iTunes library: properly managing compilations
October 26, 2014 6:37 PM Subscribe
I need help in figuring out how to manage the compilation CDs in my iTunes library so that each song appears under its proper Artist listing but the entire CD line-up appears under its proper Album listing. I can't seem to get my library to do both at the same time.
The only way I can get each song on the compilation to appear underneath the Album listing is to give them all the name Various Artists in the Album Artist category. But when I do that, the songs don't appear in each artist's individual listing. I can correct that if I remove that Various Artists title and replace it with the actual title of the artist, but now each track appears as a separate album in the Album list. Checking the Compilation box doesn't seem to change any of this.
Can anyone please help me figure out how to configure these tracks and albums so that they show up properly in each group?
The only way I can get each song on the compilation to appear underneath the Album listing is to give them all the name Various Artists in the Album Artist category. But when I do that, the songs don't appear in each artist's individual listing. I can correct that if I remove that Various Artists title and replace it with the actual title of the artist, but now each track appears as a separate album in the Album list. Checking the Compilation box doesn't seem to change any of this.
Can anyone please help me figure out how to configure these tracks and albums so that they show up properly in each group?
The closest I think you can get is if you put the Artist name in the Artist field, Various in the Album Artist field and select the compilation button.
If I view by Album or by Artist, those songs are sorted in with the album. If I view by Songs and sort that list by artist, however, the songs sort in with the others from the Artist.
Depending on what you're hoping to do with them, using the songs view and a sort by artist my let you do what you need.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:30 PM on October 26, 2014
If I view by Album or by Artist, those songs are sorted in with the album. If I view by Songs and sort that list by artist, however, the songs sort in with the others from the Artist.
Depending on what you're hoping to do with them, using the songs view and a sort by artist my let you do what you need.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:30 PM on October 26, 2014
Try tinkering with the "Sort Album Artist" and "Sort Artist" fields (under the Sorting tab once you open up a track's info box) and see if you can get the results you want.
posted by Leontine at 8:12 PM on October 26, 2014
posted by Leontine at 8:12 PM on October 26, 2014
Yeah, set the regular Artist field to the actual artist. Then set the Sort Album Artist (I think it's that rather than Sort Artist but I might be wrong) to the compilation album name.
That means in the main view when you're looking at everything sorted by artist, the compilation album appears together, in the list as if the Artist name was all set to the title of the Compilation CD (e.g. if the compilation album name starts with H, all the tracks on it will appear as if the artist starts with H), but the Artist field itself shows the actual artist.
Like this:
A artist - track name - album
B artist - track name - album
Z artist - track name - C compilation album
X artist - track name - C compilation album
D artist - track name - album
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:24 AM on October 27, 2014
That means in the main view when you're looking at everything sorted by artist, the compilation album appears together, in the list as if the Artist name was all set to the title of the Compilation CD (e.g. if the compilation album name starts with H, all the tracks on it will appear as if the artist starts with H), but the Artist field itself shows the actual artist.
Like this:
A artist - track name - album
B artist - track name - album
Z artist - track name - C compilation album
X artist - track name - C compilation album
D artist - track name - album
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:24 AM on October 27, 2014
Things seem to have changed a bit with the latest iTunes, so this may only apply for iTunes v. 12.0.1 on the Mac.
1) Make sure the artist field has the actual artist for each song.
2) Select the entire album and go to "Get Info"
3) Go to the "Details" tab and select "Album is a compliation of songs by various artists"
4) Go to "Sorting" tab and remove anything under "Album Artist" and click "OK"
Now they should be sorting the way you want.
posted by FreezBoy at 5:53 AM on October 27, 2014
1) Make sure the artist field has the actual artist for each song.
2) Select the entire album and go to "Get Info"
3) Go to the "Details" tab and select "Album is a compliation of songs by various artists"
4) Go to "Sorting" tab and remove anything under "Album Artist" and click "OK"
Now they should be sorting the way you want.
posted by FreezBoy at 5:53 AM on October 27, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks for the ideas but none have worked. Any others?
posted by Jamesonian at 6:40 AM on October 27, 2014
posted by Jamesonian at 6:40 AM on October 27, 2014
The way I described is how I do it and it sorts the tracks correctly. Can you specify what the issue is that you're having? Maybe post a screenshot of the track info?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:45 AM on October 27, 2014
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:45 AM on October 27, 2014
Are you trying to have songs appear twice in Album View? Once in the compilation and separately in the artist's section? Don't think you can do that. Simplest solution might be to create a 2nd copy of the comp and tag it with individual artist info/non-compilation.
posted by puritycontrol at 7:01 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by puritycontrol at 7:01 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
« Older Do professional "military ethicists" exist? | Is it dumb to buy a first home without a real... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Also, make sure the ID3 tags are exactly the same for Artist, Album Artist (if necessary, I usually blank this one), and Album, and that the compilation box is checked for every track. I don't know why, but iTunes often deselects a track when I edit an entire album, even if I choose a "select all" method to group them. It's probably my own user error, but it seems that iTunes is the only media player I've used that does this.
This is iTunes on a PC, by the way.
posted by Woodroar at 7:17 PM on October 26, 2014