Audacity Metadata Editor: MP3 and WAV Tags

The Audacity Metadata Tags Editor allows users to embed key track information directly into exported audio files, including MP3 and WAV formats. This guide outlines the default metadata fields available in Audacity, explains how custom tags function, and covers the technical differences in how MP3 and WAV containers handle this embedded data.

Standard Metadata Tags in Audacity

Audacity includes seven default metadata tags that appear automatically whenever you open the Metadata Tags Editor (Edit > Metadata... or automatically during file export):

• Artist Name: Identifies the primary musician, band, podcaster, or creator.
• Track Title: The name of the specific song, episode, or recording.
• Album Title: The name of the collection, album, or podcast series.
• Track Number: The sequential order of the track within an album or playlist.
• Year: The release or recording year of the audio.
• Genre: The musical or content category (e.g., Rock, Classical, Podcast, Speech). Audacity allows selecting standard genres or typing custom values.
• Comments: A freeform field for notes, descriptions, episode summaries, or credits.

Custom Metadata Tags

Beyond the default set, Audacity allows you to add custom tag fields. By clicking the Add button in the editor, you can create custom keys such as:

• Album Artist: Distinct from the track artist, useful for compilations.
• Composer: The writer of the musical work.
• Copyright: Legal copyright statements or licensing details.
• BPM (Beats Per Minute): Tempo information.
• Publisher / Record Label: The entity releasing the audio.

Tag Support in MP3 Exports

When exporting to MP3, Audacity writes metadata using the standard ID3 tagging system (primarily ID3v2 and ID3v1).

• Compatibility: Almost all media players, operating systems, and streaming platforms recognize ID3 tags embedded in MP3s.
• Tag Retention: All default tags and most standard custom tags (such as Composer or Copyright) map directly to defined ID3 frames and are retained properly upon export.

Tag Support in WAV Exports

When exporting to uncompressed WAV format, Audacity embeds metadata using both the RIFF INFO chunk and an embedded ID3 chunk.

• Standard Fields: Standard tags like Artist Name, Track Title, and Comments map to traditional RIFF fields (such as IART, INAM, and ICMT).
• Compatibility Differences: While MP3 metadata is universally read, WAV metadata support varies across external media players and operating systems. Some applications only read RIFF INFO data and may ignore embedded ID3 tags, which can result in fields like Track Number, Genre, or custom tags failing to display in certain older software.