ID3v1 and its variations
– ID3v1: MP3 standard published in 1995 without a method for storing file metadata
– Eric Kemp proposed adding a 128-byte suffix to MP3 files to store metadata
– ID3v1 quickly became the de facto standard for storing metadata in MP3s
– ID3v1 uses ISO-8859-1 encoding and has specific size limits for each field
– ID3v1.1: Modification proposed in 1997 to add track number to the comment field
– ID3v1.2: Proposed in 2002 or 2003, enlarged fields and added a subgenre field, retained backward compatibility but had limited adoption
ID3v2
– New specification created in 1998, completely distinct from ID3v1
– ID3v2 tags are of variable size and usually placed at the start of the file
– ID3v2 tags load immediately, even during streaming
– Each ID3v2 tag consists of optional frames containing metadata
– ID3v2.3: Widely used version, introduced the ability to embed an image
– Chapters: ID3v2 Chapter Addendum allows jumping to specific locations or chapters, used in Enhanced podcasts, can be used in ID3v2.3 or ID3v2.4 tags
– Lyrics: Lyrics3v1 and Lyrics3v2 were tag standards implemented before ID3v2, always placed at the end of an MP3 file
Editing ID3 tags
– Tag editors enable precise editing of all fields or frames
– Audio players and file managers provide native editing of common fields or frames
Non-MP3 implementation
– ID3 tags can be used with AIFF and WAV files
– MP4 allows embedding of an ID3 tag
MP4 and its related concepts
– MP4 Registration Authority: Manages the registration of MP4 file format identifiers, ensures interoperability and compatibility, maintains a registry
– Microsoft’s involvement: Developed the MP4 format, supports and enhances it in software products, provides tools and documentation
– ID3 in MP4: A metadata format used to store information about the content, enables better organization and categorization, widely supported by media players and software applications
– Interoperability: MP4 format ensures interoperability between different applications and devices, supported by various operating systems and media players
– Evolution and Adoption: MP4 has evolved over time, widely adopted as a standard format for multimedia content, used for video streaming, music distribution, and mobile applications.
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ID3 is a metadata container most often used in conjunction with the MP3 audio file format. It allows information such as the title, artist, album, track number, and other information about the file to be stored in the file itself.
ID3 is a de facto standard for metadata in MP3 files; no standardization body was involved in its creation nor has such an organization given it a formal approval status. It competes with the APE tag in this area.
There are two unrelated versions of ID3: ID3v1 and ID3v2. In ID3v1, the metadata is stored in a 128-byte segment at the end of the file. In ID3v2, an extensible set of "frames" located at the start of the file are used. Subvariants of both versions exist.
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