Dump/load metadata with FFmpeg (WMA to MP3)

Question

I need to convert WMA metadata into MP3 ID3 tags. FFmpeg should be able to dump them into a file and load them back to another using implemented mappers. I cannot find syntax of usage though:

http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html#Metadata

I cannot convert files using FFmpeg directly because it fails on 1% of them, which is critical for thousands of files. Some errors:

ff asf bad header 0  at:264993
[asf @ 0046DA60] ff asf skip 2252 (unknown stream)
[asf @ 0046DA60] ff asf bad header 0  at:267254
[mp3 @ 0003DA60] max_analyze_duration 5000000 reached at 5015510
Truncating packet of size 1024 to 563
[mp3 @ 0171b0c0] Header missing
get_buffer() failed
Error while decoding stream #0:0

I could convert them using Mplayer to WAV and then from WAV to MP3 using LAME, but losing metadata in the process.

I have not decided about workaround yet but I will not use mplayer and stay with ffmpeg. I analyzed/displayed wave of the files in audacity and it seems that I deal with 3 kind of errors:

1. get_buffer() failed Error while decoding stream #0:0 [98% of bugs]:
   • seems to be caused by "truncated fade out" file ending or some missing frame
   • it's not listenable and mp3 file seems to be ok
2. ff asf skip, bad header, truncating, .. [2% of bugs only]:
   • the file is broken in some way, not always listenable
   • just few of them contain a micro gap of cracking noise
3. max_analyze_duration reached, Header missing [warnings only]:
   • very rare, maybe caused by wrongly ended or large header (with photo included etc.)
   • result file is fine to listen

The mplayer uses the ffmpeg and seems that it just ignores the bugs. I will probably ignore the get_buffer() error while keeping failed the other ones.

Solution

You can dump metadata with:

ffmpeg -i in.mov -f ffmetadata metadata.txt  

You can import metadata with something like ( have never tried this):

ffmpeg -i in.mov -i metadata.txt -map_metadata 1 -c:a copy -id3v2_version 3 

Source: http://jonhall.info/how_to/create_id3_tags_using_ffmpeg

Comments

[slhck]

Which operating system? What is the exact FFmpeg command you're using? Please copy the complete console output.

[Jan Suvak]

Please, don't focus on the errors listed. I need to know command line sample for: FFmpeg is able to dump metadata from media files into a simple UTF-8-encoded INI-like text file and then load it back using the metadata muxer/demuxer. fyi: Windows 7 x64: ffmpeg-git-1d0ae92-win32-shared ffmpeg-git-1d0ae92-win64-shared ffmpeg-git-1d0ae92-win32-static ffmpeg-git-1d0ae92-win64-static The x64 version of ffmpeg failed on some files at all: ffmpeg.exe has stopped working windows dialog... So, I cannot use ffmpeg for convert, I would like to use it just for transferring the tags (wma to id3 tags).

[slhck]

I don't know the command from the top of my head, but why don't you want to fix the initial problem? :) I assume this is a recent version (~December) of FFmpeg though?

[Jan Suvak]

I tried also some old version by Nov 30 2010 04:07:03... What works fine is the mplayer to wav and then lame to mp3... I don't insist on ffmpeg, I just came across: mp3tag.de/en which has command line interface, I will know more later...

[Jan Suvak]

btw, mediacoderhq.com does the same: mplayer and lame. They just map metadata on their own. I can use MS .NET for the job, but I still hope that there is some freeware already tested for that...

[Jan Suvak]

I think I will have to get tags by ffprobe as json (if I remeber well and json is supported) and then so pick some and set params for lame. I will get better control over tags like BPM, Track/Album Gain etc.

[slhck]

Sounds like a good plan — not sure if I can help you here really. You could also check out mediainfo. It has a command-line interface.

[Thalys]

mp3 tag might be useful in another way - you can dump it to folders by tag, and use that to do retagging