Encode mp3 tags in UTF8

[avidseeker]

Encode mp3 tags in UTF8

[StarGeekSpaceNerd]

I'm assuming this isn't a Windows command line?

Do you have a sample file?

[avidseeker]

I'm assuming this isn't a Windows command line?

Yes. Linux.

Do you have a sample file?

This should be reproducible with any mp3 file.

[StarGeekSpaceNerd]

Phil probably isn't going to try and track down and install the program you used. A sample makes it much more likely that he can take a look at the issue.

[boardhead]

ExifTool should be decoding UTF8 from ID3v2 COMM as long as the value is stored with the correct encoding. As StarGeek says, I need a sample if I'm going to do anything about this.

• Phil

[avidseeker]

In that case, I guess the bug is in id3tag (from package id3v2 on Arch Linux) for not using UTF8?

$ id3tag -c"العربية" bell.mp3
+++ Comment = العربية
Tagging bell.mp3: attempting v1 and v2, tagged v1 and v2
$ id3info bell.mp3

*** Tag information for bell.mp3
=== COMM (Comments): ()[XXX]: العربية
=== COMM (Comments): (ID3v1 Comment)[XXX]: العربية
*** mp3 info
MPEG1/layer III
Bitrate: 64KBps
Frequency: 44KHz

bell.mp3 after issuing id3tag command in base64: (decode using base64 -d > bell.mp3)
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[boardhead]

Yes, the authors of id3tag should read the specification. The ID3v2 encoding in this file is specified as ISO-8859-1.

But ID3v1 doesn't store an encoding, so that is configurable in ExifTool. Add this to your command an the ID3v1 information will be decoded properly: -api charsetid3=utf8

• Phil

[boardhead]

Also, I think they could choose a better language code than "XXX" for an unknown language.

• Phil

[avidseeker]

Now this shows it with the right encoding for Comment (id3tag -c"العربية" bell.mp3), however it still shows the incorrect encoding for Description (id3tag -C"العربية" bell.mp3).

[boardhead]

This is not ExifTool's issue