Album Artwork is not downloading for FLAC files converted to Apple Lossless using XLD

[SoCal Cal]

I've been using XLD to convert FLAC files to Apple Lossless format and noticed recently that Album Artwork is no longer downloading. I have the preference set to download artwork automatically when importing, but I get an error that states:

 

Artwork for "ALBUM TITLE" could not be found. The requested resource was not found.

 

I have the "Import Settings" preference set to Apple Lossless Encoder. I read that this solved a problem with people whose file formats did not match the import format. Is there something in the XLD converter that is not matched to Apple Lossless so iTunes doesn't recognize it? Any help appreciated. Thanks!

 

Also, I get the same error when trying to get Album Artwork manually. I've also tried just getting artwork for one track of an album as I've read that sometimes works, too, but same error.

[kirkmc]

I didn't know that XLD could get album artwork. iTunes can only search for artwork if you've ripped CDs with iTunes (or purchased from the iTunes Store). It can't do so if you import files ripped or converted with other apps.

[SoCal Cal]

I didn't know that XLD could get album artwork. iTunes can only search for artwork if you've ripped CDs with iTunes (or purchased from the iTunes Store). It can't do so if you import files ripped or converted with other apps.

 

Actually, I meant fetching artwork in iTunes after the converted FLACs had been added. Was this a recent change in iTunes? I've been converting FLACs using XLD for over a year and adding to iTunes and have had no problems fetching artwork until recently. Maybe it was changed in iTunes 12?

[kirkmc]

I've never been able to get artwork from iTunes. When you rip a track in iTunes, an Album ID is added to the file's metadata (you can't see it). That's how iTunes gets artwork.

 

Curiously, Apple doesn't say that here:

 

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH12361?locale=en_US

 

I've never been able to get artwork for stuff I didn't rip; and it doesn't work reliably for things I do rip. I actually did use it yesterday when ripping some CDs, so it still works in general.

[SoCal Cal]

Hmm, perhaps there's been a change in XLD, then? Maybe XLD was fetching the Album ID somehow and iTunes was able to recognize it. I just know that the problem only recently started happening, either when XLD was updated or iTunes was updated. I've looked for support on XLD, but it seems only authorized users can submit tickets. Oh well, guess I'm SOL...

[Mark Zimmer]

Yeah, I've never been able to get artwork from iTunes. I always have to manually add it.

[Otto Nikolaus]

I've never been able to get artwork from iTunes. When you rip a track in iTunes, an Album ID is added to the file's metadata (you can't see it). That's how iTunes gets artwork.

 

Curiously, Apple doesn't say that here:

 

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH12361?locale=en_US

 

I've never been able to get artwork for stuff I didn't rip; and it doesn't work reliably for things I do rip. I actually did use it yesterday when ripping some CDs, so it still works in general.

My understanding is that iTunes can only get artwork for albums that are sold in the iTunes Store (whether you bought them there or not), and this in turn depends on the album being identified in Gracenote with the correct matching name. I never see a message saying that artwork is unavailable: I just wait to see if it appears. If not, I use one of Doug's Scripts, 'Find Album Artwork with Google', which saves you typing the search yourself.

[kirkmc]

No, Otto, you can definitely get artwork for CDs you rip with iTunes. But my understanding had always been that you can only get artwork for ripped CDs or iTunes Store purchases.

 

I just tried to get artwork for some tracks I bought on Soundcloud in Flac, and converted to Apple Lossless, and iTunes did indeed get the artwork. I think this must have changed at some point, because I recall trying for non-ripped tracks and not being able to get artwork.

[Otto Nikolaus]

No, Otto, you can definitely get artwork for CDs you rip with iTunes. But my understanding had always been that you can only get artwork for ripped CDs or iTunes Store purchases.

 

I just tried to get artwork for some tracks I bought on Soundcloud in Flac, and converted to Apple Lossless, and iTunes did indeed get the artwork. I think this must have changed at some point, because I recall trying for non-ripped tracks and not being able to get artwork.

I buy CDs, not downloads, and rip them. For most, iTunes can provide artwork, but there is a significant proportion where it can *not*. These are always more obscure albums. In those cases I get the artwork from Google Images.

 

My guess that this depends on the iTunes Store also selling the same album might be wrong but it is *not* true that iTunes can supply artwork for *any* ripped CD.

[kirkmc]

If the CD you rip is available in the iTunes Store, and if Gracenote identifies it, then iTunes should be able to provide artwork. However, I have seen over the years that this is not always the case.

[Otto Nikolaus]

If the CD you rip is available in the iTunes Store, and if Gracenote identifies it, then iTunes should be able to provide artwork. However, I have seen over the years that this is not always the case.

Just to follow up on this: I've just imported 2 CDs into iTunes. Neither showed any artwork so I used right-click > Get Album Artwork on each and still no artwork. I checked that I was logged into the iTunes Store and I was, so I thought that maybe these 2 (Robert Forster: Songs To Play and Dave Rawlings Machine: Nashville Obsolete) weren't in the Store. They both are, and I cannot see any way in which they have been misidentified so it's a mystery why artwork is not being downloaded.

[fferd]

Searching for same problem brought me here. Maybe my little info might add to the discussion.

 

Just about my entire iTunes library, for years, is built from lossless or FLAC converted by XLD to AAC (don't judge me) and never had a problem using iTunes "Get Album Artwork". Looking at File Added dates, somewhere between June 6 and July 3rd I can no longer get artwork. No matter how popular, or copy/paste the artist info, etc. and XLD version didn't change. My only guess is iTunes Match changed something and I'm not touching that mess with a ten foot pole.