Weird sorting issue with Japanese tagging, the artist sort tag, and m4a files.

[zayuim]

I have this really weird issue with m4a files with a Japanese Artist title e.g ' 永田権太 ' and a Artist Sort Title like ' Nagata, Kenta '. The m4a files that have been tagged from the MusicBrainz Database like this the way mentioned before, Will not obey the Artist Sort Order and will split the album. ogg files will be sorted under ' Nagata, Kenta ' while the m4a files will be under ' 永田権太 '. The album and artist name is the same across all files and would normally sort together. The only way to fix this is to change the Artist Sort name to ' 永田権太 '.

1. uname -a:

Linux users-desktop 4.4.0-66-generic #87-Ubuntu SMP Fri Mar 3 15:29:05 UTC 2017 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

2. cmus --version:

cmus v2.7.1
Copyright 2004-2006 Timo Hirvonen
Copyright 2008-2013 Various Authors

3. cmus --plugins:

Input Plugins: /usr/lib/cmus/ip
  mad:
    Priority: 55
    File Types: mp3 mp2
    MIME Types: audio/mpeg audio/x-mp3 audio/x-mpeg
  cdio:
    Priority: 50
    File Types:
    MIME Types: x-content/audio-cdda
  aac:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: aac
    MIME Types: audio/aac audio/aacp
  mpc:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: mpc mpp mp+
    MIME Types: audio/x-musepack
  cue:
    Priority: 50
    File Types:
    MIME Types: application/x-cue
  wavpack:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: wv
    MIME Types: audio/x-wavpack
  wav:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: wav
    MIME Types:
  opus:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: opus
    MIME Types:
  flac:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: flac fla
    MIME Types:
  vorbis:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: ogg oga ogx
    MIME Types: application/ogg audio/x-ogg
  modplug:
    Priority: 50
    File Types: mod s3m xm it 669 amf ams dbm dmf dsm far mdl med mtm okt ptm stm ult umx mt2 psm
    MIME Types:
  ffmpeg:
    Priority: 30
    File Types: ac3 aif aifc aiff ape au mka shn tta wma aac fla flac m4a m4b mp+ mp2 mp3 mp4 mpc mpp ogg wav wv
    MIME Types:

Output Plugins: /usr/lib/cmus/op
  pulse
  alsa
  jack
  ao

[flyingmutant]

Please post the output of mutagen-inspect for the files in question.

[zayuim]

M4A Output
-- /media/user/Personal Files/My Music Collection/Soundtracks/Mario Kart 64/09 Koopa Castle.m4a

• MPEG-4 audio (AAC LC), 164.26 seconds, 125588 bps (audio/mp4)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:ARTISTS=MP4FreeForm('\xe6\xb0\xb8\xe7\x94\xb0\xe6\xa8\xa9\xe5\xa4\xaa', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:Acoustid Id=MP4FreeForm('2e8417c7-20e4-4e71-bd03-698ef94b4002', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:CATALOGNUMBER=MP4FreeForm('2100-Fall97', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:LABEL=MP4FreeForm('Nintendo of America', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MEDIA=MP4FreeForm('CD', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Album Artist Id=MP4FreeForm('24aa7340-bc54-424b-a6d2-92cc1cfcbcd2', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Album Id=MP4FreeForm('3b4cc3d9-fab8-40eb-96b6-2263439f76fe', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Album Release Country=MP4FreeForm('US', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Album Status=MP4FreeForm('official', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Album Type=MP4FreeForm('album', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Album Type=MP4FreeForm('soundtrack', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Artist Id=MP4FreeForm('24aa7340-bc54-424b-a6d2-92cc1cfcbcd2', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Release Group Id=MP4FreeForm('b55ef6cd-cee9-3094-8456-22c887701ef8', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Release Track Id=MP4FreeForm('0419281d-c16c-3cf0-be4f-3c524361b3d3', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:MusicBrainz Track Id=MP4FreeForm('36b0f10a-5d72-4909-8919-2721abb2201a', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  ----:com.apple.iTunes:SCRIPT=MP4FreeForm('Latn', <AtomDataType.UTF8: 1>)
  aART=永田権太
  disk=(1, 1)
  soaa=Nagata, Kenta
  soar=Nagata, Kenta
  trkn=(9, 29)
  ©ART=永田権太
  ©alb=Mario Kart 64 Race Tracks
  ©day=1997-04-01
  ©nam=Koopa Castle
  ©too=Lavf56.40.101

OGG VORBIS Output
-- /media/user/Personal Files/My Music Collection/Soundtracks/Mario Kart 64/08 Choco Mountain _ Battle Arenas.ogg

• Ogg Vorbis, 207.26 seconds, 128000 bps (audio/vorbis)
  language=eng
  encoder=Lavf56.40.101
  TITLE=Choco Mountain / Battle Arenas
  RELEASECOUNTRY=US
  TOTALDISCS=1
  LABEL=Nintendo of America
  TOTALTRACKS=29
  MUSICBRAINZ_ALBUMARTISTID=24aa7340-bc54-424b-a6d2-92cc1cfcbcd2
  DATE=1997-04-01
  DISCNUMBER=1
  TRACKTOTAL=29
  MUSICBRAINZ_RELEASETRACKID=cdf19fd9-c727-38dd-9a15-f965d577dc1e
  ALBUMARTISTSORT=Nagata, Kenta
  ORIGINALDATE=1997-03-01
  SCRIPT=Latn
  MUSICBRAINZ_ALBUMID=3b4cc3d9-fab8-40eb-96b6-2263439f76fe
  RELEASESTATUS=official
  ALBUMARTIST=永田権太
  ACOUSTID_ID=9c2bf3fc-2580-445d-a32c-0d7230d09ed4
  CATALOGNUMBER=2100-Fall97
  ALBUM=Mario Kart 64 Race Tracks
  MUSICBRAINZ_ARTISTID=24aa7340-bc54-424b-a6d2-92cc1cfcbcd2
  MEDIA=CD
  RELEASETYPE=album
  RELEASETYPE=soundtrack
  ORIGINALYEAR=1997
  ARTIST=永田権太
  DISCTOTAL=1
  MUSICBRAINZ_RELEASEGROUPID=b55ef6cd-cee9-3094-8456-22c887701ef8
  MUSICBRAINZ_TRACKID=cf1789cd-eb32-4efd-b2c3-bb0f84b8feea
  ARTISTSORT=Nagata, Kenta
  ARTISTS=永田権太
  TRACKNUMBER=8

Keep in mind it's only happening to the M4A files and changing the Artist Sort to the same name as the Artist, fixes it.

[zayuim]

OK a sort-of Update. This doesn't just happen with Japanese names, It happens to all .m4a files, Basically if you have an album with a mix of formats (e.g. m4a, ogg, opus etc.). Cmus appears to ignore the 'Artist Sort' entirely for m4a files, therefore splitting the album.