Song title mistakenly taken from filename, instead of metatags

[nlrobert 10]

Hi.
I know this is a common problem, and read other posts like:

 

But I can't fix this issue with certain song-titles are taken from the filename, instead of the meta-tags. 

• I have disabled (I think) all internet lookup for meta-data and just want to edit the correct tags myself.
• There are no song or identification ID's in the tags (see below)
• There are no titles in NFO-files (see below)
• if have removed a song from the library, rescanned (song disappears). moved it back and rescanned again. It's added in the same way (with filename as title)
• It's not with all albums. I don't know why.

Here is an example, of the CD Let it Be:


 

One example of all tags in a song:

It's in this directory (as you can see above too):



This is in album.nfo

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
<album>
  <review />
  <outline />
  <lockdata>false</lockdata>
  <dateadded>2026-05-25 11:28:37</dateadded>
  <title>Let It Be</title>
  <year>1970</year>
  <sorttitle>Let It Be</sorttitle>
  <runtime>35</runtime>
  <artist>The Beatles</artist>
  <albumartist>Beatles</albumartist>
</album>

This is how it's displayed in Emby:



With these tags:

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:55 PM by nlrobert
typo

[Luke 43462]

Hi, this is not a common problem. The value comes from embedded metadata. The filename is only used if there is no embedded title. I guess we'd have to see what the server's ffprobe build reports as the title.

[nlrobert 10]

Thanks for your help @Luke

I copied the directory and rescanned. As you can see this is from the copy and the title is incorrect:

This is from the log:
 

2026-10-28 20:56:56.479 Info ItemRefreshService-0HNPGUU7THEL0:0000000E: Refresh metadata requested on 1470567
2026-10-28 20:56:56.479 Info ItemRefreshService-0HNPGUU7THEL0:0000000E: http/1.1 Response 204 to host14. Time: 84ms. POST http://192.168.2.21:8096/emby/Items/1470567/Refresh?Recursive=true&ImageRefreshMode=Default&MetadataRefreshMode=Default&ReplaceAllImages=false&ReplaceAllMetadata=false&X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Edge Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=d669f254-f106-423d-890c-2699709ab6a9&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.9.5.0&X-Emby-Token=x_secret11_x&X-Emby-Language=nl. 
2026-10-28 20:56:56.530 Info ProviderManager: RefreshItem Start: 1470567 Folder /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles
2026-10-28 20:56:57.624 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:56:59.307 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:00.164 Info SingleImageExtractor: ProcessRun 'extract-image' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffmpeg -f flac -threads 1 -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac" -map 0:1 -threads 0 -vframes 1 -f image2 -b:v 100M "/var/packages/EmbyServer/var/cache/temp/8f7e315e-f8bd-4126-9a7c-7273a54fc4e0.jpg"
2026-10-28 20:57:00.325 Info SingleImageExtractor: ProcessRun 'extract-image' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:00.939 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/76/76d9caa913c483953fd9aae142323298/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:01.119 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/02. Dig A Pony - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:01.192 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:01.195 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/fc/fc350ee226372c5d479dc6aaf216217d/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:01.248 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/03. Across The Universe - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:01.302 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:01.304 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/fa/fa1b8a647fbf5bb8bf75fd229b95c81c/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:01.388 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/04. I Me Mine - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:01.495 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:01.498 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/f3/f3f8d0d04e6a08a4f254ccf5af5f05a4/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:01.561 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/05. Dig It - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:01.596 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:01.598 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/4a/4a49aca5e3c710508a3f115b00566e00/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:01.660 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/06. Let It Be - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:01.708 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:01.727 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/c4/c434ebece21a0950a50c246b43332f06/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:01.865 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/07. Maggie Mae - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:01.926 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:01.928 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/af/af22063c61ef13be888e51ccecb2006e/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:03.391 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/08. I've Got A Feeling - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:03.431 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:03.547 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/04/046f9639b2d0508cfdbcd2efb6c2a2f1/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:03.588 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/09. One After 909 - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:03.641 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:03.690 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/90/90e3b701528fab7e8ec73c52d01a4102/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:03.749 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/10. The Long And Winding Road - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:03.779 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:03.782 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/88/8816e0ddd584c11cdeba5f190823d5fb/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:03.988 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/11. For You Blue - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:04.049 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:04.070 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/a9/a961fbce248c403cc671707ca7ae5485/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:04.098 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/The Beatles - Let It Be - Copy/12. Get Back - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-28 20:57:04.172 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-28 20:57:04.175 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/f3/f3cb63ed27786c24c3a385b4165c93ac/poster.jpg
2026-10-28 20:57:04.229 Info ProviderManager: RefreshItem Complete: 1470567 Folder /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles

I think it only lists image downloads? Can you see something in the log?

[Luke 43462]

I won't be able to see this in the log. can you provide a sample file for testing? Thanks.

[nlrobert 10]

Here it is @Luke, track 1

01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac

[Luke 43462]

Strange. I imported this and got the correct title. Please attach the complete emby server log from when the song was imported, or a new song if you don't have that log anymore. Thanks.

[Luke 43462]

Also if there's a metadata lock applied on the track or any parent folder then that could cause this to happen I think, so I would check that.

[nlrobert 10]

Thanks, I will test again and add a complete log.
I also tested what happens if I copied a "good" CD (one that has the correct titles) and noticed that the copy also got the "wrong" titles. I checked with a couple of CD's and could not get one working. On my library I have:

• Metadata Readers: Nfo
• Album Metadata Downloaders: disabled (because I sometimes create custom compilation albums myself)
• Artist Metadata Downloaders: MusicBrainz
• Music Video Metadata Downloaders: Disabled
• Metadata Savers: Nfo
• Artist Image Fetchers: FanArt
• Song Image Fetchers: Embedded Images
• Music Video Image Fetchers: None

Could it be that song information is not correctly read from the tags when Album Metadata Downloaders are disabled? I might not have had them disabled in the past (for the CD's that are correct, I mean).

Futher, on a couple of songs when I changed the Album Title (right click > change Edit Metadata) the change is not saved.

Before:

 

Change Album and Artist:

After Save and Edit Attributes again, the Artist is changed, but the Album is not:

The song is not locked:

 

Maybe, this issue is related? It's easy to reproduce (for me).

 

[nlrobert 10]

I found that newly uploaded songs are locked by default. I checked a couple of songs from different albums and they all have this lock enabled.

I created a. new directory TestAlbum and uploaded just the song that we are testing in this topic: TestAlbum/01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac
It's is already locked.

2026-10-30 09:25:01.497 Debug App: Performing metadata refresh on item with locked metadata: Folder /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/TestAlbum: locked: True, locked fields:
2026-10-30 09:25:01.509 Debug App: Performing metadata refresh on item with locked metadata: Audio /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/TestAlbum/01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac: locked: True, locked fields:
2026-10-30 09:25:01.509 Debug App: Running FFProbeProvider for /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/TestAlbum/01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac
2026-10-30 09:25:01.509 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Execute: /var/packages/EmbyServer/target/bin/ffprobe -i file:"/volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/TestAlbum/01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac" -threads 0 -v info -print_format json -show_streams -show_format
2026-10-30 09:25:01.510 Debug MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Started.
2026-10-30 09:25:01.551 Info MediaProbeManager: ProcessRun 'ffprobe' Process exited with code 0
2026-10-30 09:25:01.552 Debug App: Running AudioImageProvider for /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/TestAlbum/01. Two Of Us - The Beatles.flac
2026-10-30 09:25:01.553 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /var/packages/EmbyServer/var/metadata/library/a9/a90134f6f015be4ab11e4f55a8e4479e/poster.jpg
2026-10-30 09:25:01.555 Info ProviderManager: RefreshItem Complete: 1470567 Folder /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles
2026-10-30 09:25:01.608 Debug App: Saving nfo metadata for Let It Be to /volume2/music/CD's/The Beatles/TestAlbum/album.nfo.
2026-10-30 09:25:01.609 Debug ProviderManager: Done processing refresh queue

 

Result: