eyeD3 0.6.18

Travis Shirk <travis@pobox.com>
11.24.2011

General Information

eyeD3 is a Python module and program for processing ID3 tags. Information about mp3 files (i.e bit rate, sample frequency, play time, etc.) is also provided. The formats supported are ID3 v1.0/v1.1 and v2.3/v2.4.

The current stable version is 0.6.18. It and earlier versions are available here.

See the NEWS and/or ChangeLog for changes.

Requirements

Installation

Source tarball

     gzip -dc eyeD3-0.6.18.tar.gz | tar xvf -
     cd eyeD3-0.6.18
     ./configure
     make
     make install (as root)

Gentoo

     emerge eyeD3
See here for more info.

Ubuntu

See here for more info.

Debian

See here for more info.

Suse

See here for more info.

Slackware

See linuxpackages.net for more info.

Solaris SPARC and x86

Packages available from Blastwave.

How to Use eyeD3

The 'eyeD3' utility program can perform most ID3 tasks, and it is also the best example of how to use the API. It supports the following features:
  
  Usage
  =====
    eyeD3 [OPTS] file [file...]
  
  Options
  =======
    --version             show program's version number and exit
    -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  
  Tag Versions
  ------------
      -1, --v1            Only read/write ID3 v1.x tags. By default, v1.x tags
                          are only read if there is not a v2.x tag.
      -2, --v2            Only read/write ID3 v2.x tags.
      --to-v1.1           Convert the file's tag to ID3 v1.1. (Or 1.0 if there is
                          no track number.)
      --to-v2.3           Convert the file's tag to ID3 v2.3
      --to-v2.4           Convert the file's tag to ID3 v2.4
  
  Tag Data
  --------
      -a STRING, --artist=STRING
                          Set artist
      -A STRING, --album=STRING
                          Set album
      -t STRING, --title=STRING
                          Set title
      -n NUM, --track=NUM
                          Set track number
      -N NUM, --track-total=NUM
                          Set total number of tracks
      -G GENRE, --genre=GENRE
                          Set genre. The argument is a valid genre string or
                          number.  See --list-genres
      -d NUM, --disc=NUM  Set disc number
      -D NUM, --disc-total=NUM
                          Set total number of discs
      -Y STRING, --year=STRING
                          Set a four digit year.
      -c [LANGUAGE]:[DESCRIPTION]:COMMENT, --comment=[LANGUAGE]:[DESCRIPTION]:COMMENT
                          Set comment
      -L [LANGUAGE]:[DESCRIPTION]:LYRICS, --lyrics=[LANGUAGE]:[DESCRIPTION]:LYRICS
                          Set lyrics
      -p STRING, --publisher=STRING
                          Set the publisher/label text
      --remove-comments   Remove all comment frames.
      --remove-lyrics     Remove all lyrics frames.
      --add-image=IMG_PATH:TYPE[:DESCRIPTION]
                          Add an image to the tag.  The description and type
                          optional, but when used, both ':' delimiters must be
                          present.  The type MUST be an string that corresponds
                          to one given with --list-image-types. If the IMG_PATH
                          value is empty the APIC frame with TYPE is removed.
      --remove-images     Remove all image (APIC) frames.
      --add-object=OBJ_PATH[:DESCRIPTION[:MIME-TYPE[:FILENAME]]
                          Add an encapsulated object to the tag.  The description
                          and filename are optional, but when used, the ':'
                          delimiters must be present.  If the OBJ_PATH value is
                          empty the GEOB frame with DESCRIPTION is removed.
      -i DIR, --write-images=DIR
                          Causes all attached images (APIC frames) to be written
                          to the specified directory.
      -o DIR, --write-objects=DIR
                          Causes all attached objects (GEOB frames) to be written
                          to the specified directory.
      --set-text-frame=FID:TEXT
                          Set the value of a text frame.  To remove the frame,
                          specify an empty value.  e.g., --set-text-frame="TDRC:"
      --set-user-text-frame=DESC:TEXT
                          Set the value of a user text frame (i.e., TXXX). To
                          remove the frame, specify an empty value.  e.g., --set-
                          user-text-frame="SomeDesc:"
      --set-url-frame=FID:URL
                          Set the value of a URL frame.  To remove the frame,
                          specify an empty value.  e.g., --set-url-frame="WCOM:"
      --set-user-url-frame=DESC:URL
                          Set the value of a user URL frame (i.e., WXXX). To
                          remove the frame, specify an empty value.  e.g., --set-
                          user-url-frame="SomeDesc:"
      --play-count=[+]N   If this argument value begins with '+' the tag's play
                          count (PCNT) is incremented by N, otherwise the value
                          is set to exactly N.
      --bpm=N             Set the beats per minute value.
      --unique-file-id=OWNER_ID:ID
                          Add a UFID frame.  If the ID arg is empty the UFID
                          frame with OWNER_ID is removed.  An OWNER_ID MUST be
                          specified.
      --set-encoding=latin1|utf8|utf16-BE|utf16-LE
                          Set the encoding that is used for _all_ text frames.
                          This only takes affect when the tag is updated as the
                          result of a frame value being set with another option
                          (e.g., --artist=) or --force-update is present.
      --remove-v1         Remove ID3 v1.x tag.
      --remove-v2         Remove ID3 v2.x tag.
      --remove-all        Remove both ID3 v1.x and v2.x tags.
  
  Misc. Options
  -------------
      --rename=NAME       Rename file (the extension is not affected) based on
                          data in the tag using substitution variables: %A
                          (artist), %a (album), %t (title), %n (track number),
                          and %N (total number of tracks)
      --fs-encoding=ENCODING
                          Use the specified character encoding for the filename
                          when renaming files
      -l, --list-genres   Display the table of ID3 genres and exit
      --list-image-types  List all possible image types
      --strict            Fail for tags that violate the ID3 specification.
      --itunes            Store tags in an iTunes compatible way.
      --jep-118           Output the tag per the format described in JEP-0118.
                          See http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0118.html
      --rfc822            Output the tag in RFC822-like format
      --nfo               Output NFO information.
      --lametag           Prints the LAME Tag.
      --force-update      Update the tag regardless of whether any frames are set
                          with new values.
      --no-color          Disable color output
      --no-zero-padding   Don't pad track or disc numbers with 0's
      --no-tagging-time-frame
                          When saving tags do not add a TDTG (tagging time) frame
      -F DELIM            Specify a new delimiter for option values that contain
                          multiple fields (default delimiter is ':')
      -v, --verbose       Show all available information
      --debug             Trace program execution.
      --run-profiler      Run using python profiler.

Some simple programming examples follow here, excluding any error handling, of course :)

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()

Support

eyeD3 now has a mailing list. Send a message to <eyed3-devel-subscribe@nicfit.net> to subscribe.

Bugs and Patches

Find bugs! Please submit all comments, bug reports, or feature requests to Travis Shirk <travis@pobox.com>. Those of the patch variety are especially welcome :)

See Also

eyeD3 is free software, refer to the COPYING file for details.

See the TODO file for possible enhancements.