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Topic: Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT? (Read 10818 times) previous topic - next topic
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Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

My car MP3 player will only play the MP3 files on the USB stick in the order they appear in the FAT (I'm using FAT32).
All of the MP3 files have ID3 tags, including track number.  But my car MP3 player does not reorder the files by ID3 tag track number unfortunately.

I'm looking for a utility that can sort the MP3 files in a directory by their ID3 track number tag, and then rewrite this file order to the FAT, so that the MP3 files in that directory will play in the sorted track order.

I know I can append the file names with the track number from the tag, and sort then alphanumerically using commonly available utilities, but don't want to append the track number as part of the filename.

The only partial solution I have found so far is DriveSort, which allows me to manually position the order in a playlist, and then it rewrites the FAT according to this order.  DriveSort works for me in this way, but is very time consuming since I have many MP3 files on a 32GB USB stick.  If anyone knows of a utility (preferably under Windows) that can just read the ID3 track number of each MP3 file and sort by that, and then rewrite the sorted file order to the FAT it would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your help!

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #1 –
Well mine only does it by filename and then only if they're <32 characters in length.

What's the problem with just running mp3tag or similar over the copied files and telling it to prepend the track number? I just tell mp3tag to prepend the track number and shorten the track to 32 characters and it works fine.

This is probably more hardware though.

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #2 –
Since it was apparently not clear, allow me to explain how your post does almost nothing to actually reply to the OP because your situation is not comparable.

Numbered filenames alone might be sufficient for you but are not for the OP:
Quote from: stiletto link=msg=0 date=
My car MP3 player will only play the MP3 files on the USB stick in the order they appear in the FAT (I'm using FAT32).

Altered filenames might enable name-based sorting by other programs but are not desired by the OP:
Quote from: stiletto link=msg=0 date=
I know I can append the file names with the track number from the tag, and sort then alphanumerically using commonly available utilities, but don't want to append the track number as part of the filename.

The OP is requesting a program that automatically circumvents both of these issues:
Quote from: stiletto link=msg=0 date=
If anyone knows of a utility (preferably under Windows) that can just read the ID3 track number of each MP3 file and sort by that, and then rewrite the sorted file order to the FAT it would be much appreciated.

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #3 –
This reply also fails to help, but...

Quote from: stiletto on
I know I can append the file names with the track number from the tag, and sort then alphanumerically using commonly available utilities, but don't want to append the track number as part of the filename.
...then you will make your life very difficult on any number of crappy players out there. Do you like listening to album tracks in alphabetical order?

Cheers,
David.

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #4 –
Let me explain why I don't want to append the track number to each file name.  When it displays the song title, the MP3 player already precedes each title with a numeric followed by a dash.  Like this:

      01-This is My Song Title

It just takes the order in which the files appear in the FAT, and numbers them starting from 01 onward.  I have no control over this, it is how the built in player operates.

Since I have limited space on the dashboard display already, I don't want to waste another two display character positions with a redundant numeric that I really don't need.  I don't need and don't want each song to appear on the display with two sets of numerics, like this:  01-01xxxxx, 02-02xxxxxx, etc.

Can I suck it up and deal with the redundant numbering?  Sure, if there were no other option.  But I can also achieve what I need with DriveSort, albeit tediously.  However, I was hoping the collective intelligence on this forum might be able to save me a lot of time by suggesting a better approach or another utility that perhaps can accomplish what I am looking to achieve without having to manually rearrange files on the DriveSort playlist GUI.

If you provide some constructive advice that can help me accomplish what I am looking for, that would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks again!

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: stiletto on
I know I can append the file names with the track number from the tag, and sort then alphanumerically using commonly available utilities, but don't want to append the track number as part of the filename.

Very very weird, anyway: once sorted, you can rename again the files, deleting the leading track number. The whole three pass process (track number to filename | sort | track name to file name) can be automated with a couple utilities and a batch script and, all in all, file renaming is fast.
... I live by long distance.

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #6 –
Quote
My car MP3 player will only play the MP3 files on the USB stick in the order they appear in the FAT (I'm using FAT32).
  That's why I bought an iPod...  Many car stereos are designed to interface with an iPod.

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: db1989 on
Numbered filenames alone might be sufficient for you but are not for the OP:
Altered filenames might enable name-based sorting by other programs but are not desired by the OP:
The OP is requesting a program that automatically circumvents both of these issues:


Thanks for taking the time to pick apart my reply in three separate quotes whilst offering no help what-so-ever, it was really appreciated.

I evidentally misunderstood what the OP was after but instead of asking if that was the case you thought you'd try to be clever/funny. I'm not sure which because it wasn't either.
 

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: stiletto on
Let me explain why I don't want to append the track number to each file name.  When it displays the song title, the MP3 player already precedes each title with a numeric followed by a dash.  Like this:

      01-This is My Song Title

It just takes the order in which the files appear in the FAT, and numbers them starting from 01 onward.  I have no control over this, it is how the built in player operates.


Apologies for the misunderstanding.

Can I ask which model car stereo you have? Car stereos seem to be 10 years behind the time as far as playing from USB/CD-R is concerned  Does it have an aux-in?

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: probedb on
I evidentally misunderstood what the OP was after but instead of asking if that was the case
Why would I ask when it was obviously the case?

Quote
you thought you'd try to be clever/funny. I'm not sure which because it wasn't either.
I wasn’t trying to be anything. I was clarifying how your reply had missed the point, a point that I thought was laid out clearly in the opening post. Perhaps I should have left that to the OP, but I still don’t see how it was as offensive as you seem to be perceiving. I didn’t intend any offence or to show you up; the act of not agreeing with someone’s points doesn’t presuppose bad intentions towards that person.

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Nessuno on
Very very weird, anyway: once sorted, you can rename again the files, deleting the leading track number. The whole three pass process (track number to filename | sort | track name to file name) can be automated with a couple utilities and a batch script and, all in all, file renaming is fast.


+1, assuming renaming doesn't change the order DriveSort makes. I don't think there is another way. I didn't know there are players around that don't sort on name but instead take the order they are stored, second, a player adding a number to such a non-sorted list is even more weird. The only other option I can think of is getting a portable player with an FM-transmitter, if that's legal to do so where you live.
Music: sounds arranged such that they construct feelings.

Sort by ID3 Track Num and write sorted order to FAT?

Reply #11 –
Maybe the tool `plgen' for sorting files on FAT devices (hosted on sourceforge) could help linux-users here.
It does not answer the OP's question, but maybe useful (for others?) anyways...
Cheers