Window Reference
Song Info dialog box
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Lets you inspect or change the RMF `meta-data' information for one or more selected Songs, including copyright notice and credits.


Topics:

About Song Info Fields
How to Fill In the Info Fields
Editing Song Info for Multiple Songs
About Default Settings
URL Links in Song Info Fields

About Song Info Fields

The Song Info dialog box contains 15 text fields that are included in RMF Files exported from the Song. Listeners can view most of this information in Web browsers while the RMF file is playing, using the Beatnik Player control panel. This is how you attach your copyright and license information to the RMF files you release onto the Web. Web page and Shockwave developers can also read the text fields with the Music Object getInfo() method.

Note: The following fields are primarily intended to help organize music libraries, and so do not appear in the Beatnik Player's control panel display: Genre, Sub-Genre, Tempo Description , and Original Source.

A few things to keep in mind about the Song Info fields:
  • RMF is a secure file format. Once your Song is exported to RMF, any attempt to tamper with these Info fields - such as your copyright notice or license term - will render the file unusable. This is a good thing.
  • RMF's security also means that if you lose your Session file, you won't be able to change your Song Info fields any more! If you care about being able to make future adjustments to your RMF files - either in the Song Info or in the audible content - be sure to retain the Beatnik Editor Session files you made them from.
  • Song Info entry fields can contain large amounts of text - up to 32,768 characters in each field. However, in the Beatnik Player for Web browsers, only about the first 50 characters will be visible (subject to the user's system font and point size settings). If you intend to use large amounts of Song Info text, you'll probably want to prepare the text in a separate text editor program, and then use the clipboard to copy and paste into the text entry fields in the Song Info dialog box. The fields are limited in size to discourage very large text blocks.
  • Another reason to avoid very long text is that every character of Song Info you use adds one byte to the size of your RMF file - so if you want to minimize the size of your RMF files, keep your Song Info entries brief.

How to Fill In the Info Fields

The following table lists the available fields and explains how to fill them in.

Field
Description
Example
Title Title of the Song Go Doe Go
Performed by Name of performer/group The Doe Boys
Composer(s) Name of composer Joe Doe
Copyright Copyright notice © 2000 Joe Doe
Publisher Contact How to reach the Song's publisher to learn more about licensing it www.DoeMusicCompany.com 1-800-555-1234
Use of License Uses for which the Song has been licensed For Doe Boys Website Promotion Only
License URL Web URL from which the RMF file is authorized to be served www.doeboys.com
License Term Duration of license 1 year
Expiration Date End of license term Dec 31, 2000
Genre The Song's musical style (general)
(not displayed in Beatnik Player)
House
Sub Genre The Song's musical style (specific)
(not displayed in Beatnik Player)
Dubno
Tempo Description Descriptive only; tempo BPM is set in the Song Settings dialog box.
(not displayed in Beatnik Player)
A lively waltz!
Original Source Where did the Song data come from?
(not displayed in Beatnik Player)
The Doe Boys
Index Number For music library management DoeLib volume 23, index 47
Composer Notes Miscellaneous notes about the Song. This file loops seamlessly.


Editing Song Info for Multiple Songs

If you entered the Song Info dialog box with more than one Song selected, the number of selected Songs will appear near the top of the dialog box, and the changes you make here will be applied to all of those Songs when you click the OK button. Any fields you don't change will retain their current contents.
Some fields will have different existing contents for different Songs - for example, the Title is likely to be different for each Song. These fields will be indicated with the message Multiple selection with unmatched values, and a ... button will appear to the right of the item:


To enter new information into such a field, replacing all selected Song's existing information for that field:
  1. Click the ... button.

A Select Value: dialog box will appear listing all the different values that the selected Songs contain for that field, and a text entry box in case you want to enter a completely different value.


  1. Select one of the entries from the list, or type your new field contents into the text entry box.
  2. Click the OK button.

The Select Value: dialog box will close, returning you to the Song Info dialog box with your field filled in.



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