iTunes Problem - Please Advise

[Zappit]

Okay, so this is frustrating. I share a PC with two other family members, each of us adding CDs and iTunes purchases to a large library. I don't know if this is a factor. I don't know at this point.

I'm having a hell of a time trying to add music to my phone lately. I drag and drop, but it does not show up under Artists or Albums. I just figured out the music is getting there. However, it is only appearing under Songs on my phone. I can search songs to bring it up. I've been dumping them into playlists.

I have no idea how to fix this. The iTunes library was rebuilt from scratch on a new PC a few months ago, since the file transfer from the old PC was borked. Things worked perfectly. It seems to have started - for me at least - when I updated my phone to iOS 11. (Not by choice, mind you. The fucking Install Now pop-up interrupted a game and got me.) iTunes downloads work just fine.

I'm stuck. I'm actually ready to dust off my old iPod, see if it still works, and make that my music player. I really don't want to, as it can only run iOS 6. It's that old, and I can't see it cooperating.

 

[PatrThom]

If the metadata on the songs wasn't filled in (manually or by allowing iTunes to query the CDDB or something), then it won't show up under albums because iTunes doesn't actually know what album to assign it. This is the most common cause (the omission of metadata).

--Patrick

 

[Zappit]

Interesting. How might I fix that? Is there something in iTunes I can use?

 

[jwhouk]

Other than right-clicking on each individual song or title? Eeeee no.

 

[DarkAudit]

Interesting. How might I fix that? Is there something in iTunes I can use?

In iTunes, select all the tracks for the full album, right click on the batch, and select Get Info. Click Edit Items on the warning dialog. Adjust the Artist, Album, and Album Artist as necessary.

 

[PatrThom]

Other than right-clicking on each individual song or title? Eeeee no.

You can actually mass-set SOME characteristics by selecting multiple items and then selecting "get info" from the menu.
(EDIT: Which @DarkAudit apparently beat me to, above, while I was verifying whether TuneUp still exists)
For a loooong time, the go-to tool was TuneUp, but I think something happened to the iTunes library that made it harder for them to interface with it, which might mean it can't do everything it used to (or is it just no longer in the App Store? Something.), but it might be what you're looking for.

--Patrick

 

[Zappit]

That will take...forever, but if it will fix it, I'll do it.

 

[PatrThom]

That will take...forever, but if it will fix it, I'll do it.

TuneUp purports to do it all for you, but you'll have to pay $30 for it to try.
Oh, and back up your iTunes library before you run it...just in case.

--Patrick

 

[Zappit]

$30? Eh. If Get Info lets me do the same, albeit taking longer, I'll try that first.

 

[DarkAudit]

I used tune up... long ago. It took ages, was slow as hell, and often got things wrong. I won't go anywhere near it now. If you want a tool like that, you're much better off with Musicbrainz Picard.

 

[PatrThom]

I used tune up... long ago. It took ages, was slow as hell, and often got things wrong. I won't go anywhere near it now. If you want a tool like that, you're much better off with Musicbrainz Picard.

Hey, DA...he said he was going to try doing it by hand/for free, first.
And I'm just Irish enough to cheer him on.

--Patrick

 

[DarkAudit]

Hey, DA...he said he was going to try doing it by hand/for free, first.
And I'm just Irish enough to cheer him on.

--Patrick

Reading it when I'm more awake helps the comprehension. I thought he was about to go ahead and drop the $30. Crisis averted.

 

[Tinwhistler]

I used tune up... long ago. It took ages, was slow as hell, and often got things wrong. I won't go anywhere near it now. If you want a tool like that, you're much better off with Musicbrainz Picard.

That's what I used. It's not 100% but it was damn close.
And, you know, it's free and I'm cheap

 

[Zappit]

Hey, it worked! It will take some time, but good to know there's a ridiculously-simple-how-did-I-miss-it solution. Thanks, gang!

 

[PatrThom]

Hey it could be one-click-and-you’re-done easy, but if you don’t know where the button is, or that there even IS such a button, it’s gonna feel impossible.

That’s why there’s no shame in asking if/when you get stuck.

—Patrick