The Very Best Mp3 Tag Editors

Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Very Best Mp3 Tag Editors

An MP3 tag editor will help you take control of your MP3 collection.

Information about an MP3, including the artist name, song title, genre and so on, is stored in a part of the file called an ID3 tag. These tags can help programs like iTunes and Windows Media Player organize and store the music on your hard drive. Sometimes, however, tags are incomplete and incorrect, and in some cases, they may be completely blank. Although most media players have some degree of ID3 tag editing, these dedicated ID3 programs can do things those programs cannot.

Mp3tag

The free Mp3tag has won numerous awards and accolades from various sites for its ease of use and numerous features. In addition to supporting MP3s, the program also allows for tag editing of many other audio formats, including M4A, OGG and FLAC. Features included in Mp3tag include the ability to add artwork to files, import information from various third-party sites like Amazon and Discogs and create playlists. All editing in Mp3tag can be done on individual files or in batches. Mp3tag is compatible with all versions of Windows from XP on.

ID3-TagIT

There is no manual for ID3-TagIT, and development for the program ceased in 2007, but that hasn't stopped many from praising the program. ID3-TagIT can convert file names to Tag names (and vice versa), correct improper casing in tags and get artist and album information from online sources. The interface for the program can be a little daunting at first, but the robustness of features is highly lauded by sites such as Lifehacker and PC Magazine. It is free and works with most versions of Windows.

EasyTAG

EasyTAG has many of the features of other MP3 tag editors. It can edit various audio file formats, including MP3, M4A, FLAC and OGG, and can edit them one at a time or in batches. It can create playlists, copy information from one file to another and rename files based on their tags. Unlike many other MP3 tag editors, however, there are versions of EasyTAG for Windows, OSX and even various versions of Linux, all of which are free.

TagScanner

Another free tag editor for Windows systems, TagScanner was awarded five stars by the Cnet staff, who called it an "efficient and powerful tag editor." TagScanner can do most of what the other editors on this list can do, including batch editing, online data gathering and file renaming. It also gives you the ability to preview changes to file names before you accept them, which can help prevent mistakes.

Media Monkey

Media Monkey is a music jukebox much like iTunes. However, unlike iTunes, it comes packed in with a very powerful MP3 tag editor. Unlike many other editors, it has a fully automated feature that can identify and repair poorly named files. It also accepts outside user scripts that can further streamline the process. The free version of Media Monkey has all the MP3 tagging features included, while the paid Gold version includes additional audio conversion and burning functions. Both are available only on Windows systems.

Old computer systems

Thursday, January 30, 2014