?

Yes. They are not common.

Post the Sorting and Options tabs too please?

B

 

[simontarr]

Yes. They are not common.

Post the Sorting and Options tabs too please?

B

Here you go:



If I tick 'Part of Compilation' click 'OK' then go back into the options screen, it's unticked, but does still say 'Yes' in the drop down box next to it.

 

[balamw]

Here you go:



If I tick 'Part of Compilation' click 'OK' then go back into the options screen, it's unticked, but does still say 'Yes' in the drop down box next to it.

Populate the "Sort Album Artist" and "Sort Album" tags and tick the "Part Of Compilation" and "Gapless Album" checkboxes off and on.

B

 

[simontarr]

Populate the "Sort Album Artist" and "Sort Album" tags and tick the "Part Of Compilation" and "Gapless Album" checkboxes off and on.

B

Et Voila! That seems to have done the trick! So strange though. The working album has nothing in the 'Sort Artist/Album'. Do you think I was just lucky that it worked straight up without any further modification?

Thank you very much for your help, it's greatly appreciated!

 

[balamw]

Do you think I was just lucky that it worked straight up without any further modification?

I use the "Sort" tags are there as a bit of a last resort when it is confused by something else that is making it consider them as different. It usually works fine just with making sure that the Album and Album Artist tags are consistent.

B

 

[GGJstudios]

In order to make albums sort together properly in iTunes, you have to have matching information on all tracks in the following fields:

Album
Album Artist
Sort Album
Sort Album Artist​

The compilation selection isn't necessary if the above fields match exactly.

 

[balamw]

The compilation selection isn't necessary if the above fields match exactly.

I only set it to make sure that iTunes wants to put all the files in the same folder to try and reveal differences in other tags.

B