Incorrect and/or missing album information crops up from time to time. More obscure albums, imports and bootlegs can be difficult for Windows Media Player to recognize. It recognizes Britney Spears' CDs every time.
There is a trick to search for the album information if Windows Media Player incorrectly identifies it. I also have a few tips if the unthinkable happens: You need to type in the CD information manually.
Windows Media Player uses a different source for CD info than most ripping programs. Nearly all other ripping programs use either freedb or cddb. Windows Media Player uses All Music Guide (AMG).
Much like Wikipedia, freedb allows anyone to submit album info. You'll find more obscure and unauthorized CDs freedb for this reason. You'll also find more duplicates, inaccuracies and inconsistent naming styles.
With All Music Guide, the CD info typically comes directly from the record companies. The info is reviewed by AMG staff and entered into the database. This reduces inaccuracies, ensures the consistency and completeness and eliminates duplicates. However, this is a labor intensive process and the CD must be commercially available for AMG to include it. CDs on the fringes of mainstream music are easier for All Music Guide overlook.
If missing CD info becomes a serious problem for you, it might be worth seeing if you have better results with MediaMonkey (freedb and Amazon) or iTunes (cddb and iTunes Store).
Tips on Editing CD Info in Windows Media Player
Tip #1: Look for Disc by Name
You can search by artist or CD name when your disc isn't properly identified by Windows Media Player. In the "Rip" tab, right-click a track and select "Find Album Info" from the menu. A window will pop up where you can search your CD.
Tip #2: Edit Song Titles
When you just can't find that album info, it's time to enter it yourself. These remaining tips show you how to do it efficiently, starting with the song titles. So break out your disc case and get your fingers ready for typing!
In the Rip tab of Windows Media Player, you'll see all list of the tracks on the CD. The names are incorrect. One-by-one, click on a track and then click on it again to correct the title of the track.
Tip #3: Edit Artist Name
Hold down the Ctrl key and press A. This selects all the tracks on the disc. Now right click in the "Album Artist" column of any track and select "Edit." Type in the band name and press Enter. All of your tracks are now using the new name.
Tip #4: Edit Album Name
Editing the name of your CD works almost identically to editing the Artist (tip #3). The problem: The Album Name column is hidden by default.
Just above the list of tracks, on the far right, there's a button that toggles from "Expanded Tile" and "Details." In Details mode, the Album Name column shows itself.
Now hit Ctrl and A, right-click the Album Name field and select Edit. Type the name of the CD and press Enter.
Windows Media Player is a good, general purpose CD ripper. However, subtler issues like this often cannot be overcome in the program. Luckily, when you're ready, there are plenty of free, more specialized ripping programs waiting for you.