No composer on scanned item

[Basilmusic]

I catalogue Classical items almost exclusively and have set up db with COMPOSER -TITLE -ARTIST.
Sometimes, whether using Scan or Barcode search I get just 2 of these slots -composer is missing. Why is this and can I adjust an entry to show the 3 items?
Tried to upload a screenshot of this situation but it failed to upload -don't know why!

build 6.5.0
Windows XP

[Jazz_North]

I suspect that it is because the entry in the database that OCD (and many other programs) search for information doesn't have a composer field. (You do know that there is virtually no information actually coded on most cds.) Freedb is quite poor on classical albums. To see just how bad, try this:

Album > Add from Freedb and use Isabelle Faust in the search for Artist or Band field

In none of the 10 entries is there a composer and in one (the Fauré), the composer is actually listed as the artist (an annyingly common occurrence). You will find pretty much the same thing with using Discogs. Only Amazon seems to properly have the composer, but Amazon has other problems that would make it an unreliable source. MediaMonkey has the same problem when ripping cds, as it too uses freedb. The original CDDB (now Gracenote) was oriented to pop and rock and never developed a proper way to store composer names. MusicBranz also doesn't have a proper composer field, usually sticking the composer into the artist field (as here: http://musicbrainz.org/release/c603d27d-651e-457f-84b6-2947631ce34e).

In short, there isn't much anyone can do unless they want to create a new CDDB type database especially for classical music. There are online databases of classical sheet music, but I do not know of any for recorded classical music.

This normally isn't a problem with downloaded albums as they are usually properly tagged already (unless they are old wav files which do not have a systematic tagging standard).

ADDED: If you are asking how to get a screen form with Composer-Artist-Title when only Artist-Title are showing, just click on Switch to Classical Layout at the lower left of the album properties tabs.


I catalogue Classical items almost exclusively and have set up db with COMPOSER -TITLE -ARTIST.
Sometimes, whether using Scan or Barcode search I get just 2 of these slots -composer is missing. Why is this and can I adjust an entry to show the 3 items?
Tried to upload a screenshot of this situation but it failed to upload -don't know why!

build 6.5.0
Windows XP

[Basilmusic]

I never wrote to thank you for replying. Sorry. Discovering Classical layout helped me to manually add information.
I am finding same problem now with a Cocktail X10 purchased for ripping and storing CDs by the 1000. metadata is often very poor, mixed up or non existent -even on EMI and Chandos.Cheap old Naxos are among the best. Brian

[Jazz_North]

Thanks for this. In the meantime I have found that the Sonata database has a little bit better data for classical albums, but I don't think you can use it within OCD. It is (sometimes) one of the options when ripping classical cds using dbpoweramp. Of course, if you shell out for the quite expensive Sonata music player program (over $100) you would have it, as well. I have found that Media Monkey + dbpoweramp works just fine for me for playing classical albums. MM has an add-on (Linked tracks) that lets one link together all the movements in a composition so that when one starts playing the first movement, all the rest of the movements are added next in the now playing list. Since I have Media Monkey designated as the player in OCD I just need to click play on the first track of a movement in OCD and MM does all the rest to play the whole composition. Quite neat, actually.


I never wrote to thank you for replying. Sorry. Discovering Classical layout helped me to manually add information.
I am finding same problem now with a Cocktail X10 purchased for ripping and storing CDs by the 1000. metadata is often very poor, mixed up or non existent -even on EMI and Chandos.Cheap old Naxos are among the best. Brian