how to add missing album art to i tunes?

[samwisesam]

hi,

 

another dumb question I suspect. I find I Tunes album art search to be lacking - about a third of my albums are missing art. What is the best way to fill in the gaps? I have looked on the net and there are downlaod options but I don't know which one to choose. Any advice gratefully received.

 

cheers Jamie

 

[wgscott]

Google images almost never fails me. Just put in the album title and get the image, download it to the desktop (or wherever), select all the tracks in the album, use "Get Info" (command-i) and then drag and drop it into the album art window.

 

[samwisesam]

thanks for the info. I have about 180 to do! Is there any auto search options out there?

 

cheers Jamie

 

[Christopher]

Hi Jamie,

 

I see wgscott already answered with great advice. Here’s what I was about to post...

 

As you mentioned, there is software available for missing album art.

 

One option is Tune Up. Link: http://www.tuneupmedia.com/index.php

 

I have Tune Up and it is helpful. However, I prefer to add missing album art manually.

 

Of course, the manual approach will be very time consuming if you are missing album art for hundreds of albums. If you are only missing a few covers, then you may wish to consider the manual approach.

 

Here’s what I do...

 

Step 1

* Perform a Google search using the album name

* Click “Images” at the top of the page in the Google menu bar

* Then, select “Large” size on the left menu (this will only display the largest images)

* If large images are not available, then select Medium or any size

* Select the best possible image (largest and sharpest), then save the image to desktop

 

Step 2

* After the image is saved, open iTunes

* Locate and select all of the songs that are part of the album

* Make sure all of the songs are highlighted

* Minimize iTunes so that the lower left hand corner of iTunes with the art box is still viewable (since you have no album art, there should be no image)

* Then drag the image from the desktop into the art box

* iTunes will ask you if you want to change art for multiple items

* Click yes (make sure you have only highlighted songs for the particular album)

 

With this approach, iTunes will automatically recognize all songs and associated art as part of the same album.

 

The greatest advantage of this approach is that you do not have to worry about incorrect and erroneous album art. You can also search for the best quality image.

 

Like I said, it’s time consuming. For me, it’s worth the investment of time and energy.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

 

 

[Richard Dale]

 

Christopher: "..* Select the best possible image (largest and sharpest), then save the image to desktop

 

 

 

Step 2

* After the image is saved, open iTunes.."

 

 

 

Note that you can control+click (or right click if you have your mouse set up for that) on the image and select the 'Copy Image' option. Then you can just paste into the iTunes Get Info dialog without needing to save the image to the desktop.

 

 

[mwheelerk]

The best site for artwork bar none is The Album Art Exchange. If this doesn't give you what you need there are many more locations and methods to do so.

 

http://www.albumartexchange.com/covers.php?sort=4&q=&fltr=1&bgc=&page=

 

[samwisesam]

ok, thanks everyone (Chris that was really helpful step by step guide) I think I am sorted now. I'll start with the link above and take it from there

 

cheers Jamie

 

[mwheelerk]

You don't really need to highlight all the songs in an album to add the album artwork to a particular album title. If you are in the Album List view and you have the Column Browser displayed at the top you simply search for the album title you want to work with, highlight the album title in the column browser and then use Get Info and drag the artwork into the artwork box. It will automatically add the artwork to all songs and embed it in the file.

 

If you are not familiar with the Column Browser simply have iTunes open, select View and select Show Column Browser. Sometimes there is an option for the Column Browser to be shown on the Left or on the Top. Select the Top. Then on the iTunes screen at the top right there are four small boxes representing Song List, Album List, Grid and Cover Flow. Select the 2nd box for Album List and you will see all the titles.

 

You can either highlight the top of the Album Titles list and search by album titles or highlight the Artist List and first search by artist and then select the album title from the result.

 

[StephanLJ]

Hi,

I use Cover Scout:

 

http://www.equinux.com/de/products/coverscout/index.html

 

and it is rather seldom that I have to use Google.

 

Good luck

 

Stephan

 

[Erwin S]

http://www.discogs.com/

 

I use it to find info on the albums, including cover art. Not all genres, but certainly Rock etc. You will be surprised how many different editions of one album can exist: some more than 50!

 

Also a market place for used CD's and vinyl: I have now 3 Jah Wobble CD's on order. I think they charge 6% to the seller.

Some albums can be downloaded for 13€ in WAV.

 

BTW: the reason cover art not "found" by iTunes is simply because iTunes Store doesn't sell that artist! So, last year, if you ripped your Beatles CD's, the image would not be provided!

 

[samwisesam]

hi,

 

thanks for the tips as I am now up and running manually loading art work. However, I seem to be hitting a few problems where album art already exists. It doesn't seem to accept the new art. I suspect I need to remove the old art first but how?

 

For example (and please don't laugh at the CD's there my wifes - honest!) Abba's greatest hits vol 2 has a cover art from ITunes of ZZ Tops greatest hits (no idea either). The artist is shown as Abba and the songs are correct. However, the art shown in the small left hand box is Neil Youngs Greatest Hits! When I try to drag and drop the correct cover the same two covers mentioned still remain. I have had other problems over righting art but not as crazy as this example. Any ideas?

 

cheers Jamie

 

 

 

[mwheelerk]

I have run into that before also. If I remember correctly I simply went to the Get Info selection then checked the artwork box, hit delete and then added the new artwork. Don't understand it but it was the only way I could get that to work. There is an easy Add and Delete for Artwork on an individual song basis but that is more tedious (to me) than what I am suggesting.

 

[mwheelerk]

What version of iTunes are you using? I am curious because I just tried what I suggested and it wasn't necessary (though as I said I have experienced it before) the artwork was simply added in replacement of the other artwork (which had be added via the iTunes Get Artwork function).

 

[Afveep]

I rip CDs using XLD or Max, then import them to iTunes. The album then typically shows up in iTunes without the artwork. I then use Advanced, Get Album Art. If iTunes doesn't find it, I then manually search & drag as others have described here.

 

My question is that the Get Album Artwork function seems to ( quickly) go through every album loaded into my iTunes library each time I use it. While it doesn't negatively affect anything that I'm aware of, it seems like a waste of time and takes longer as my library grows. Is there any way to limit this search function to just a highlighted album or individual song?

Tom

 

[mwheelerk]

Your are right, it works rather quickly, it doesn't seem to effect any negatively and to the best of my knowledge there is no way around it. Get Album Artwork is usually my last resort since it does not embed the artwork with the file like manually adding artwork does (although there is a little workaround I discovered). However I will say that the quality of the artwork obtained via iTunes Get Album Artwork has in general greatly improved with image sizes of 600 x 600 and file sizes typically exceeding 100 KB such that they can be displayed on a large screen HDTV and look good.

 

[Afveep]

Mwheelerk,

You mention a workaround to embed artwork. Does this work in a batch mode? i.e. can it go through the iTunes library & embed all the artwork?

 

[mwheelerk]

No, I am sorry to say it is a rather simple and laborious effort. My main concern with Get Album Artwork in iTunes is that it does not embed the artwork with the music file as manual input of artwork does. Really, all I do is when I use Get Album Artwork to get an album cover I cannot find or cannot find a good quality cover for after it has been 'input' to my library I select/highlight one song in the album. Next I use File>Get Info and select the artwork tab. From that tab there is a window displaying the artwork. I simply grab the artwork and drag it to the desktop. Then I close that window highlight the album title as I described earlier select Get Info again and then drag the jpeg from the desktop back into the artwork window which then embeds the artwork with the file. Rather simple and mundane but it does the job I need.

 

[samwisesam]

thanks again, I have now been able to delete art - although strangely the Abba art (zz top!) will still not budge. I have noticed that in the album view I have several albums that split the songs across a number of albums e.g. The Best of Mike Nesmith and Bonnie Raitt and Friends to name two. Both appear as mulitiple entries with a few songs on each. Any ideas why this would be and how to rectify? The view is album list with column browser on. I am using v10 of I Tunes.

 

thanks

 

Jamie

 

[mwheelerk]

I am not certain about this. Looking at the Column Browser the center column when scrolled all the way to the top is the first listing under (Artist) Compilation? If it is highlight it. What album titles show up in the (Album) column? If there is the Compilation listing are the albums that show there the albums you are having a problem with. Let me know and I might have a suggestion.

 

With regards to the stubborn artwork that won't delete try selecting that album then highlight the first song in the list. Go to Get Info and the Artwork tab. Highlight/Select the artwork in the window and select Delete. Use the Next button towards the bottom of the window to advance to the next song and repeat for each song on the album. After the last song on the album select Okay. Now go back and highlight the album title and try to make the artwork change and hopefully the stubborn jpeg is gone.

 

[samwisesam]

hi again and thanks for latest posting. The albums are mainly compilations but also some straight albums which is strange. Only one of the albums that is causing a problem is listed in that way. Any ideas?

 

I tried removing artwork as suggested and it still wont budge. Interestingly when I highlight the album it shows ZZ Top still but in the selected box it shows the correct art work - strange.

 

cheers Jamie

 

 

 

[mwheelerk]

Okay, this is the pain in the rear sort of like the old fashion re-boot. Delete the title from your iTunes library. Start over and re-rip the title and then add proper artwork.

 

With regards to the compilations are these truly what compilatons (or at least what I consider compilations - albums with a variety of different artist featured versus an album with a primary artist and multiple 'guest' artist who are also shown in the artist field)?

 

In the latter case I have always changed the tags so that the artist field only reflects the primary artist and then in the song title I add [featuring 'Bob Smith]. Then selecting Album Title>Get Info>Options I uncheck the 'Part Of A Compiliations' and this seems to bring together some of these songs that were hanging apart. I couldn't explain why though.

 

The other thing I have had to do on occassion is mess around with re-typing in the Artist or Album Title in the Get Info box. Again, I have just tried different things and this has also worked at times.

 

Look closely at your tags for Artist and Album Title. I have found sometimes there are small errors in spacing or some other thing that would 'identify' these items differently.

 

And lastly I don't use the Album Artist tag. I have never had a use for it but I think others might say this is where the John Jones [featuring Bob Smith] might belong.

 

[wpauge]

HI everyone

 

I have a question: First nobody said what was being used, PC or Mac.

I am using a PC with Windows XP and iTunes 9 with Wav files. I have no problem finding the album art on any of the sources and downloading to my desktop, and using the method Christopher told us about. I drag the album artwork to the artwork box in Get Info, the art remains in the box but when I check OK it does not go in the Itunes file and the artwork does not appear anywhere. Am I doing something wrong or doesn't it work on a PC only on a Mac?

 

Thanks in advance, Bill.

 

[Christopher]

I am using iTunes with an Apple iMac.

 

When adding album art into iTunes, I’m not sure Mac vs PC really matters. Let’s see if I can clarify something.

 

When iTunes is open, you should see a box in the lower left hand screen that says “Now Playing.” This is the album art box that I was referring to in my bullet points.

 

My earlier description may have been confusing. The correct term for this box is the “artwork and video viewer.”

 

If you do not see the artwork and video viewer in the column that has your Library and Playlists, then it may be hidden.

 

To un-hide and show the artwork and video viewer, click the icon that looks like an envelope on the bottom left corner of iTunes. If you hover your mouse over the icon, it will say “Show or hide artwork and video viewer.”

 

After showing the artwork and video viewer, you are ready to add album art.

 

If the song does not have art, the viewer will say “Drag Artwork Here.” Take your image and drag it into the viewer. You should be all set!

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

 

[wpauge]

I found the box u are talking about. It say artwork not modifiable and when I drag the album cover into it nothing happens. I must be doing something wrong. Bill.

 

[Christopher]

Hi Bill,

 

Have faith...it’s not you.

 

Something tells me you are probably using WAV files.

 

iTunes does not currently support artwork for WAV files.

 

I also have WAV files and the artwork and video viewer in iTunes says “Artwork Not Modifiable.”

 

If you want to use iTunes with WAV files, you’ll have to live without album art for now (not sure if this will ever change).

 

Your option with iTunes is to convert the file to AIFF or another file format. Here is a link to Apple Support for how to convert a song to a different file format...

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1550

 

Hope this helps,

Chris