Proposal: More MusicProperties properties

Proposal: More MusicProperties properties

Summary

Having access to more music data properties from an audio file.
This includes getting and setting values to those properties.

Rationale

• The current list is very minimal.
• Other properties that you can't access are: Audio Channels, AudioSampleRate, Total track count, Disc number, Total disc numers, BPM, etc...
• Currently you'll need third party libraries to access all properties of MusicProperties. Even Windows explorer can show the data, but StorageFile cannot.

Scope

Capability	Priority
Setting and Getting more MusicProperties for Mediaplayer inspired WinUI 3 apps	Must

Important Notes

MusicProperties data = await file.Properties.GetMusicPropertiesAsync();
uint bpm = data.BeatPerMinute;
uint discNumber = data.DiscNumber;
int channels = data.AudioChannels;
int audioSampleRate= data.AudioSampleRate;
data.TotalDiscs = 4;

Open Questions

Why? Because the current list is unfinished and can get a lot bigger. Windows explorer is able to show all of the details of the audio file. So should StorageFile.
Developers that need those properties for their mediaplayer app would love more properties and control.

This can even be for when you want to create an audio file from WinUI 3. Having the option to set all the correct properties.

[castorix]

Currently you'll need third party libraries to access all properties of MusicProperties. Even Windows explorer can show the data, but StorageFile cannot.

Like Explorer, you can use the Shell and Property System (for example Music) (also Media Foundation)

@castorix Not everyone can work with the Shell or the Property System.
While yes you can use the RetrievePropertiesAsync method, for entry level developers this already could be a bit to advanced.
Even for me I have no idea how to incorperate the shell properties.

While you can use workarounds, when a class shows available properties, it should show the available properties and not a few.

While you talk about the Shell I am interested in how you can access them.

[castorix]

While you talk about the Shell I am interested in how you can access them.

A simple way to enumerate them is with COM reference "Microsoft Shell Controls And Automation" (using Shell32;) (with Shell, Folder, FolderItem... many samples on Google or with ChatGPT)

To access metadata individually, it is better to use IPropertyStore.
A test on a .mp3 :

string sFileName = "E:\\01. IMANY - Don't Be so Shy (Filatov & Karas Remix).mp3";
IPropertyStore? pPropertyStore = null;            
HRESULT hr = SHGetPropertyStoreFromParsingName(sFileName, IntPtr.Zero, GETPROPERTYSTOREFLAGS.GPS_READWRITE, typeof(IPropertyStore).GUID, out pPropertyStore);
if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
{
    var pv = new PROPVARIANT();   
    hr = pPropertyStore.GetValue(PKEY_Audio_SampleRate, out pv);
    if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
    {
        uint nSampleRate = pv.uintVal;
        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("Audio Sample Rate : " + nSampleRate.ToString());
    }
    hr = pPropertyStore.GetValue(PKEY_Music_AlbumArtist, out pv);
    if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
    {
        string? sAlbumArtist = Marshal.PtrToStringUni(pv.pwszVal);
        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("Album Artist : " + sAlbumArtist);
    }
    SafeRelease(ref pPropertyStore);
}

With declarations :

        [DllImport("Shell32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
        public static extern HRESULT SHGetPropertyStoreFromParsingName(string pszPath, IntPtr pbc, GETPROPERTYSTOREFLAGS flags,
            [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)] Guid iid, [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Interface)] out IPropertyStore propertyStore);

        public enum GETPROPERTYSTOREFLAGS
        {
            GPS_DEFAULT = 0,
            GPS_HANDLERPROPERTIESONLY = 0x1,
            GPS_READWRITE = 0x2,
            GPS_TEMPORARY = 0x4,
            GPS_FASTPROPERTIESONLY = 0x8,
            GPS_OPENSLOWITEM = 0x10,
            GPS_DELAYCREATION = 0x20,
            GPS_BESTEFFORT = 0x40,
            GPS_NO_OPLOCK = 0x80,
            GPS_PREFERQUERYPROPERTIES = 0x100,
            GPS_EXTRINSICPROPERTIES = 0x200,
            GPS_EXTRINSICPROPERTIESONLY = 0x400,
            GPS_VOLATILEPROPERTIES = 0x800,
            GPS_VOLATILEPROPERTIESONLY = 0x1000,
            GPS_MASK_VALID = 0x1FFF
        }

        [ComImport, Guid("886D8EEB-8CF2-4446-8D02-CDBA1DBDCF99"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
        public interface IPropertyStore
        {
            HRESULT GetCount([Out] out uint propertyCount);
            HRESULT GetAt([In] uint propertyIndex, [Out, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Struct)] out PROPERTYKEY key);
            HRESULT GetValue([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Struct)] ref PROPERTYKEY key, [Out, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Struct)] out PROPVARIANT pv);
            HRESULT SetValue([In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Struct)] ref PROPERTYKEY key, [In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Struct)] ref PROPVARIANT pv);
            HRESULT Commit();
        }
        
     // Add others from : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/medfound/metadata-properties-for-media-files
     public static readonly PROPERTYKEY PKEY_Music_AlbumArtist = new PROPERTYKEY(new Guid("56A3372E-CE9C-11D2-9F0E-006097C686F6"), 13);
     public static readonly PROPERTYKEY PKEY_Author = new PROPERTYKEY(new Guid("F29F85E0-4FF9-1068-AB91-08002B27B3D9"), 4);
     public static readonly PROPERTYKEY PKEY_Audio_Format = new PROPERTYKEY(new Guid("64440490-4C8B-11D1-8B70-080036B11A03"), 2);
     public static readonly PROPERTYKEY PKEY_Audio_SampleRate = new PROPERTYKEY(new Guid("64440490-4C8B-11D1-8B70-080036B11A03"), 5);        
     public static readonly PROPERTYKEY PKEY_Music_BeatsPerMinute = new PROPERTYKEY(new Guid("56A3372E-CE9C-11D2-9F0E-006097C686F6"), 35);

// Other declarations from GlobalStructures.cs
that I use in many samples...