MP3 has become the most common audio format for playback, storage and transfer of music. If we need to playback MP3 files with their tag information shown correctly, or to organize a large collection of MP3 files based on their tag information, a good MP3 tag editor will be helpful.
In this category, both standalone and built-in MP3 tag editors are reviewed based on three basic needs which include:
Support basic tags, embedded cover arts and lyrics.
Rename files using tag information, and edit tags using file names.
Lookup online databases and save tags into MP3 files.
Standalone Tag Editors
TagScanner is my favorite. It supports basic tags such as artist, album, title, track, year and genre, and extended tags including composer, grouping, BPM (beats per minute), etc. Lyrics are shown below the album cover.
Files can be renamed with Music Renamer and tags can be generated from file names.
TagScanner with its Tag Processor allows you to preview tags and cover arts from online databases before saving them into MP3 files.
However, it does not come with a normal windows menu. You may need to spend some time to get yourself familiarized with its user interface.
Mp3tag is a good choice if you prefer to have a user interface with a normal windows menu. Mp3tag has the advantage of a simple and clean design with a powerful and yet easy-to-use tool to edit tags of MP3 files.
Basic tags are shown in a customizable front panel. Extended tags are shown in a separate window for all existing tags stored in your MP3 files. If a tag for lyrics or other info does not exist, it can be added, or if a tag is repeated, it can be removed easily.
Mp3tag allows you to rename files based on the tag information, import or export tag information and create playlists. It supports online Amazon, freedb, MusicBrainz and other database look-ups, allowing you to auto tag and embed multiple images for album covers.
It also has a powerful Web Sources Framework, allowing you to get album info from additional online databases. The latest web sources are available from Mp3tag Forums at Web Sources Archive. You can download the ones you need, and extract them to your Mp3tag data folder in order to gain access to more online databases for auto tagging.
Kid3 (standing for KDE ID3) audio tag editor runs on multi platforms and supports editing all tags in MP3 files. You can generate tags from file names or vice versa, and import tags from online databases including gnudb.org, TrackType.org, Discogs and MusicBrainz.
The application allows for dragging and dropping a cover art to a file and helps searching album arts and lyrics via a browser from online resources as well. Other features include convert between ID3v1.1, ID3v2.3 and ID3v2.4 tags, edit tags of multiple files, generate playlist files, rename and create directories from tags, case conversion and export tags.
Despite all the features, it lacks a column view available to other editors for glancing at the same tag fields but of different values in multiple files. Due to this, you can only see 'un-equal' signs in tags for different values when multiple files are selected.
MusicBrainz Picard runs on multi platforms and adopts a new tagging concept that is album oriented, as opposed to tracks or files oriented tagging.
It identifies track information by comparing a unique digital thumbprint to the information in the MusicBrainz database. Once the tracks are best matched, you can save their respective tag information into selected MP3 files. How To Tag Files With Picard is a helpful guide for a quick start.
As with Mp3tag, checking the details of a selected file evokes a list of all existing tags, including lyrics, which you can then edit. If a tag doesn't currently exist, you can always add it.
But in the version under review, cover art edits aren't possible except by updating from online databases.
MetatOGGer introduces workspaces to make tagging more user-friendly. The workspaces can be configured, saved and re-loaded.
The program features a collapsible left panel for viewing or editing tags and cover art of a selected file. Another collapsible panel is placed to the right to search for cover arts or retrieve tags from the Database.
Other than tagging from scripts and filenames, tagging from the acoustic fingerprint is supported and found to be quite accurate. Lyrics can be optionally added to the tag if retrieved from Wikia.com successfully.
On the downside, the editor only supports for one cover art per file and its searching tags from the Database is found not quite stable.
MPTagThat is a relatively new OpenSource MP3 tag editor. In addition to tag editing, the program also includes extra functions such as audio playback, ripping, converting and burning music files.
As regards tagging, it allows auto tag from file names or the Internet as well as identifying files. Another very useful feature is auto tagging of lyrics and album art from the Internet, even though retrieving cover art takes a while.
Other features of the program include organizing or renaming files based on tag information, case conversion, removing tags, execute scripts, etc.
The program is still under active development and has the potential to improve in quality. Don't be surprised if you encounter some handling errors in the current version under review.
Unlike the above, The GodFather is a tag editor with a built-in library to organise MP3 files based on tag info. The program will scan your MP3 folders and automatically suggest the files to rename.
Under its library tab, it allows you to edit and show up to 4 pictures per album stored in MP3 files. Moreover, the "Search lyrics using Google" function gets you the results in a Google search page or the web page showing lyrics of the selected file. This expedites the search for lyrics but you need to copy and save them to the tag manually, not so efficient as MPTagThat.
In addition to manual editing of tags, it provides auto tagging via online databases such as freedb, Allmusic and Amazon. However, All Music Guide is disabled due to possible terms of service violation, and the built-in Amazon search seems to retrieve tag info less successfully than other selected tag editors. Another drawback is that this program has no Unicode support.
Built-in Tag Editors
MusicBee is a music player and organizer with a built-in tagger which is as good as a standalone tag editor.
It allows you to auto tag by albums or tracks, look up album arts, lyrics and other tag info from the web, save tags and embed lyrics and multiple images into the music files in your collection. The tedious tagging work is made so much easier and more intuitive now with this program.
As an alternative, MediaMonkey Standard is also a music player with a built-in tag editor meeting the basic needs. It allows editing basic and detailed tag information, auto tags from filenames, move or rename files based on track tags.
It also supports editing lyrics and multiple images with types and descriptions for album art, and allows fixing of tags in your selected MP3 files with automatic lookup and tagging of album art and other track information from Amazon online database.
AudioShell is not a standard alone application but a Windows Explorer shell extension. Unlike all the above applications, it allows you to view and edit tag information directly in Windows Explorer.
After installing AudioShell, you do not need to run it again. It adds 27 optional additional columns to show tags in Explorer "Details" view.
Editing basic tags and the cover art of an MP3 file is allowed at Editor tab of Properties windows, and editing lyrics is allowed at Summary tab in Advanced mode. Group editing is possible by selecting multiple files.
AudioShell does not offer connection to online databases, but it is a good program to accompany any one of the above applications.
Other Tag Editors
These are other MP3 tag editors which were brought up in comments here or noted from other sources. As they are not rated in this review, I am listing them here with brief descriptions and links to their sites for ease of reference.
Mp3nity, a tag editor with a built-in player supports for editing various tag fields including lyrics and pictures, mass tag editing, renaming, etc. Finding album art and lyrics online and other advanced features are restricted to the paid premium version. Tags in unicode encountered errors when tested.
MP3 Book Helper allows file renaming and tags editing by variables or regular expressions. Pictures and lyrics are to be viewed on separate windows with a search linked to Allmusic or Google on a browser. A lyrics search directs you to a Google search page related to the selected file, but a search on freedb database for tag info gets fewer matches than other short listed tag editors.
ID3-TagIT supports quite a number of tag info, including lyrics and multiple pictures for album arts. It also supports freedb database but experiences a low rate of getting a successful match and occasionally subjects to 'unhandled exception' errors. Lyrics are shown without line breaks for some MP3 files.
EasyTag is a cross-platform tag editor for ID3 tags of different audio files, using a GTK+ interface. No support for Lyrics tag is noted.
Mp3 Tag Tools is a small program allowing you to edit basic tags and lyrics, embed multiple images of album arts into MP3 files, but with regret, it does not support fixing of tags from online databases, one of the basic needs in this review.
Jaangle (formerly Teen Spirit) is a music player and organizer with a built-in tagger. Its Google Lyrics is powerful in automatically searching the lyrics, but writing them to the file is still buggy as it will white-out the album art in the file as checked from other tag editors. Besides, other tag editing features are not better than MediaMonkey.
Zortam Mp3 Media Studio is a multi-purpose MP3 organizer with a built-in tag editor. It allows editing tags including lyrics and multiple pictures, and provides online updating of tags via Amazon. However, unlimited online access to Zortam Music Database for lyrics and cover arts, together with some other basic editing features, are only available to the commercial Pro version.
Abyssmedia ID3 Tag Editor, offers features for editing very basic tags without lyrics and art covers. No online lookups for tags info are supported.
Have Your Say
You are invited to share and discuss your views in our freeware forum. To post in the forum you need to register first but that's quick and immediate. Alternatively, anyone can leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer
Simple and clean design, show up existing tags with add and delete functions, customizable front panel, import and export tags, create playlists, online database lookups.
Lyrics column can be added in front panel with a multi-line option, but restricted to 6 lines and not extensible.
There is no portable version of this product available.
Win XP to Win 7
Supports audio formats including mp3, mp4, aac, wma, flac, ape, mpc, ogg, ofr, ofs, spx, tak, tta and wv.
Kid3
8
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer
Edit all tags, generate tags from files or vice versa, import tags from databases, browse cover arts and lyrics from online resources, drag and drop cover art to a file, export tags, etc.
Lacking a column view of tags for multiple files in a folder.
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer
Runs on multi platforms, identify track info by matching digital thumbprint with MusicBrainz database, show up existing tags with add and delete functions.
Cover arts not allowed to edit except updating from database.
There is no portable version of this product available.
Windows XP to Windows 7 (Required .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to work)
Supports mp3, ogg, flac, speex, musepack, wma, wav and ape.
MPTagThat
7
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer
Auto tag of lyrics and cover arts from Internet, auto tag from file names, organize and rename files, case conversion, remove tags, execute scripts, etc.
Still under active development and subject to occasional handling errors.
by Quetzal (not verified) on 18. January 2012 - 10:02(87342)
I have just tried TagScanner for 5 minutes and did not find it very practical for two reasons :
- Can't move easily from a folder to another: you have to select a directory with "Browse..." and the rather limited Windows file selector.
I would prefer to have the file explorer side by side with the files list and their tags and be allowed to copy paste a complete "D:\path"
- Previewing renamed string switches to another tab. Worse, one time I also lost my renaming variables (such as %track% %title%) by going back to the initial screen.
My intent is not to kill the best free tagging app but considering my needs for now I will stick to the commercial [edited out] as it allows me to navigate from a folder to another and see corresponding files and tags with a click.
by mutterg (not verified) on 14. December 2011 - 2:04(84979)
Does anyone know how to remove junk strings from tags. Ideally I'd like to type a regular expression and have that removed wherever the pattern is found inside of the tags.
Tried mp3tag and tagscanner but am either missing the method or the correct tool.
Thoughts?
thanks
mutterg
by runbei (not verified) on 2. December 2011 - 0:33(84259)
Tried MP3Tag and TagScanner and prefer Tigo Tago. Reason is, it's simple and allows me to mass-fill album or artist data - just type the artist name in the first field and press Ctrl-T; presto, Tigo Tago fills all the other tracks. Also, the instructions make tagging seem very easy for a beginner. Mass operations are great there, too - enter your tag codes in the filename field and press a key to fill all other tracks with, for example, track title.
Tagscanner and MP3Tag have no way to automatically insert the same artist and album names for all files in a folder.
=> Try multi-select the mp3 files in the list, then at the field in an editing box (i.e. at right of Tagscanner or Tag Panel box at left of MP3Tag), edit it and click 'Save'.
In Tagscanner you can't move to the next field horizontally without clicking in it with the mouse.
by runbei (not verified) on 2. December 2011 - 0:34(84260)
Thanks for the tips! I ended up using Tigo Tago instead - it makes it easy for an old dummy like me. The mass-fill operations are nifty and exactly what I needed (plus the help file explains them clearly).
by Naroot (not verified) on 9. November 2011 - 7:38(82962)
Hi,
Zortam Online Mp3 Tagger ( http://autotag.zortam.com/ ) is a free online-based tool which manages your music directly from your browser. I strongly recommend it.
by phammy (not verified) on 1. November 2011 - 3:03(82505)
My biggest concern is prevention of someone changing the properties tag for their benifit. On my song, I click on "Properties" then click on "details. In that tab is "protected - No". How do I save this song as "protected - Yes"? Does any of these programs protect the file from being tampered with. If it's unprotected someone could esentially change everything in the tag.
by Gary Miwacz (not verified) on 13. October 2011 - 12:17(81336)
The tools discussed are fine. However, they will not ultimately solve a problem with my iTunes library missing album artwork and other information as all the programs above are aimed at non-iTunes music collections.
Is there a solution for finding album artwork in iTunes (iTunes totally sucks at it, btw). Thank you.
by laji (not verified) on 3. September 2011 - 20:55(78965)
If you learn to use Mp3tag as it must be, and make all your individual settings as needed, including all regex actions, and so on - it takes 1, may be 2 days. BUT: then you can made with this brilliant program ANYTHING, what you want, with tags, VERY quickly. Some works, that takes about 1 day without it, it does for 1-2 minutes. In my opinion 5* stars.
I'm looking for a tool that scans this folder structure and generates and set ID3 tags. I don't need any online database. I prefer my own structure specially because it inlcludes the year in album name. does anybody know such tool ?
by Aucun (not verified) on 20. August 2011 - 14:41(78036)
I use the same directory structure and I use ID3-TagIt ( http://www.id3-tagit.de/ ). It can do what you want when using « Filename to TagV2 » with the patern \ \ -
-> Artists
-> Year
-> Album title
-> Track number
-> Track title
by MarkB (not verified) on 28. June 2011 - 8:58(74456)
Okay so it's not deleted my entire music collection... Phew!
It moved a load of Disney files from the root (a deliberate rename request) plus my entire music folder collection under a folder named Disney. - Why dunno, but a seriously distressing bug. (and yes the move to root setting was correct Z:\, my network music root folder).
Probably because of the "move non music files" setting but still not good.
by robokopf (not verified) on 8. June 2011 - 6:27(73473)
taghycardia auto corrects, fills in missing tags. not very versatile, but does a good work when you need to tag a bunch of freshly downloaded mp3 albums before pouring them into your ipod.
by niels (not verified) on 2. June 2011 - 18:32(73132)
GF, I gotta warn you guys about Tagscanner... its an impressive program, by all means, but it'll kill hours of your work in seconds just by unclear labeling of functions:
Key thing: "Overwrite" when updating tags from filenames will actually ERASE ALL YOUR TAGS, rather than just those you're touching with your filename import filter, like %artist% - %title% (%comment%)
So if you just want to clean up artist, title and comment and you indeed want to OVERWRITE those fields, rather than appending to them, its one nasty surprise if all other fields get erased that you just worked on for 2 days straight.
No warning, no undo...
It also doesn't support a rating field. This was part of what lead me to completely get nuked by this program.
I was using the composer field to store rating info. sometimes the composer field just ended up blank again, which made everything cumbersome enough where I was thinking I should go back to Tag&Rename.
But to my regret, I didn't, until I lost all but whats in my file names
by niels (not verified) on 3. June 2011 - 9:52(73149)
Some more comments on Tagscan...
i don't mind the interface departure from windows standards... computer games don't follow windows standards either, and this UI has good logic to it, and its fast to use, with useful keyboard shortcuts.
Moreover, it loads 1000 files in less than 10 seconds, while Mp4Tag sits there for several minutes reading them in.
I wish the Tagscan guys would have a look at AdvancedRenamer to see how you can implement an undo option, which is kinda important on large operations.
and please rename "overwrite" to "full erase of all tags"...
Apparently, Tagscan does not support mp4 / m4a files. It lets me enter stuff, put album cover art, but after hitting the save button, everything is gone. AAC files work fine, go figure.
Though apparently, Atoms are saved in width of 32 instead of 30? I found that mentioned as the reason when Android and Windows fail to see/use tags in AAC files.
Someone else here pointed out that they still don't know what all the functions are: I don't think that's cause they didn't use M$' UI design guide, but because they use unusual terms for some functions. I presume the whole interface was translated from Russian to English, which is probably the reason...
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Comments
Can AudioShell be made to work properly in Windows 7 and if so, how
Thanx
Mp3nity is absolutelly fantastic! :-) Try it, You won't be sorry.
BR Thomas
Thanks for the article.
There is a mess in the quick selection guide under "MusicBee" where the url is the one of MediaMonkey or maybe the all review is about MediaMonkey...
[Moderator's note : Commercial programs discussion removed. Please keep it to freeware only]
I have just tried TagScanner for 5 minutes and did not find it very practical for two reasons :
- Can't move easily from a folder to another: you have to select a directory with "Browse..." and the rather limited Windows file selector.
I would prefer to have the file explorer side by side with the files list and their tags and be allowed to copy paste a complete "D:\path"
- Previewing renamed string switches to another tab. Worse, one time I also lost my renaming variables (such as %track% %title%) by going back to the initial screen.
My intent is not to kill the best free tagging app but considering my needs for now I will stick to the commercial [edited out] as it allows me to navigate from a folder to another and see corresponding files and tags with a click.
Thanks Quetzal for highlighting the mistake which is now fixed.
Does anyone know how to remove junk strings from tags. Ideally I'd like to type a regular expression and have that removed wherever the pattern is found inside of the tags.
Tried mp3tag and tagscanner but am either missing the method or the correct tool.
Thoughts?
thanks
mutterg
Tried MP3Tag and TagScanner and prefer Tigo Tago. Reason is, it's simple and allows me to mass-fill album or artist data - just type the artist name in the first field and press Ctrl-T; presto, Tigo Tago fills all the other tracks. Also, the instructions make tagging seem very easy for a beginner. Mass operations are great there, too - enter your tag codes in the filename field and press a key to fill all other tracks with, for example, track title.
Annoyances:
Tagscanner and MP3Tag have no way to automatically insert the same artist and album names for all files in a folder.
In Tagscanner you can't move to the next field horizontally without clicking in it with the mouse. Tab moves down a row instead of to the next field.
Tagscanner and MP3Tag have no way to automatically insert the same artist and album names for all files in a folder.
=> Try multi-select the mp3 files in the list, then at the field in an editing box (i.e. at right of Tagscanner or Tag Panel box at left of MP3Tag), edit it and click 'Save'.
In Tagscanner you can't move to the next field horizontally without clicking in it with the mouse.
=> Try the right-arrow key instead.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the tips! I ended up using Tigo Tago instead - it makes it easy for an old dummy like me. The mass-fill operations are nifty and exactly what I needed (plus the help file explains them clearly).
Hi,
Zortam Online Mp3 Tagger ( http://autotag.zortam.com/ ) is a free online-based tool which manages your music directly from your browser. I strongly recommend it.
Naroot
My biggest concern is prevention of someone changing the properties tag for their benifit. On my song, I click on "Properties" then click on "details. In that tab is "protected - No". How do I save this song as "protected - Yes"? Does any of these programs protect the file from being tampered with. If it's unprotected someone could esentially change everything in the tag.
The tools discussed are fine. However, they will not ultimately solve a problem with my iTunes library missing album artwork and other information as all the programs above are aimed at non-iTunes music collections.
Is there a solution for finding album artwork in iTunes (iTunes totally sucks at it, btw). Thank you.
TagScanner is simply perfect. Thank you!!
If you learn to use Mp3tag as it must be, and make all your individual settings as needed, including all regex actions, and so on - it takes 1, may be 2 days. BUT: then you can made with this brilliant program ANYTHING, what you want, with tags, VERY quickly. Some works, that takes about 1 day without it, it does for 1-2 minutes. In my opinion 5* stars.
MP3 Tag works a treat. Anyone with a basic knowledge will have this working in no time. Saved me a lot of hassle. Cheers.
I have 100 GB of mp3 music that are neatly organized in a folder structure as this:
Artists -> year, album_name -> trak_number. track_name
I'm looking for a tool that scans this folder structure and generates and set ID3 tags. I don't need any online database. I prefer my own structure specially because it inlcludes the year in album name. does anybody know such tool ?
Thanks
Vahid
I use the same directory structure and I use ID3-TagIt ( http://www.id3-tagit.de/ ). It can do what you want when using « Filename to TagV2 » with the patern \ \ -
-> Artists
-> Year
-> Album title
-> Track number
-> Track title
Sorry... the comment box didn't accept the patern...
Here's the patern I decribed before but I have to had some extra spaces
< A > \ < Y > , < B > \ < K > - < T >
< A > -> Artists
< Y > -> Year
< B > -> Album title
< K > -> Track number
< T > -> Track title
Sorry. In case that changes, I'd better mention it by name. TagScanner. Awesome job. Windows 7, 64-bit.
I just used the top recommendation for that very thing. ;) Works like a charm.
I've also found the EZ Playlist plugin for Winamp to work quite well.
TagScanner is my favorite too.
Thank u so much
Okay so it's not deleted my entire music collection... Phew!
It moved a load of Disney files from the root (a deliberate rename request) plus my entire music folder collection under a folder named Disney. - Why dunno, but a seriously distressing bug. (and yes the move to root setting was correct Z:\, my network music root folder).
Probably because of the "move non music files" setting but still not good.
I've learn't my lesson backup before fiddling...
Good reminder. Another suggestion: NOT ONLY "backup before fiddling," but backup before 20 years+ and 20GB.
Well Tagscanner has managed to delete my entire music collection of 20 years+ and 20GB.
Worst thing is it was a NAS network drive so no undelete.
A new free tag editor :
http://www.littlelan.com/mp3nity/
Looks good.
taghycardia auto corrects, fills in missing tags. not very versatile, but does a good work when you need to tag a bunch of freshly downloaded mp3 albums before pouring them into your ipod.
GF, I gotta warn you guys about Tagscanner... its an impressive program, by all means, but it'll kill hours of your work in seconds just by unclear labeling of functions:
Key thing: "Overwrite" when updating tags from filenames will actually ERASE ALL YOUR TAGS, rather than just those you're touching with your filename import filter, like %artist% - %title% (%comment%)
So if you just want to clean up artist, title and comment and you indeed want to OVERWRITE those fields, rather than appending to them, its one nasty surprise if all other fields get erased that you just worked on for 2 days straight.
No warning, no undo...
It also doesn't support a rating field. This was part of what lead me to completely get nuked by this program.
I was using the composer field to store rating info. sometimes the composer field just ended up blank again, which made everything cumbersome enough where I was thinking I should go back to Tag&Rename.
But to my regret, I didn't, until I lost all but whats in my file names
Some more comments on Tagscan...
i don't mind the interface departure from windows standards... computer games don't follow windows standards either, and this UI has good logic to it, and its fast to use, with useful keyboard shortcuts.
Moreover, it loads 1000 files in less than 10 seconds, while Mp4Tag sits there for several minutes reading them in.
I wish the Tagscan guys would have a look at AdvancedRenamer to see how you can implement an undo option, which is kinda important on large operations.
and please rename "overwrite" to "full erase of all tags"...
Apparently, Tagscan does not support mp4 / m4a files. It lets me enter stuff, put album cover art, but after hitting the save button, everything is gone. AAC files work fine, go figure.
Though apparently, Atoms are saved in width of 32 instead of 30? I found that mentioned as the reason when Android and Windows fail to see/use tags in AAC files.
Someone else here pointed out that they still don't know what all the functions are: I don't think that's cause they didn't use M$' UI design guide, but because they use unusual terms for some functions. I presume the whole interface was translated from Russian to English, which is probably the reason...
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