I've read a couple threads concerning MP3 id tags not showing up in the 05 head units. I thought I would pass along something nifty I learned. Most encoders (Media Player, MusicMatch...) force you to use the latest, v3 I believe, when you create a MP3 CD. But most head units want v2. So what you end up with is a CD full of MP3s that play, but don't show the tags.

With MusicMatch I have 3 choices for creating CDs: Audio (like you buy at the store), MP3, and Data.

Create a Data CD instead of a MP3 CD. For some reason the head units will read the tags then.

 

"The head units" as in this has been tested in a Mini ? That would be great information !

 

Been there, done that, didn't work.

 

I had not tested this in a MINI 05 head unit, but I have personally done it in 3 MP3 capable head units.


Strange that it doesn't work for you RawRats. What burning program are you using?

 

I thought maybe PebbleCrusher was on to something so...

I've got a 2005 HU with HK. Using Musicmatch v10 I burned a DATA CD of a multiple folder MP3 playlist as he suggested and then, using the same playlist, used Express Rip / Roxio burner. Unfortunately, the results are the same. All that shows up on the HU is the "folder" and track number in both instances. No tag other than that shows up

 

Well crap. I wish I had an 05 HU to test with before I opened my mouth!

Lemme think about it some more. Might be an option or something, like adding the playlist (.mu-something) to the CD as it is being burned.

 

Let me try this.... The CD I just made for my wife's new head unit was done on a CD-RW. I used MusicMatch (v8.2 Basic) to create a Data CD. I don't know if MusicMatch "closed" the CD or not. I do know that I left all the settings alone except for turning off the playlist file (mu3?).


Some players have issues with a mixed CD. That being a CD with MP3s and data files (not music files).

 

I have tested both and no luck.

My headunit sometimes says that the folder has like 20 tracks but theres only 10 and it repeats the first track on the second track.

Like track 1 will play and then track 2 will play, but its the same as track 1...it only happens with certian folders.

 

I haven't had luck with this in the past, but has anyone tried contacting Harmon Kardon? Or whoever actually makes the head unit... I tried once for my Dodge Avenger's radio (made by Infiniti), but they would not help me.


What does the 05 manual say about how MP3 CDs should work?

 

MP3 - Next Folder = "switiching between folders with compressed audio files"...Press M briefly, select MAN then press briefly the |< (or) >| buttons. Once you switch the folders you use the same keys to move from track to track.

That's pretty much the entire instruction set for MP3!

 

I have a large collection of MP3 discs from my last car, which had a Blaupunkt HU. I use a Mac, so I don't use Music Match, but all the discs I have are ISO9660 data discs, and nearly all the files have ID3v1.1 and ID3v2.3.0 tags embedded in them. And none of the tags show up on my '05 MCS radio. (They play just fine, though.)

Note that these are earlier versions of the ID3 tags. There is at least a v2.4.0 standard - maybe later ones exist that I'm not aware of. One would think that if a "new"(*) radio displayed any ID3 tags at all, it would be backwards compatible with the earlier v1 and v2 tags in my files.

*(is the '05 really "new" or is it just the '04 radio with upgraded software?)

If anyone comes up with a disc format/tag format that works, I'd love to hear about it. But it sure looks to me like they (Alpine?) just didn't bother with this feature and there is no ID3 support.

How stupid is that? I really loved the way my old Blaupunkt displayed the title, artist, and album! (Not to mention the filename, folder name, and running time!)

 

Interesting LombardStreet. Of the 3 units I have used before (2 Alpines, 1 Kenwood), none of them would read the ID3v3 tags. They had to be ID3v2. I got around it by creating the Data CDs instead of a MP3 CD, because MusicMatch did not allow you to specify which version of the tags to use.

I am also using an older version of the software..... Hmmm, I wonder if it would be worth it for me to create a CD here and send it to someone with an 05 unit.....

 

If someone would get me the model number and other information, I will fight with Alpine to get information.

 

Pebblecrusher...if you have the s/w ability to create an ISO file of your disk burn and can post it to a site, I'll be happy to d/l it and burn a disk and give it a try in my '05 HU.

 

I don't currently, but I should be able to find a freeware version. I'll grab the CD out of the wife's van (has a new Kenwood unit that shows tags on this CD) and see if I can't make the image. Will have to wait till later today though. At work now.

 

Here's a site to obtain an excellent copier and it's free. When using it just save the "burn" as an image file (CCD) instead of burning to a disc. I'll be around all weekend so whenever you have the time I'll give it a try.

 

Ok, I have an ISO file I created using WinISO (created using ASPI). But I have no where to put it for you to get. The thing is huge! Which I suppose is the case with any image. :smile: I'm zipping it up now, but I don't expect it to get much smaller than the 677 MB that it is now.


Any ideas?

 

Yep that file is an exact image of a CD so it's big! I have a couple of ideas on how to solve the problem. Let me check and I'll PM you.

 

You guys might find this thread interesting.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...992#post448992

Jay

 

V E R Y interesting! Thanks for posting that link!

 

Well, I emailed Alpine-UK and got a response. Basically they said they are the aftermarket division of Alpine in the UK (duh), and to try the division in Germany since they have had dealings with BMW (they think).


The email I sent to them was addressed to the OEM Division. You'd think they would forward it along. Oh well, time for attempt number 2.

 

I have the stock, non-HK head unit and I tried burning mp3 cds with Roxio Easy Cd creator 5 and they will not play on my unit. I have done one with normal setting and the other I closed the session and on both I get a CD Error... what am I doing wrong?

 

I made the cd with Roxio also, but just as a data disk not a music disk. So basically your're just formating a cd and doing a straight copy of mp3 files to it. Again, at least for me, none of the tags display.

 

But yours played when burned as a data disk correct?

 

Thats correct. I got something like 125 mp3s on the disk. It will play about 9 hours without repeat. They show up as numbered only on the display. Also I didn't separate by directories or anything although I guess you can.

I used the project selector. Chose make a data cd. Then chose data cd project. To be honest it was a bit of a pain this way. I had to rename each mp3 to include a beginning number so that I could get them to play in the order I wanted. The Roxio program won't let you arrange their order like it does when making a music cd. Of course I could have just dumped them on in whatever order but I guess I'm too ****!