eyed3

View information about an MP3 file

$ eyeD3 [filename.mp3]

$ eyeD3 [[-t|--title]] "[A Title]" [filename.mp3]

$ eyeD3 [[-A|--album]] "[Album Name]" [*.mp3]

$ eyeD3 --add-image [front_cover.jpeg]:FRONT_COVER: [filename.mp3]

eyed3 [OPTIONS] <FILE_OR_DIRECTORY>...

--help
    Displays a help message and exits.


--version
    Shows the program's version number and exits.


--track NUM[/TOTAL]
    Sets the track number and optionally the total tracks.


--artist TEXT
    Sets the artist name.


--album TEXT
    Sets the album title.


--title TEXT
    Sets the song title.


--genre NUM_OR_TEXT
    Sets the genre by ID number or name. Use --list-genres for a list.


--release-date YYYY-MM-DD
    Sets the release date.


--comment TEXT[:DESCRIPTION[:LANG]]
    Adds or modifies a comment. Optional description and language.


--remove-all
    Removes all ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags from the file.


--set-text-frame ID:TEXT
    Sets a custom ID3v2 text frame (e.g., TXXX:MyCustomFrame:Value).


--add-image PATH[:TYPE[:DESCRIPTION]]
    Adds an image (e.g., album art) to the tags. Type can be 'FRONT_COVER', 'BACK_COVER', etc.


--remove-image TYPE
    Removes image(s) of a specific type (e.g., 'FRONT_COVER').


--rename PATTERN
    Renames files based on tag data. Use placeholders like %A (artist), %t (title), %n (track number).


--list-genres
    Lists all supported ID3 genres and their corresponding numeric IDs.


--id3-version V
    Specifies the ID3 version to write (e.g., 1, 2.3, 2.4).


--encoding ENC
    Sets the text encoding for tag fields (e.g., utf8, iso-8859-1).


--force
    Performs operations without prompting for confirmation.


--verbose
    Enables verbose output, showing more details during processing.


--quiet
    Suppresses most output messages.

eyed3 is a robust command-line utility and Python library designed for managing ID3 tags in audio files, primarily focusing on MP3s but also supporting FLAC and Ogg Vorbis. It empowers users to read, write, and modify a wide array of metadata fields, including artist, album, title, genre, year, track number, and comments. The tool also supports embedding album artwork. eyed3 handles ID3v1, ID3v2.3, and ID3v2.4 standards, offering comprehensive control over audio file metadata. Beyond basic tag editing, it can rename files based on tag information, list existing tags, and perform various file management tasks, making it an indispensable tool for music library organization.

While eyed3 supports ID3v2.4, older audio players or software might not fully recognize or correctly display tags written in this version; ID3v2.3 is often more widely compatible. Renaming operations can be destructive if not used carefully, especially on a large number of files. It's always advisable to back up your files before performing bulk renaming or tag removal.

Due to its powerful command-line interface, eyed3 is exceptionally well-suited for scripting and integrating into automated workflows. It can be used for batch processing entire music libraries, standardizing tag information, and organizing files systematically.

Being written in Python, eyed3 is inherently cross-platform, functioning seamlessly across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments, ensuring consistent behavior regardless of the operating system.

eyed3 is a Python-based utility that has evolved to provide a robust and versatile solution for managing ID3 tags. Its development has focused on supporting various ID3 versions (v1, v2.3, v2.4) and extending its capabilities beyond just MP3s to include FLAC and Ogg Vorbis. As a widely adopted command-line tool, it's frequently used in Linux environments for scripting, automating music library management, and performing precise metadata modifications.

mp3info(1), mid3v2(1), ffmpeg(1)