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If you’re like me you’ve got an mp3 collection from tons of sources: ripped cd’s, friends collections, and some downloaded – and chances are they all have a variety of things wrong with them. Either they’re inaccurately named or there’s no album art. If this sounds like you – read on!
Recently author Rick Broida did a three part segment on whipping your tangled mp3 library into shape. In these three segments he explains how to equalize the volume across your entire collection, add album art to your mp3s, and ensure the correct metatag data. Now for you iTunes users out there…you don’t have to worry about this, the latest version of iTunes comes with the handy ability to do all of these things in one go. However, if you're not a sworn Apple user then listen up!
Part 1: Level the Volume
Lifehacker article
In this segment, Rick recommends using a program called MP3Gain but he also says that MediaMonkey will do the trick. I recommend using MediaMonkey because in the next few segments we will use it too. Using MediaMonkey to equalize track volume is really simple – simply import your music into the library when you install the program. Then highlight the track you want to equalize (or highlight everything by clicking Ctrl+A) and click Tools->Level Track Volume.
That’s it -- MediaMonkey does the rest!
Part 2: Add the Album Art
In his second Segment, Rick lead us through using MediaMonkey to add album art to our collection. (You can find more detailed steps in the article) His steps:
Select all of the songs in one album
Press Ctrl+L to open the Auto-Tag box. “In a moment, you should see the artwork and song list for the album. If it didn't fetch the right info (which happens sometimes, especially if your album's ID3 tags are incorrect), clear the search field and try entering the album name manually.”
“Click the Options button and enable the item called, 'Save image to tag (if possible).' This is the key step that results in the art getting embedded in the audio files (specifically, in their metadata).”
“Click the Auto-Tag button and presto: MediaMonkey adds embedded album art to your tracks!”
Repeat for every album in your collection – which can be a pain, but its well worth it!
Part 3: Update the Metadata
Lifehacker Article
In the third and final segment, Rick walks us through how to use MediaMonkey to update your files’ metadata. For the uninitiated, metadata is information encoded in the mp3 file such as song name, artist, album, etc. Many media players display this metadata when they play the song, so having the correct filename is often not enough. Having the correct metadata can make an mp3 library look and feel very organized and display properly.
These steps are almost identical to the previous one in that when we highlight all of the songs in an album and bring up the tag editor (Ctrl+L). It is vital to ensure that you click the check boxes at the top that update album, artist(s), release date, record label, and song titles. Then click "Auto Tag" as before and you’re done!
