Ear Tag

Ear Tag is an application for editing metadata in audio files. It allows you to modify tags individually or in batch for formats such as MP3, FLAC, OGG, M4A, WAV, and WMA. Its operation does not require a centralized music library, working directly on the selected files. The application includes functions for renaming files based on their tags and for identifying tracks via AcoustID, with network access being exclusive to this last option.

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• Multi-format support. Ear Tag works with the most common audio containers: MP3 (ID3 tags), FLAC (Vorbis Comment tags), OGG (Vorbis Comment), M4A (MP4 tags), WAV (RIFF metadata), and WMA (ASF). It reads and writes standard fields in each format while preserving the file structure.
• Batch editing. Select multiple files and modify common fields like artist, album, genre, or year in a single operation. This unifies the metadata of entire collections or discographies without the need to edit track by track.
• File renaming based on tags. Generates filenames from configurable patterns (example: TrackNumber - Title). The function reads the existing metadata and renames the physical files on the disk, making it easier to organize music folders.
• Track identification via AcoustID. Calculates the acoustic fingerprint of audio files and sends it to the AcoustID service to obtain accurate metadata. This process requires an internet connection and allows you to correctly tag tracks with missing or incorrect information.
• Automatic track numbering. Assigns sequential track numbers to a set of selected files. The tool can sort the files by name before numbering, ensuring the correct sequence on albums.
• Cover art editing. Inserts, replaces, or removes images embedded in the files. Supports common formats like JPEG and PNG, keeping the image inside the audio file container for portability between devices.
• Text normalization in tags. Applies transformations to metadata text, such as capitalizing words, converting to uppercase/lowercase, or removing redundant spaces. Unifies the writing style across the entire collection.
• Change preview. Before applying mass modifications, Ear Tag shows a preview of what the tags and filenames will look like. This allows you to review and correct possible errors before writing the data to disk.
• Custom field management. Adds non-standard or specific tags (like composer, producer, sound engineer) to files that support them. The fields are stored according to the native specifications of each audio format.
• Non-destructive operation without a central library. The application works directly on the files in their current location. It does not require importing music into a database or moving files to library folders, operating exclusively on the user's file system.

Ear Tag began its development in 2021 as part of the ecosystem of native applications for GNOME. It was created by developer Christopher Davis, who also maintains other tools within the GNOME Circle project. The application is written in the Rust programming language, using the GTK4 library for its graphical interface. Its code is based on Rust's GObject bindings and on specific libraries for metadata handling such as lofty-rs, which ensures efficient and safe processing of audio files.

Alternatives to Ear Tag:

Kid3

Kid3 is an application for editing metadata in audio files.

Price: Free   Size: 30.9 MB   Version: 3.9.7   OS: Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android