MP4 Tagging Corrupts File

[jheddings]

I have been having problems trying to edit tag in M4A files. After making a change to the tag, the file becomes unreadable (Winamp will not play it, nor will another player like iTunes).

These are files that I ripped from my own CD's. Tried on multiple files.

[DJ Egg]

If you ripped them with iTunes then you should only edit the tags with iTunes.
If you rip them with Winamp then you won't have this problem :/

Potential solution:
Use the audiocoding.com or rarewares in_mp4.dll instead.

[jheddings]

Is this true even for files that I have ripped personally (i.e. they have no DRM)?

What about files that I have bought from iTunes and run through hymn?

[jheddings]

Sorry, one more nagging question: Is this true if the file is ripped from any player other than Winamp? I was planning on using Poikosoft's Easy CD-DA Extrector from now on...

[DJ Egg]

You're safe with MP3, OGG, and other formats.
You'll only have problems with M4A ripped with iTunes, because apparently iTunes adds some proprietry non-standard crap into the code/headers.

[jheddings]

Figures... My whole library, infected.

I'll give it a rip with Easy CD-DA Extractor and post if there are any problems.

Thanks...

[PatrickNeil]

Hey, does anyone know a way to fix this? I've messed up a bunch of m4a's that I can't get back. Nothing can play or convert them now.

Patrick

[jheddings]

I don't think there's any way to recover. Using other rippers (I'm using Easy CD-DA Extractor) doesn't seem to have this problem, though.

Hopefully someone comes up with something.

[DJ Egg]

Solution? Don't use iTunes to encode m4a/aac. Or if you do, then don't try to edit the tags with any other program, because only iTunes supports the non-standard crap that they put in the headers (though some other players might support it, in particular by those who are up Apple's arse) ;-)

Note: You might have better luck using the 3rd-party audiocoding.com in_mp4.dll instead of the default Nullsoft one :/

[peaceofcake]

Maybe we could use one of the popular tagging programs to store the tag data into the filenames, then use another program to, demux, I think that's what it's called, the files, then rewrite the tags into them. This would get rid of the itunes crap.
I hope they fix the dll though, since my main tagging program, tag&rename, doesn't corrupt the files. I wonder if Apple did this deliberatly to force people to stay with iTunes, since they'd think the other programs had bugs when they try to switch away from iTunes.

[CraigF]

tag&rename says it supports itunes tagging, so i assume you should be able to trip the tags with that. no idea if its possible or not since i never have, and never will, buy drm audio.

[peaceofcake]

Tag&rename works fine with itunes m4a files. I haven't tried it on any drm files though.

[Headspikez]

SOLUTION!

Originally posted by PatrickNeil
Hey, does anyone know a way to fix this? I've messed up a bunch of m4a's that I can't get back. Nothing can play or convert them now.

Patrick

Heya, I ran into the same problem with lame as Apple m4a tag renaming nonsense. Just use the tag and m3u program here: http://www.777soft.com i managed to fix a few songs such that i can listen to them again! w00t

Thank god the rest of my files are still mp3, always best...never fails! ;-)

WinaMP 4 EVER !
Apple can suck it.

[shootthemonkey]

Originally posted by DJ Egg
Note: You might have better luck using the 3rd-party audiocoding.com in_mp4.dll instead of the default Nullsoft one :/

This worked well for me. You might want to keep a backup of in_mp4.dll though, just in case.

[The Yoyo Man]

I ran into the same problem. I ripped audio CD's to M4A files, using iTunes 4.7. Then I used Winamp 5.08 to change the tag information for a few files. Those files could no longer be played by any player.

However, after some experimentation this is what I found. If I use Mp3tag V2.27 to modify ALL the files that I ripped with iTunes 4.7, I can then use Winamp, iTunes, or Mp3tag to update the tag information and the files are not corrupted. I can still play the files with any of my players. Apparently, Mp3tag rewrites the tag info in such a way that Winamp can work with it.

If you use Winamp to change the tag info BEFORE using Mp3tag, the file will corrupted. Unfortunately, Mp3tag could not recover the file once it was corrupted.

Sure wish I found a way to recover the corrupted files. Hopefully, someone will, SOON.