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Old 08-01-2008   #1 (permalink)
br1anstorm
CD Freaks Rookie
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 48
best free mp3 organiser and tag-editor?

With so many experts and enthusiasts on this forum with experience and strong views, I hesitate to ask this question in case it provokes arguments... but here goes anyway!

What is the best, simplest, most user-friendly free software app for organising and cataloguing music mp3s on a computer?

Of course the stock response is "it all depends what you want to do". Well, I want a programme which can

- search for and organise my mp3 music collection by the usual categories (artist/title/album/track etc);

- find and add database info (CDDB or similar);

- find and add album-cover pictures;

- enable the checking, correcting and editing of ID3 tags;

- and (possibly) have the capability to 'normalise' mp3 levels before burning, to avoid clipping and similar problems.

But I don't need

- screens with dancing lights or other disco visual effects;

- option screens full of unfamiliar technical jargon and acronyms and a multitude of boxes which require me to choose all the settings before the programme will function;

- buggy programmes which crash my computer;

- programmes which require the installation of other supporting apps in order to operate;

- ripping or burning ability (I rip using CDex, and burn with Roxio/Nero/Sonic);

- trial programmes which will only work for a limited time.

I have started looking, and so far I have found...

Mediamonkey - seems to do it all, but offers much more than I think I need, and the interface is too busy and complicated;

Teen Spirit - compact, and simpler. How reliable is it?

Organiser MP3 - looks the best option of those I've seen;

MP3 Collector - from collectorz.com - was recommended, but it's not free, only a 15-day trial

Winamp - well-known and loved, but does very much more than just organise, and after using Windows Media Player for so long, I just can't get used to Winamp.

Any other suggestions or recommendations (or votes for/against any of these)?

br1anstorm
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