Editing MP3 details in Windows 7

windows-7 windows-explorer mp3 windows-media-player id3

47,892

Solution 1

This doesn't answer the original question, but here are two suggestions on using free software to rewrite the tags in ID3v2.3 format, which is common to both Windows Vista and 7:

The free Kid3 - ID3 Tagger (source)
The free Mp3tag as follows, quoted from this thread :

Install mp3tag, and open it

Brought up my Music library

Chose Arrange by: Song* so that all my songs would be shown in one list (even those contained in folders) in detailed visualization

Typed "*.mp3" in the search box right over the arrange by option so that only mp3 files would show up in the list (excluding album covers etc.)

Scrolled all the way down till songs with no tags started appearing

Selected all these files and carried them over to the mp3tag window

Selected all the files in mp3tag and right-clicked them

Clicked Cut Tags, chose Yes and waited

Repeated step 6 and clicked Paste Tags.

It's unlikely that Windows 7 will ever support IDTags 2.4 or above as it uses UTF-8 which Windows Explorer doesn't support. There are Explorer extensions such as Infotip Shell Extension that show ID3 v2.4 info on mouse hover, or extensions such as MP3Ext or AudioShell that add a new property-page.

A last solution would be to use another viewer than Explorer. Many such are available,.

Solution 2

Had found a way sometime back.

All you need to do is give yourself full control to that folder.

Windows shows that 'everyone' has full control but isn't it a surprise that we are still not allowed to change the details :)

Enough of me ranting.. All you need to do is do a right click on the folder.. Properties.. select the security tab.. click on edit, for the permissions.. search for your username.. click check names.. your name should appear with as hyperlink now.. click on it and then give check the full control box for your username.

And you are done..

Solution 3

Ender, the reason you couldn't edit your MP3s was because you had them in a protected folder. Windows Vista and 7 protect files in certain folders to help secure your system. You can disable this protection by turning off UAC, but I wouldn't recommend it.

All you need to do is move the files into your c:\users\{YOURUSERNAME}\ folder (or sub folders). You have complete control over that folder, with no permission issues.

I hope that helps you understand what happened!

Solution 4

At the bottom of the Details tab after right clicking Properties, you'll see a hyperlink with "Remove Properties and Personal Information". Do click this.
Then change the radio button off of the default "Create a copy" and onto the "Remove the following properties from this file" option.

Do not worry about ticking any boxes. Just click OK. You can now edit the fields just like in older Windows versions.

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47,892

Django Reinhardt

Hello.

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

Django Reinhardt almost 2 years

I've recently discovered an annoying problem with Windows 7: Windows Explorer and Windows Media Player cannot edit ID3 tags if the version used is 2.4 (and presumably above, and sometimes even v2.3 - bah!). It just doesn't work!

Does anyone know of some way to allow me to edit the details of newer MP3s within Windows Explorer?

(I realise that I could use another bit of software like MP3Tag, but it's annoying to have to change my habits just because Microsoft haven't updated their software. Why haven't they??)

Thanks for any help!
- Admin over 13 years
  
  dang... i was going to suggest mediamonkey and then you had to go and say "no software".... fine make me actually work on this one....
- Admin over 13 years
  
  hehe.. sorry! :)
- Admin about 12 years
  
  I don't think there would be a hack. Just use MP3Tag, it's focused on working quick and you probably change your habits faster than ever finding a solution for this.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  I totally agree with @TomWijsman.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @MehperC.Palavuzlar Yep, I'm sure Tom is probably very right.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @TomWijsman any idea why I would be unable to edit any songs? Period? The Mp3s mentioned seem to have no tags at all, 2.4 or any other version.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @TomWijsman Not sure if this is relevant but I just not noticed that while I cannot edit the Details with WinExplorer or WinAmp, I CAN edit them with WMP. go figure. Any thoughts on what the issue is?
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @Ender: Can't you change the ID3 tag version using MP3Tag first and then use Windows Explorer?
- Admin about 12 years
  
  From @tumchaaditya: Use Musicbrainz Picard. Yes, yes I know it's a software. But, It doesn't ask you to fill in the tags. Just throw in your tracks, it fills the tags and album artwork for you.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @TomWijsman I really fail to see the logic in that. Consider the following scenario: I've just downloaded an album that has some tags that I don't like. In order to fix them I open up MP3Tag. Convert them to 2.3. Save them. Quit MP3Tag. Open the file in Windows Explorer and THEN edit the MP3 tags. Next time I download something, repeat the process. Why not just use MP3Tag to edit the tags while I'm in there? Your first solution made a lot more sense to me. If I was regularly changing the same files, then it would make sense to convert them, but in what situation would I be doing that?
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @JohnnyW: You're are enumerating a lot of steps, while this could be easily integrated into a single click in the right click menu OR even be automated upon downloading files with the mp3 extension. Or just take my first solution, but that one Ender finds unacceptable...
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @TomWijsman Huh. I didn't realise that MP3Tag came with an Explorer Context menu option. It doesn't answer the original question, but it's definitely a good solution. Thanks!
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @TomWijsman The main issue I have is I'd like to avoid downloading any software. I'm in afghanistan and the internet is extremely poor. Usually just surfing websites is a hassle. Hence the 'windows explorer only fix'. Once I re-deploy it would be too easy to use MP3Tag do do whatever.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  @Ender well, loading this page is almost the same of downloading the software given the link ;)
- Admin about 12 years
  
  Interesting update: I moved the mp3's to a different folder, and for whatever reason I can now edit almost all of them. Which is odd, since I have an Admin account and shouldn't have any permission issues.
- Admin about 12 years
  
  Hmm. What folder were they in, and what folder are they in now?
- Admin about 12 years
  
  they were previously in C:\users\desktop --- They are now in C:\users\ender\desktop
- Admin almost 8 years
  
  As to questions of why tags are sometimes not editable: one thing to check is the default Windows treatment of downloads, where it marks them as originating from "the internet" and restricts some operations. You know, the annoying one where you go to the file properties and have to click "unblock". I've noticed that that stops you editing ID3 information in most cases.
Ender about 12 years

I appreciate the attempt, but I specifically asked for a solution not requiring any additional software, which is likely why you've received a downvote. :-\
Django Reinhardt about 12 years

@harrymc What's the point in converting the downloads with software that allows you to edit the MP3 IDtags anyway? How often do you think I need to edit an ID3 tag? This is for MP3 files that I've bought and downloaded. I only need to update their details once. Converting them and then editing them is adding a step to a process. I could easily just use Mp3tag to edit the files while it's open. And let's not forget that I acknowledge that I could use Mp3tag in my question(!). Nice try at solving the problem, but this just smacks of someone trying to get the bounty by default.
harrymc about 12 years

Well, the software I mentioned is only for a one-time use, not for editing one-by-one. Note that in Mp3tag an even simpler method is to delete the tags then undo. There are Explorer extensions such as Infotip Shell Extension that show ID3 v2.4 info on mouse hover, or extensions such as MP3Ext or AudioShell that add a new property-page. But no way I know of to tweak Explorer as-is to show v2.4 tags (such tags also use UTF-8 encoding which Explorer doesn't support).
tvdo about 12 years

The correct path is contained in the environment variable %USERPROFILE%.
Ender about 12 years

Thanks, it makes perfect sense. I was under the impression that such things would be irrelevant if I was using an administrator account.
Maitus about 8 years

Other answers gave me the impression that I would need 3rd party software, but this answer indicated that it was possible to edit the "details" with just Windows 7, and then I found it in the right click menu. I'm sure I knew this before and forgot. thanks.