# UncleBeer, it wasn't about pirating music. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962 "2003-03-21T01:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/1 "2003-03-21T01:45:49Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=171268](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=171268) I just figured this was a little fucking over the top. I didn’t know that I was an asshole for trying to figure out where I could get ID3 tags put on my music collection without sitting in front of my computer an entire day. So sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/2 "2003-03-21T01:56:18Z")
I use Kazza-Lite, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/3 "2003-03-21T01:59:38Z")
:rolleyes: Not this shit again… ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/4 "2003-03-21T02:02:08Z")
Well, you’re not exactly being honest in this OP, are you? You said you removed those tags. If you’re all hep to have those tags on the music, you should’ve left them there. Additionally, you did admit to pirating some of those songs in your collection. Consider yourself lucky that you didn’t get banned. Learn from the lesson, Grasshopper. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/5 "2003-03-21T02:07:57Z")
Well, I’ll completely ignorant on these ID3 tag things. I just ripped my two-CD collection of Handel’s Messiah (just got it off Amazon) in iTunes so I don’t have to switch the CDs when I am listening, but the online service (I can’t remember the name of that service) could not identify my CD and did not automatically give the information about it (i.e. London Philharmonic, the name of each individual track, etc.). I just titled the tracks “Messiah CD 1” “Messiah CD 2” etc. and left the tracks as simple numbers. Kind of a bummer. Does this have anything to do with ID3 tags? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/6 "2003-03-21T02:18:34Z")
I have mp3 files on my computer. They are recordings of myself playing guitar. Unless that’s some kind of bizarro self-piracy, I can’t see anything wrong with distributing them to whomever I like. ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/7 "2003-03-21T02:24:00Z")
Monty, how am I being dishonest? I said that I had them and removed them. I didn’t say “Hi, I downloaded all my mp3s 23 minutes ago, removed all of the tags, and then magically decided I want the tags back! Can anyone fix them for me?” I’ve been removing the tags since (as far as I can remember) there **were** good mp3 players. How was I supposed to know in 1999 that I would want to buy a hard-drive based mp3 player? And I admitted to pirating some of my music. That doesn’t automatically make it a thread about piracy. So… yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Hauky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@Hauky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hauky)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/8 "2003-03-21T02:31:20Z")
There are tools out there (try [download.com](http://download.com)) that will put ID3 tags in based on the file name and a pattern you provide. If you use any sort of standard naming procedure for all your songs, that’s a good solution. Other solution: type them out one at a time. Once they’re off the CDs, there’s not much you can do, really. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/9 "2003-03-21T02:33:35Z")
**yosemite** , the online thing is the CDDB, and the ID3 tags would include information such as the song title, performer, album info, etc. You see the info in these tags when you play the mp3, displayed either in your mp3 program’s window or the LED of your mp3 player. If you don’t fill out the ID3 tags, you only see the file’s name (beachboys.mp3 or whatever you’ve named it). ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/10 "2003-03-21T02:44:45Z")
Thanks Audrey, the name of CDDB just escaped my mind! Yeah, I love it when iTunes logs on to CDDB automatically and then all of a sudden all my “track one” “track two” become _real_ track titles, and all the information is filled in! It’s nice when CDDB works, but it is not foolproof by any means. I have a lot of film soundtracks (perfectly mainstream releases bought on Amazon) that are not listed on CDDB at all, or are not listed correctly. Like the CD “Under Fire”, composed by Jerry Goldsmith, guitar soloist Pat Metheny. CDDB listed the “artist” of “Under Fire” as “_Mat_ Metheny” and did not list Goldsmith anywhere. At least they got the track titles right. I don’t know why they don’t know about my Messiah CDs. It is not an obscure recording. ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/11 "2003-03-21T02:45:27Z")
Hauky, thanks for the help. I guess I’ll take a look for a program and see what I can dig up. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/12 "2003-03-21T04:10:38Z")
Apparently, you’re not learning anything, Grasshopper. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/13 "2003-03-21T04:13:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > **Well, you’re not exactly being honest in this OP, are you? You said you removed those tags. If you’re all hep to have those tags on the music, you should’ve left them there. Additionally, you did admit to pirating some of those songs in your collection.** Well, you’re not exactly a full bottle on MP3s, are you? When I – legally, for my listening convenience – rip music from CDs to my MP3 collection, the ripping program AUTOMATICALLY attaches an ID3 (or ID3v2) tag to the file. This tag holds information such as the artist’s name; the track name; and the album name. Like **Sqube** , I have a habit of removing all these tags, finding them unnecessary. However, if I were – as **Sqube** desires – to transfer my MP3s to a – legal – portable music device, I would want to reinsert the ID3 tags. This would mean my device’s display would scroll a neat “Artist - Trackname” when a song was playing (most devices are functional with ID3 tags), instead of a more messy “Artist - Tracknumber - Trackname.mp3”, or whatever haphazard nomenclature I may use to name my MP3 files. **White Lightning** ’s post in the original thread completely misses the point; **Sqube** may very well have the relevant album information at hand, however he clearly states that he is trying to save time. An automatic ID3 filler (which may work off a database like CDDB) would save him the effort of manually reinserting and typing out an ID3 tag for each MP3. This thread was not about pirating music. **UncleBeer** ’s parting insult was out of line. ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/14 "2003-03-21T04:35:24Z")
I’m glad to see that somebody agrees with me, at least. And Monty, I’m not learning because in this particular instance… there ain’t too much to learn. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/15 "2003-03-21T04:47:56Z")
What the fuck, Monty? You got a cricket up your ass? Newly developed insect fetish? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/16 "2003-03-21T05:01:43Z")
This is asked out of curiosity: Why would one _not_ want ID3 tags? Aren’t pretty much all practical uses of mp3s based on ID3 tags? Did you rename all the files by hand, “Aerosmith-WalkThisWay.mp3”? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/17 "2003-03-21T05:04:15Z")
MusicMatch has a great autoidentifying service, actually. Works very well. Give it a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/18 "2003-03-21T05:09:12Z")
Initially, I didn’t even know what ID3 tags were. I just knew that I’d name a song, for instance “Rap – Outkast - Rosa Parks” and when I played it in Winamp, it would show up as “big\_boi\_and\_andre\_3000\_\_\_-\_ **rosa\_parks** ”. So when I finally figured out about the tags, it didn’t occur to me to fix them or anything like that. I just figured I wanted them to go away in the worst way. And, well… it just became a habit. Now, of course, this habit has come back to kick me in the shins, but c’est la vie, n’est-ce pas? **Sabbath** , I’ll give MusicMatch a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/19 "2003-03-21T05:11:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > \*\*This is asked out of curiosity: > > Why would one _not_ want ID3 tags? Aren’t pretty much all practical uses of mp3s based on ID3 tags? > > \*\* On my craptacular Rio 500, some ID3 tags will cause the player to totally spaz out. There is utilities that will clean up your ID3 tags though so totally deleting them is a little excessive. ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962/20 "2003-03-21T05:24:03Z")
**Anonymous** , I knew very little about computers in the days of my wild, flaming, and impetuous youth. And **Troy** , yeah, I actually did rename all of my music Genre – Artist - Title. It didn’t take nearly as much time as you might think because I erased the ID3 tags and renamed the files as I got them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclebeer-it-wasnt-about-pirating-music/162962.md?page=2)