What are ID3 tags?

By Josh Bancroft

ID3 tags are a loose standard for getting some metadata packed right into the MP3 files you are offering up. The tags are part of the MP3 file and so go where ever that file may go. With ID3 tags the listeners will know who made the MP3 file, what the MP3 is about, the dates of production and even where to find more information about the MP3.

Many MP3 playback devices and software applications use the ID3 tags to show information about the MP3 being played. Some use them to catalog or index the MP3 files.

There have been modifications and additions to the ID3 standard since its inception but the six main pieces of metadata supported by ID3 v1.1 are enough to give your listeners, playback devices or software applications the info they need to know what they are listening to, who made it and where to get more information.

Here are the six tags and how they could be used for podcasting:

  • Title - name of the show (example "Fatheads Podcast Jul 4 1965 TaxiCabs")
  • Artist/Creator - who made this (example "jeanshep@fatheads.com")
  • Album/Collection - name of the podcast (example "Fatheads Podcast")
  • Year - (example "2005")
  • Comment - a great place to put an URL to get more information (example "http://jeanshepherdpodcast.blogspot.com/")< /li>
  • Genre - (example "Speech")

More information: Wikipedia on ID3 tags

This article originally appeared on Josh Bancroft's Tiny Screenfuls wiki. Republished with permission.
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