Audio Metadata
A wrong title, composer or work number breaks search and archiving immediately.
Related
The question
An audio file carries more than sound: title, composer, album, track and cover. Wrong or missing tags scramble search, archiving and shuffle.
How it works
Formats use different tag blocks. WAV uses LIST and INFO chunks, AIFF text chunks, FLAC Vorbis comments, MP3 ID3v2, and MP4 iTunes-style atoms. Common fields include title, artist, album, track number, year, copyright and cover. Field names differ across formats, so conversion loses data, and Chinese adds encoding issues.
Settings and practice
Decide first whether artist means composer or performer, and keep it consistent. Put work numbers in album or comment, not the title. Back up before batch edits. Use a Unicode-aware tool and spot-check Chinese text and covers after conversion.
What to listen for
This entry is about finding, not hearing. In shuffle, see whether tags identify the track, and whether versions of one work stay distinct. Switch between a Bach toccata, a reel and Clair de lune, and check that composer, genre and movement each sit in the right field.
Common misconceptions
The file name is not the tag, and it often does not travel. Tags do affect whether music is found, even if not the sound. Conversion does not always keep tags. Cover art is not decoration; it helps identify an archive.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- ID3v2、Vorbis comment 与 MP4 原子的字段结构，依公开规范核查，未抄文本
- 归档元数据的最小字段集，依档案与图书馆通识核查，未抄文本
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.