iTunes (12.8.3.1) on High Sierra changes modification date when song is played

[kowalsky]

Hi everyone!

I'm kind of iTunes nerd and I'm not sure what is happening right now.
I'm on High Sierra (10.13.6) and iTunes 12.8.3.1 on my 2017 iMac 27".
When I play a song on iTunes, the modification date automatically changes to the current time, like if the simple fact of playing a song modifies some of the MP3 or ALAC file tags or info.

That wasn't happening before today and bothers me so much. In terms of doing backups or organising my iTunes Library this "feature" or bug is a mess.

Just to be sure, I made a new Library by pressing ALT at the same time i boot iTunes and the same happens with the new library.

Any thoughts? Anyone can help me? Anyone has noticed the same behaviour?

Cheers,
Guillermo

 

[kowalsky]

After many trial and error I just found that this issue (iTunes changing file modification date when playing songs) only happens to ALAC files. Not MP3s.

Also, it happens in my work computer, which is a 2020 iMac with Catalina installed (instead of High Sierra, my MacOS at home) and the app Music, not iTunes.

And I think it has to do something with artwork. Files that I download from Bandcamp in FLAC format and convert to ALAC using XLD doesn't change the modification date when played IF they have no artwork embeded.

My routine when downloading music is download FLAC files, convert them to ALAC with XLD (16-bit, 44.100 Hz) and then embed a 1200x1200 artwork with xACT.

I haven't found this problem until now, but I've been downloading and listening ALAC files for years.

I hope someone could help me please, because changing the date of the file when I play any song is a mess.

Thanks a lot.

 

[bogdanw]

If I remember correctly, Apple added to Catalina an AMPArtworkAgent that is responsible for updating artwork.
You can try to stop it and see if the problem persists.

 

[kowalsky]

Hi bogdanw.

I'm not sure if the issue has something to do with Catalina, because I have the same problems with the 3 computers that I've tried today:
My 2017 iMac (at home) with High Sierra and iTunes.
My 2019 MacbookPro (at home) with Catalina and Music app
My 2020 iMac (at work) with Catalina and Music app

I've been doing a lot of trial and error and I guess the problem is the xACT app that I use to embed artwork into the ALACs. Everything runs normal, as expected if I levave xACT out of the equation. When I use xACT to embed a JPG into the ALAC files is when things start to mess up.

The worst part is, once a file is modified with xACT for embeding the artwork, it's never fixed. Even deleting the artwork via iTunes and re-importing another artwork. The file is broken forever (at least, from what I already know at the moment). Everytime you play this file, it gets modified just by playing it.

I'm thinking that if I isolate the albums with bugs, I can convert them AGAIN into ALAC via iTunes without losing any audio quality, as we are talking about lossless format. That's what I plan to do in a few days if there's no solution.

Thanks!

 

[kowalsky]

At the end the solution was really easy.
I just had to select all the ALAC songs that eveytime were played changed its modification date, get info (Command + i) and check the box "album is a compilation of songs by various artists", and then ENTER.
Then, every album was moved to the "Compilations" folder.

Then, again, select all those ALACs, get info (Command + i) and uncheck the box "album is a compilation of songs by various artists". All these albums will now return to their original folder and now, playing any of this ALAC songs wont change the "modification date" to the exact moment of playing.

I write down here the solution I've just found just in case some other user experience the same issue.

Cheers