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Audio Metadata and ID3 Tags: A Complete Reference
Audio metadata — embedded information about title, artist, album, artwork, and more — determines how music appears in players, libraries, and streaming services. Proper tagging prevents misidentified tracks and missing artwork.
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Metadata Standards by Format
| Format | Metadata Container | Common Fields |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | ID3v2.3 / ID3v2.4 | Title, Artist, Album, Year, Track, Genre, Art |
| FLAC | Vorbis Comments | Same fields, different container |
| AAC/M4A | MP4 Atoms (iTunes-style) | Same fields, plus Apple-specific tags |
| OGG | Vorbis Comments | Same as FLAC |
| WAV | RIFF INFO / ID3 | Limited support, inconsistent |
Essential Tags
For Music
- Title — Song name (avoid ALL CAPS or special characters)
- Artist — Performing artist (consistent spelling across albums)
- Album Artist — For compilations, the album-level artist
- Album — Album name (consistent across all tracks)
- Track Number — Format as 'N/Total' (e.g., 3/12)
- Disc Number — For multi-disc albums (1/2, 2/2)
- Year — Release year (four digits: 2026)
- Genre — Primary genre (one, not a list)
- Album Art — Embedded JPEG, 500×500 to 1500×1500 pixels
For Podcasts
- Title — Episode title including episode number
- Artist — Show name or host name
- Album — Podcast show name
- Track Number — Episode number
- Comment — Episode description/show notes
- Genre — 'Podcast'
- Album Art — Show artwork (3000×3000 for Apple Podcasts)
Album Art Specifications
| Platform | Minimum Size | Recommended | Max File Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Music | 1400×1400 | 3000×3000 | 10 MB |
| Spotify | 640×640 | 3000×3000 | 10 MB |
| Embedded (MP3) | 300×300 | 500×500 | 500 KB |
Common Tagging Mistakes
- Inconsistent artist names — 'The Beatles' vs 'Beatles, The' creates duplicate entries in music libraries
- Missing album artist — Compilation tracks appear under individual artists instead of grouped together
- Oversized embedded art — A 5 MB JPEG embedded in every MP3 of a 200-song library adds 1 GB of redundant data
- Using ID3v1 — Limited to 30 characters per field and no Unicode support. Always use ID3v2.3 or v2.4