Tech: CD data

Subject: Tech: CD data
From: Trevor
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 12:46 PM

I've just ripped a CD on to my laptop, through Windows Media player, and the data that automatically attaches itself is for a completely different album.

No great shakes, but I'm just interested as to how that may have happened. Any ideas? (The album was, Tooled Up, by The Spookie Men's Chorale, and the data was for Painted Lady by Jon Boden)

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: MMario
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 01:20 PM

I think windows media player searches some database and pops in the closest it can find to what you are ripping; never mind that it isn't right. Hey - it's a microsoft product - this is a "feature"

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: treewind
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 01:59 PM

I think it works by matching the lengths of all the tracks.
I also believe that pressed CDs have a serial number embedded in them that positively identifies the recording more reliably.

CDDB (now Gracenote) isn't a Microsoft product.

They apparently use "audio waveform fingerprint technology" so I could be wrong about track lengths.
It's not the first time I've heard of it getting it completely wrong.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 02:16 PM

Yes, most likely it's looking up the Gracenote CD database, which compares the table of contents (TOC) contaning the track times to its database. This is usually enough to identify any album, though less reliable when it comes to singles or EPs

Most commercial releases have an ISRC number which identifies each track positively (don't know how that works with albums), which is handy for radio stations as they can log airplay automatically. But Gracenote doesn't use that as yet.

Using the TOC means pretty much anything can be added to the database, some media players (iTunes for one) allow you to submit this information yourself.

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: MMario
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 02:23 PM

Windows media player is what I meant was a Microsoft product.

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: treewind
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 03:28 AM

Yeah, I know. I was assuming the mistake was at the database end of things. The media player doesn't have to do very much - just send a few simple parameters to the database and report what's sent
back. Hard to get wrong, but as you say, it's Microsoft... anything could happen!

A.

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 05:10 AM

Hi, Trevor - while it's playing, right-click on the icon for the album and select "find album information." Windows Media Player should then search the Internet for possible replacement information.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: Trevor
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 05:18 AM

Thanks for that.

Joe, I did that - when I answered 'no' to the 'is this your CD?' prompt, it went straight to the 'edit' facility so I was able to put the correct data in.

Interesting.

Subject: RE: Tech: CD data
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 05:45 AM

I've had quite a few problems like this in ripping CDs. Many it just doesn't find, which is fair enough considering the obscurity of some of my CDs. I'm most puzzled by some albums where it is obviously bringing up the correct CD but with tracks in the wrong order or with/without some tracks or spelling mistakes. Some of this I presume is due to CDs being released with different tracks or track order in different countries but the spelling mistakes lead me to think that sometimes the first person to enter the CD details when the CD is being ripped (which then seem to get uploaded somewhere) and mistypes (or even puts the wrong CD information on) mucks it up for others that follow.