Tag editor
Encyclopedia
A tag editor is a piece of software that supports editing metadata
of multimedia
file format
s, rather than the actual file content. These are mainly taggers for common audio tagging formats like ID3
, APE
, and Vorbis comment
s (for example Windows Media Player
and iTunes
), but can also be taggers for JPEG
, PDF and TIFF metadata, for example (iPhoto
).
A common purpose of tag editors is to correct and sort multimedia files, for example music collections. This often happens in a batch processing
mode so that one doesn't have to manually edit every file on its own.
or Winamp
, allow users to manually edit tag and song file information. They can edit many advanced fields, including composer, release year, etc. Most players can automatically look up CD information from Gracenote
— a database that contains track information for millions of CDs.
There are also many programs dedicated to the task of tag editing. These programs provide complex tag editing capabilities, such as batch editing, creating tags from filenames and vice versa, so they are useful when there's a need for editing a large number of files.
/ Discogs
/ freedb
/ Zortam Music Internet Database (ZMLIMD) or MusicBrainz
. If the already-existing tag information matches song information of a song from an online music database, then the tag information and information about the song (such as song name and album) can be changed according to that song information match.
. Depending upon the particular algorithm, acoustic fingerprints can be used to automatically categorize or identify an audio sample. Practical uses of acoustic fingerprinting include broadcast monitoring, identification of music and ads being played, peer-to-peer
network monitoring, sound effect library management, and video identification.
file matches one of a list of known items, one could use a conventional hash function such as MD5
, but this would be very sensitive to highly likely perturbations such as time-shifting, CD read errors, different compression algorithms or implementations or changes in volume. Using something like MD5 is useful as a first pass to find exactly-identical files, but another, more advanced algorithm is required to find all items that would nonetheless be interpreted as identical to a human listener.
s, including the standard players iTunes
and Windows Media Player
, provide tagging features – these are not listed separately here.
Metadata
The term metadata is an ambiguous term which is used for two fundamentally different concepts . Although the expression "data about data" is often used, it does not apply to both in the same way. Structural metadata, the design and specification of data structures, cannot be about data, because at...
of multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
file format
File format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
s, rather than the actual file content. These are mainly taggers for common audio tagging formats like ID3
ID3
ID3 is a metadata container most often used in conjunction with the MP3 audio file format. It allows information such as the title, artist, album, track number, and other information about the file to be stored in the file itself....
, APE
APEv2 tag
An APE tag is a tag used to add metadata, such as the title, artist, or track number, to digital audio files.- APEv1 :The APEv1 tag was designed for the Monkey's Audio format....
, and Vorbis comment
Vorbis comment
A Vorbis comment is a metadata container used in the Vorbis, FLAC, Theora and Speex file formats. It allows information such as the title, artist, album, track number or other information about the file to be added to the file itself. However, as the official Ogg Vorbis documentation notes:- Format...
s (for example Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
), but can also be taggers for JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
, PDF and TIFF metadata, for example (iPhoto
IPhoto
iPhoto is a digital photograph manipulation software application developed by Apple Inc. and released with every Macintosh personal computer as part of the iLife suite of digital life management applications...
).
A common purpose of tag editors is to correct and sort multimedia files, for example music collections. This often happens in a batch processing
Batch processing
Batch processing is execution of a series of programs on a computer without manual intervention.Batch jobs are set up so they can be run to completion without manual intervention, so all input data is preselected through scripts or command-line parameters...
mode so that one doesn't have to manually edit every file on its own.
Manual
Most media player programs, such as iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
or Winamp
Winamp
Winamp is a media player for Windows-based PCs and Android devices, written by Nullsoft, now a subsidiary of AOL. It is proprietary freeware/shareware, multi-format, extensible with plug-ins and skins, and is noted for its graphical sound visualization, playlist, and media library features.Winamp...
, allow users to manually edit tag and song file information. They can edit many advanced fields, including composer, release year, etc. Most players can automatically look up CD information from Gracenote
Gracenote
Gracenote, Inc., formerly called CDDB , is a company that maintains and licenses an Internet-accessible database containing information about the contents of audio compact discs and vinyl records. It provides software and metadata to businesses that enable their customers to manage and search...
— a database that contains track information for millions of CDs.
There are also many programs dedicated to the task of tag editing. These programs provide complex tag editing capabilities, such as batch editing, creating tags from filenames and vice versa, so they are useful when there's a need for editing a large number of files.
Comparing already-existing tag information to online music databases
One type of tag editor compares the already-existing information in a song file's tag to information from online music databases, such as GracenoteGracenote
Gracenote, Inc., formerly called CDDB , is a company that maintains and licenses an Internet-accessible database containing information about the contents of audio compact discs and vinyl records. It provides software and metadata to businesses that enable their customers to manage and search...
/ Discogs
Discogs
Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
/ freedb
Freedb
freedb is a database of compact disc track listings, where all the content is under the GNU General Public License. It was originally based on the now-proprietary CDDB . As of April 24, 2006, the database holds just under 2,000,000 CDs...
/ Zortam Music Internet Database (ZMLIMD) or MusicBrainz
MusicBrainz
MusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an open content music database. Similar to the freedb project, it was founded in response to the restrictions placed on the CDDB...
. If the already-existing tag information matches song information of a song from an online music database, then the tag information and information about the song (such as song name and album) can be changed according to that song information match.
Acoustic fingerprinting
An acoustic fingerprint is a unique code generated from an audio waveformWaveform
Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a physical medium or an abstract representation.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph...
. Depending upon the particular algorithm, acoustic fingerprints can be used to automatically categorize or identify an audio sample. Practical uses of acoustic fingerprinting include broadcast monitoring, identification of music and ads being played, peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
network monitoring, sound effect library management, and video identification.
Hash function
In hash function, for audio identification, such as finding out whether an MP3MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
file matches one of a list of known items, one could use a conventional hash function such as MD5
MD5
The MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm is a widely used cryptographic hash function that produces a 128-bit hash value. Specified in RFC 1321, MD5 has been employed in a wide variety of security applications, and is also commonly used to check data integrity...
, but this would be very sensitive to highly likely perturbations such as time-shifting, CD read errors, different compression algorithms or implementations or changes in volume. Using something like MD5 is useful as a first pass to find exactly-identical files, but another, more advanced algorithm is required to find all items that would nonetheless be interpreted as identical to a human listener.
List of tag editors
There are a great many tag editors. Significant ones are mentioned here. Also, many media playerMedia player
Media player is a term typically used to describe computer software for playing back multimedia files. While many media players can play both audio and video, others focus only on one media type or the other...
s, including the standard players iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
, provide tagging features – these are not listed separately here.
Batch audio and video taggers
- EasyTAGEasyTAGEasyTag is a graphical tag editor for GNU/Linux and Windows, distributed under the GNU General Public License. It is written in C and relies on GTK+ and for graphics and ID3 tag handling respectively...
, a free softwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
package for Linux and Windows written in C. Supports many formats and standards as well as embedded album art. - JaikozJaikozJaikoz is a Java program used for editing and mass tagging music file tags. Jaikoz generates acoustic fingerprints of your files and looks up the PUID and the existing metadata from the MusicBrainz or Discogs service...
, a commercial package, available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X written in JavaJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
that uses the MusicBrainzMusicBrainzMusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an open content music database. Similar to the freedb project, it was founded in response to the restrictions placed on the CDDB...
database for auto-tagging. Supports embedded album art and auto-lyrics - Media Catalog StudioMedia Catalog StudioMedia Catalog Studio is a program that can manage catalogs of all multimedia files in collection. Originally inspired by maniactools, it is shareware software, designed to work well under the Windows.-Features:...
- Mp3tagMp3tagMp3tag is a freeware metadata editor for many audio file formats. It runs on Microsoft Windows.It includes support for the following audio formats: AAC, FLAC, APE, MP3, MPEG-4 , MPC, OGG, OptimFROG OFR, OFS, SPX, TAK, TTA, WMA, WV-Features:*Batch Tag Editing...
, a widely used Windows freeware package supporting an array of formats and standards. Supports embedded album art.
Audio-only
- MusicBrainz PicardMusicBrainz PicardMusicBrainz Picard is a cross-platform MusicBrainz tag editor written in Python. Picard replaced an earlier "Classic" tagger is intended to be the next generation of tagger for MusicBrainz, with a focus on album-oriented tagging and cross platform compatibility.Since version 0.7.0, MusicBrainz...
and iEatBrainzIEatBrainziEatBrainz is a Mac OS X MusicBrainz client, written by Jay Tuley. It performs acoustic fingerprint matching in conjunction with the MusicBrainz database. Designed to work with iTunes, it can fingerprint MP3, AAC files, or any other format playable with QuickTime, and passes metadata information to...
– use MusicBrainzMusicBrainzMusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an open content music database. Similar to the freedb project, it was founded in response to the restrictions placed on the CDDB...
database and fingerprinting