Genre naming

[Neil]

It seems to me that we need a naming convention for the genre section of the id3 tags. Most podcasts I get call it 'Podcast', but a few say 'Speech' and various other genres, which makes it really difficult in iTunes to create a dynamic playlist. Consequently a lot of searching is needed.
I don't know if some programs won't let you input your own genre titles, which creates this problem, but it would make recieving podcasts a lot easier if they were all standardised - and I think podcasting needs to be a lot easier if it's going to break into the mainstream.

What are your thoughts?

[Craig]

I vote for "Podcast". If the MP3 encoding program you're using won't let you customize the genre (mine won't) then just edit it after you've created the MP3 with one that will. (I use iTunes and I also add an image file at the same time.)

Craig

[radioclash]

I use Podcast...since I borrowed an Ipod I now understand the importance, I use to put funny things there...other MP3 players don't use the Genre tag at all...it's artist, album they use.

I think the show should be in Album and Artist too - you tend to know the show rather than the person initially anyway.

[Craig]

I think the show should be in Album and Artist too - you tend to know the show rather than the person initially anyway.
I have to disagree with you on that. What if the podcaster eventually moves on to do a different show? The whole point of having album and artist is so you can group differently. It's like saying a band's name should be in Album and Artist because you tend to know the band rather than the album initially.

Craig

[Neil]

I think the show should be in Album and Artist too - you tend to know the show rather than the person initially anyway.
I have to disagree with you on that. What if the podcaster eventually moves on to do a different show? The whole point of having album and artist is so you can group differently. It's like saying a band's name should be in Album and Artist because you tend to know the band rather than the album initially.


I agreee. On an ipod at least, you can't view shownotes, so a show description in the album line can be very useful if searching for a particular show.
Also, if a certain podcaster appears on another's show, forinstance if someone appears for one episode on Dawn and Drew then i don't want to have to search through 65 shows to find it, I want to be able to go to a different artist to find to it.

[Craig]

Also, if a certain podcaster appears on another's show...then i don't want to have to search through 65 shows to find it, I want to be able to go to a different artist to find to it.
Unfortunately most (if not all) MP3 players don't handle that scenario well. Ideally you'd be able to list all artists that appear on a track in the artist tag and then that track would appear under each artist's name but it doesn't work that way...the track appears under a new artist and is listed alphabetically according to the name of the first artist in the list.

So, for example, if I listed "Craig Patchett/Illinoise/Wendy Wallace" as artists on my last "Behind the Scenes" then it would appear in iTunes and on my iPod as a new artist right after "Craig Patchett". Not helpful at all.

Is there a format for listing multiple artists that I'm not aware that does list the track under each artist's name?

Craig

[Neil]

Is there a format for listing multiple artists that I'm not aware that does list the track under each artist's name?

Craig

I don't think that this is possible with id3 tags as far as I know, but it's an interesting idea.
It might also be useful to put the podcast with mutiple artists under a completely different artist title, instead of under several indivisual artists. ie Adam Curry; Dave Winer; Adam Curry and Dave Winer. I think that this might be just as useful and we are capable of doing this right now, although I can see the merits of doing it your way.