Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast

I've tried lots of ways to import FLAC-encoded music into iTunes, but I'd always have problems with the tags. I found that the best way is to try to make the FLAC look like a CD to iTunes, and iTunes then gets all the CD data via CDDB.

Here's what I do:

Open Toast and choose audio CD.
Add the FLAC files to Toast -- note that you must have all the tracks that were on the original CD.
Use Save As Disc Image to create a .sd2f file in Toast.
In the Finder, go to the .sd2f file, Control-click on it, and select More » Mount It. If you don't have this entry, then you need to get Toast to install it for you; it's in the preferences.
In iTunes, the CD you just mounted should be recognized and the track list will be found from the CDDB.
Import the songs into iTunes using your normal settings, and all the tags will come from the CDDB info.
You can now eject the CD and delete the .sd2f file.

I setup iTunes to automatically rip and then eject any CDs which are inserted, and of course you need to tick 'Automatically retrieve CD track names from internet' in iTunes' preferences. I also rip to AAC Lossless, so I'm ending up with something the same quality as the original FLAC, but that can be played on an iPod.

The only thing to look out for is to make sure you have the right number of tracks. I also set up Toast to use a zero-second gap between tracks, as this works best for me in iTunes.

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Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast | 11 comments | Create New Account

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Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast
Authored by: Mr. Frog on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 8:27AM PST

I found a software that isn't that complicated, it just converts the FLAC to Apple Lossless and it keeps the "ID3"/metadata.

XLD: http://tmkk.hp.infoseek.co.jp/xld/index_e.html

It works well and fast!

XLD
Authored by: MattHaffner on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 8:54AM PST

Seconded... XLD works great for me. It just got a nice update as well.

It's all about the tags!
Authored by: TC!! on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 9:31AM PST

If you've got a flac with good tags then that's great but you might have missed the point of my post, the whole reason for doing this is so that you get the tags from CDDB.

I used to use XLD myself for this but got fed up with having to fix the tags. I do still use XLD if I get a single flac with a cue file.

Again the pint of this hint isn't how to convert, it's how to get the tag data from CDDB.

Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast
Authored by: irc on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 9:32AM PST

I was going to post the link. XLD is working great for me. Convert FLAC to Apple Lossless with just about all the tag information intact.

Now, if someone could point me to a decent, free ID3 tag editor for the Mac I'd be very grateful...

Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast
Authored by: keytohwy on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 9:09AM PST

I'm a fan of Max at sbooth.org. It doesn't use Gracenote to pull info since it is a paid service, so you can use an Applescript to get the metadata from iTunes (which does use Gracenote) and put that into Max. Max will then rip and put the files into iTunes for you.

Unlike the original hint, Max is free!

Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast
Authored by: flyingmac on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 10:16AM PST

This is my favourite hint for quite some time. I've been using Max in the past, but I love the fact that this uses the CDDB info instead of relying on often dodgy tags. Woohoo.

You get it
Authored by: TC!! on Wed, Feb 25 2009 at 1:29AM PST

I'm glad someone gets it, this isn't about the best tool for converting formats, it's the best way of tricking iTunes into getting all the tags for you.

If XLD could create a disk image from multiple flacs then that would be even better. Maybe we should ask the writer of XLD to do this?

Thinking about it I'll have to see if there is any way for me to mount a single flac with a cue file like a disk image.

Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast
Authored by: kaih on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 1:35PM PST

I too am a big fan of Max It's free and works really well and handles every audio format I've ever come across.

Max also integrates with MusicBrainz to use as a CD database, however if your media already has tags, Max will use them instead.

---
k:.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast
Authored by: tritium147 on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 3:58PM PST

I recently ran into this problem and have tried this hint along with everything in the comments and nothing seems to work.

I've tried running disk utility while booting off the disk as well as fsck -fy in single user mode. Both tries comes back with invalid sibling link while its "checking catalog file."

while in the terminal while booting in the disk if I run fsck_hfs -r /dev/disk0s2 like was mention in this hint and the following gets reported:

/dev/rdisk0s2
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Rebuilding catalog B-tree.
The volume HDD could not be repaired.

the same error occurs if I try the same thing in single user mode as well. It seems that any method i try to repair the problem or figure out whats going wrong it can't get past the Rebuilding catalog B-tree step and stops saying the drive can't be repaired.

Any help on what else to try or explaining what is going on (if I should give up and reformat or get a new drive competely) would be appreciated.

Import FLAC into iTunes with CDDB info via Toast
Authored by: tritium147 on Tue, Feb 24 2009 at 4:03PM PST

Wrong thread, sorry.

Wrong hint?
Authored by: TC!! on Wed, Feb 25 2009 at 1:31AM PST

I think you may have replied to the wrong hint. But after reading about your problems i can't recommend DiskWarrior enough for disk related problems.

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