What are the benefits of using a command line like this?


--alt-preset standard --id3v2-only --pad-id3v2 --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" %s %d


Are there any negatives to only using ID3v2? I am encoding in both FLAC and LAME and will be using Winamp.

You'll find that on Hydrogen Audio there is often a bias against any form of ID3v2 tagging, but that is largely due to programmer's frustrations with the ever-changing syntax of the "standard" and the potential to introduce/include harmful metadata within a tag. However, if you are generating the tags on your own files, and know what is being written to the tags, this should be of little concern; for your own files, follow your own preference. The internal ID3v2 tag generator in L.A.M.E. is fine for the purposes you describe.

However, depending on your hardware requirements, you may encounter difficulties when using ID3v2 with variable-bitrate files. Certain CD-R MP3 players will play the files straight through with no difficulty, but may not be able to seek accurately, or keep a proper estimate of the elapsed/remaining time. This problem is easily avoided if one uses constant-bitrate encoding (i.e., replace --alt-preset standard in your command line with --alt-preset cbr nnn, where "nnn"=bitrate), but CBR Encoding sacrifices quality.

If Winamp is the only player for which you need compliance, and if you are not using the MAD plugin (which is currently incapable of displaying ID3v2 tags), then the line you described will do exactly what you need.

- M.

Thanks for your reply! I am starting tonight with both FLAC and LAME and I havent been able to access the forums until just now. Has it been down?

SI there benefits to using both ID3v1 and v2?

Only benefits I could think of to use them both are in case you need to use the files on a hardware player that does not support id3v2.