Have an iPod question

[BrownDevil]

I have an iPod mini, and was wondering if anyone could help me out with a playlist question.

I was wondering if there was a way to play tracks alphabetically by FILE NAME, and not by what's in the first line of the ID3 tag?

When I make mp3 CDs to play in the car, all my ID3 tags are filled out with title and artist, but I have some tracks listed like this for example:


Ray Charles - Hit The Road Jack
01 - Prince - 1999
05 - Candy


Alphabetically by file name it should be:

01 - .....
05 - ....
Ray ....


Instead I get the ID3 tag in alphabetical order by song title like this:

1999
Candy
Hit the Road Jack



Normally I wouldn't care, but I created a couple of playlists for specific albums, and I'd like to play them in the track order which looks in order on my computer with file names listed alphabetically, but when I transfer them to the iPod it's listed by track name.

Any help would be appreciated.
thanks!
Robert :thumbs:

 

[Rob_k]

you can get an mp's tag editor, i know you can do this with a proggie called audiograbber, and then just call the mp3 what you wish ie:A1,A2,A3 etc or whatever you like.

 

[BrownDevil]

Thanks Rob, but I have my entire mp3 collection set with the ID3 tags done.

I was hoping there was just an option i missed and couldn't find in my searching that could just make life easier. I don't want to start retagging stuff whether it's done via an application automatically or not :blush:

 

[headstrong]

iPod's do not handle songs based on filenames, but on ID3 tag info. Normally if you have the ID3 tags filled out with track numbers, the songs will show up in Track # order, not alphabetically. So, what you could do is create a "pre" playlist and modify the ID3 tag information prior to pushing the songs to your iPod. This will give you greater control over sequence, song name, artist etc.

I use a program called Anapod Explorer by RedChairSoftware.com for copying all my files to my iPod. Anapod allows you to rename/modify/add ID3 tags to files as you send them to the iPod. It will also update the ID3 tags of the existing MP3's on your PC during the transfer. So if you wanted to keep the existing ID3 tag info intact on your files, you could create "pre" playlist folders by copying the songs you want in your playlist into a temporary folder. Then using Anapod, initiate a transfer, modify the ID3 tags accordingly (Song name, Track #'s, etc., putting them in proper sequence), and then you can remove the temp folder from your PC after transferring the files.

I've created several "Playlists" using this method and it works great for grouping music based on Era, Genre, etc.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[BrownDevil]

Awesome info brudda!!!!!

Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for!
PM coming :thumbs:

Robert

 

[mhortsch]

Easy as cake.

In your playlist on the ipod, the space next to 'name' (should be a small blank square, where the numers are)

Click that is if to sort by that column, you can then procede to arrange the tracks accordingly. The order they are in when you are done will be the order they are in on your iPod.

You can also just rename the file straight from itunes. I name all my tracks as I insert them. Then sort by name to alphabetize them.