Accessing MP3 metadata with Python

Question

How can I retrieve mp3 metadata in Python?

Answer 1

I used eyeD3 the other day with a lot of success. I found that it could add artwork to the ID3 tag which the other modules I looked at couldn't. You'll have to install using pip or download the tar and execute python setup.py install from the source folder.

Relevant examples from the website are below.

Reading the contents of an mp3 file containing either v1 or v2 tag info:

 import eyeD3
 tag = eyeD3.Tag()
 tag.link("/some/file.mp3")
 print tag.getArtist()
 print tag.getAlbum()
 print tag.getTitle()

Read an mp3 file (track length, bitrate, etc.) and access it's tag:

if eyeD3.isMp3File(f):
     audioFile = eyeD3.Mp3AudioFile(f)
     tag = audioFile.getTag()

Specific tag versions can be selected:

 tag.link("/some/file.mp3", eyeD3.ID3_V2)
 tag.link("/some/file.mp3", eyeD3.ID3_V1)
 tag.link("/some/file.mp3", eyeD3.ID3_ANY_VERSION)  # The default.

Or you can iterate over the raw frames:

 tag = eyeD3.Tag()
 tag.link("/some/file.mp3")
 for frame in tag.frames:
    print frame

Once a tag is linked to a file it can be modified and saved:

 tag.setArtist(u"Cro-Mags")
 tag.setAlbum(u"Age of Quarrel")
 tag.update()

If the tag linked in was v2 and you'd like to save it as v1:

 tag.update(eyeD3.ID3_V1_1)

Read in a tag and remove it from the file:

 tag.link("/some/file.mp3")
 tag.remove()
 tag.update()

Add a new tag:

 tag = eyeD3.Tag()
 tag.link('/some/file.mp3')    # no tag in this file, link returned False
 tag.header.setVersion(eyeD3.ID3_V2_3)
 tag.setArtist('Fugazi')
 tag.update()