This version contains fixes found during testing of beta 1 and 2 as well as some improvements.
Changes in this version:
Extended content in the Biography pane. Artist picture and details are shown (if available)
More years available from the playing trends
Improved compatibility for rating tag-frames for Vorbis tags (Ogg Vorbis and FLAC)
Various improvements for artist editing tool
Improved formatting in plug-ins
Various fixes for issues found in prior beta versions
Working with the beta version
Please note that this version is a beta, meaning that all tools and features are not 100% tested. Any databases that are opened with Helium 15 will be usable in Helium 14 since they will not be upgraded.
The first beta version of Helium 15 is now available for testing.
Major changes in this release
Changed MySql/MariaDb database providers for better performance and stability. This is a major change which affects everything that relates to MySql/MariaDb in Helium.
New API framework for the Helium Remote apps with better stability and performance
Re-rip: A tool which helps you to re-rip your CDs (note that this tool is still under active development)
The Helium Remote apps for iOS and Android are rewritten to use an improved realtime update system to be much more responsive
Updates to various user-interface components
Possibility to import iTunes libraries
Multiple new methods and properties available for scripts
Multiple new fields available in Action manager commands
Possibility to analyse and view properties for the active file in the Advanced Tag Editor
Possibility to use external tools for the active file in the Advanced Tag Editor
Possibility to disable rich-text editing in biography and lyrics fields
Setting to ignore default grouping of multiple CD albums
Setting which allows reading of TPE2 ID3v2 fields for album artist (external compatibility)
Support for more fields in download plugins
Working with the beta version
Please note that this version is a beta, meaning that all tools and features are not 100% tested.
These beta versions will install into a specific folder so that you can have both Helium 14 and 15 installed at the same time.
Any databases that are opened with Helium 15 will be usable in Helium 14 since they will not be upgraded.
Microsoft SmartScreen
If a blue window appears when you start the installer titled “Windows Protected Your Computer”, Windows Defender has prevented the installer from running automatically.
The reason for this is that we had to create a new signing certificate for Helium 15 which Windows Defender has not registered yet.
To resolve this, click “More info” and then “Run anyway”
Mobile apps
Our current mobile apps, Helium Remote and Helium Streamer will not work with this release of Helium 15 and the new Streamer version.
When Helium 15 is released officially, we will release the new apps, but since Apple and Google only allows one active app version at the same time in their stores, we cannot release them now.
The new apps uses updated so called APIs to communicate with Helium and the Streamer. These new APIs are not compatible with the APIs in Helium 14 and the current version of the Streamer.
If you plan to use Helium 14 and the current version of the Streamer for a while, please make sure that you do not update the mobile apps.
Please backup your database and settings before installing this version.
We have made many improvements to Helium Streamer as well. Below are the most significant news:
Changed MySql/MariaDb database providers for better performance and stability. This is a major change which affects everything that relates to MySql/MariaDb in Helium.
New API framework for the Helium Streamer app with better stability and performance
The Helium Streamer apps for iOS comes with improved streaming as well as full support for background audio
Please note that Helium Streamer 15 will install on top of any previous Helium Streamer release. This is because Helium Streamer is a background service and there can only be one instance running at any specific time.
Helium 14.9 is now officially available and comes with the following major changes:
Support for month/day in year fields in the Tag editor
Support for month/day in year fields in download plug-ins
Support for month/day in year fields in scripting
Mood quick tagging – manage “working moods” and quickly set one or more moods for the playing tracks.
Updated database drivers for MySql/SQLite
Improved mapping for AAC tag fields for compatibility
Sorting fields available in download plug-ins
Possibility to select to use the native system file dialogs
Various bugfixes
Please note that this release of Helium will not upgrade your database although we still recommend you to create a backup of your database before installing this version.
This release comes with some new features that did not make it to the last Helium 14.8 update.
Support for month and day in year fields in the Tag editor
When using the quick editing of a year field, only year will be edited just as before for quick editing of year values. To the right of each year field, there is a button which will allow you to edit the full date. When using Apply commands, month and day will of course be applied as well.
Year fields refers to release year, recording year and original year.
Support for month and day in download plug-ins
The plug-in API now allows setting of month and day in year type fields.
Scripting support for month and day for year fields
The scripting engine allows setting of month and day values for year fields.
This release also comes with updated database drivers for SQLite and MySql as well as some minor bug-fixes.
BPM fields supports decimals by default, both for tags and in the database.
The CD Ripper now downloads release and track information again. Since freedb discontinued their service earlier this year we have been working on getting a good replacement in place.
Support for long-paths which will allow you to have filenames longer than 260 characters. Please note that this feature needs to be activated in Windows 10. Click here for more information.
Switch custom fields using templates in the Tag editor.
Play, enqueue next and enqueue last available from Music Explorer context menus
It is now possible to delete pictures in AIFF files with the tag editors.
Possibility to extract featured artist in the Tag editor.
Possibility to auto calculate BPM in the Advanced Tag Editor.
Support for playing files from Windows Explorer when Helium is running.
Space will toggle play/pause in the main window (when no other control is focused).
Various improvements to filtering in the track lists.
Improvements to multiple CD handling when adding albums with multiple CDs to the library.
Play queue will be auto-populated when auto enqueue is activated.
Formatting is kept when downloading lyrics.
When a template is edited in the Advanced Tag Editor, data is not cleared.
Improved tag reading compatibility.
For more details about the changes, please see the following articles:
Please note that this release of Helium will upgrade your database why we therefore recommend you to create a backup of your current database before installing this version.
Along with this release of Helium we also release an update of Helium Streamer. As Helium and Helium Streamer share much of the code – such as the tag editor and add to database features – Helium Streamer also benefits from the improvements made to Helium.
Other important news in Helium Streamer 4.1.1
Corrections to transcoding. There were sometimes problems with transcoding flac and other formats for replaying in Helium Streamer for iPhone and Android. These problems are corrected in this release.
Welcome to beta 2 for Helium 14.8. This beta contains corrections and improvements found and reported in beta 1.
Some major changes are listed below:
The CD Ripper now downloads release and track information again. Since freedb discontinued their service earlier this year we have been working on getting a good replacement in place. We are happy to say that this beta release contains a first version of this. Disc information is now downloaded from the MusicBrainz database which have lots of information available. We hope that this new plug-in will work well for the vast majority of users. Please let us know if there are any issues or something that we can improve on.
Improvements to multiple CD handling when adding albums with multiple CDs to the library.
Corrected issues with creating new databases.
Improved refresh handling in multiple views when downloading pictures.
Component upgrades.
Working with the beta version
Please note that this version is not 100% tested yet, if you find anything that does not seems to work as it should, please let us know.
If you submit an issue, please be sure to include as much reproduction information as possible so that we can assist you as quickly as possible.
This version does WILL perform database upgrades, meaning that it will NOT work with the current official version of Helium 14 and Helium Streamer 4.
We recommend you to take a backup of your database before working with this version.
Since Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft, we no longer test Helium on Windows 7. It may work but we cannot guarantee that it is 100% stable.
Welcome to a new Helium 14 version with many new features and improvements.
Some major changes are listed below:
It is now possible to delete pictures in AIFF files with the tag editors.
When a template is edited in the Advanced Tag Editor, data is not cleared.
Various improvements to filtering in the track lists.
Support for long-paths which will allow you to have filenames longer than 260 characters. Please note that this feature needs to be activated in Windows 10. Click here for more information.
BPM fields supports decimals by default, both for tags and in the database.
Support for month/day in year fields.
Switch custom fields using templates in the Tag editor.
Space will toggle play/pause in the main window (when no other control is focused).
Support for playing files from Windows Explorer when Helium is running.
Possibility to extract featured artist in the Tag editor.
Corrected invoking of actions from artist and album hover buttons.
Formatting is kept when downloading lyrics.
Possibility to auto calculate BPM in the Advanced Tag Editor.
Play queue will be auto-populated when auto enqueue is activated.
Play, enqueue next and enqueue last available from Music Explorer context menus
Improved tag reading compatibility.
Working with the beta version
Please note that this version is not 100% tested yet, if you find anything that does not seems to work as it should, please let us know.
If you submit an issue, please be sure to include as much reproduction information as possible so that we can assist you as quickly as possible.
This version does WILL perform database upgrades, meaning that it WILL NOT work with the current official version of Helium 14 and Streamer 4.
We recommend you to take a backup of your database before working with this version.
Since Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft, we no longer test Helium on Windows 7. It may work but we cannot guarantee that it is 100% stable.
Helium 14.7.1 collects the corrections from Helium 14.7 hotfix 1 and Helium 14.7 hotfix 2 plus some new minor stability fixes and improvements into this new version.
Imploded Software blog 