FAQ

Here's a list of frequently asked questions. I will add more with time.

Questions and answers

Q: Why does it take more time to save a v2 tag?
A: Version 2 tags are located at the beginning of each file. If a tag already exists and is big enough to contain your information the old one will be replaced but otherwise the file has to be rewritten. Version 1 tags never have to rewrite the file and they are small.

Q: I can't save or modify any tag, what's wrong?
A: Your files are probably in read-only mode. Right-click them from the file explorer and choose "Properties". Check in the "Attributes" section and uncheck "Read-only". If you copy files from a cdrom to your hard disk you will also have to do that to be able to modify tags. Make sure you are not trying to modify files on a cdrom or locked media.

Q: Why can't freedb find my album?
A: It will only work if you open all files from the album and if they are in order. Make sure you did not open any file that does not belong to the album. When searching for albums freedb tries matching a number generated from the length of each song, that's why if your files do not have a correct length no album will be found. You can always search by hand on the freedb web site if it did not work.

Q: I changed the clock date or values in the Windows registry and my trial period is over.
A: Trying tricks with the system clock or registry keys will not extend your evaluation period but may end it immediately.

Q: Why can't I write more text in my tag?
A: Version 1.x tag field sizes are limited because the tag has a fixed size of 128 bytes. Add a version 2 tag if you want more space, which has no limit.

Q: Can I add a v1 AND v2 tag in the same file?
A: Sure, that's even better. I suggest to use the "Copy Tags" or "Swap" function. You can also use the "Copy All Fields" function, switch to the other version and "Paste All Fields", don't forget to save!

Q: Can I set the same tag fields to many files?
A: Yes, select a bunch of files, "lock" the fields you want to apply to all files (by clicking on the field name buttons) and save.

Q: Can I remove some tag version from many files at once?
A: Yes, just like when editing multiple files: select some files and use the "Remove" button or menu item. The version to delete is the version corresponding to the selected tab.

Q: What's the use of the buttons next to each tag field?
A: They are used when editing multiple tags. If you have many files selected and save, only "locked" fields will be applied to all files (a locked field is a field with it's button pushed down). When modifying a single file there's no need to click them.

Q: What happens if I rename files using tags with missing fields?
A: The field name will replace missing information. Say, you rename files using the "Artist - Title" format and a file has no title, the empty text will be replaced by "Title" so you can easily replace missing information by hand if necessary.

Q: Why is the bitrate of my file a weird number?
A: It's probably a VBR mp3 (variable bitrate). In these files the bitrate changes constantly.

Q: I opened a file and the version 2 tag is a bunch of garbage text, what's wrong?
A: The data is probably encrypted and/or compressed, the tag is bad or contains non-ascii text. Just remove the tag and add a new one.