iTunes stores a wealth of information about the songs in your music library. Getting access to this song data can help you organize and manage your collection more efficiently. iTunes uses ID3 tags to store information like song title, artist, album, genre, and more. With just a few clicks, you can view and even edit the ID3 tags for any song file. Here are some quick answers to common questions about getting song info from iTunes:
How do I view song info in iTunes?
The easiest way is to select the song and press Command+I on a Mac or Ctrl+I on Windows to open the info window. This will display the ID3 tag data for that song. You can also Right-click or Control-click the song and choose “Get Info” to open the info window.
What information is stored in the info window?
The info window shows data like song name, artist, album, genre, track number, year, duration, bit rate, sample rate, file size, play count, date added, and comments. This covers all the key ID3 metadata tags.
Can I edit the song information?
Yes, iTunes allows you to edit most ID3 tags right in the info window. You can correct any incorrect data or add missing info like genre. Simply make the changes in the appropriate fields and click OK to save the revised info. The changes will update the ID3 tags embedded in the song file.
Is there an easier way to view lots of songs?
iTunes has a Table view that lets you see info for your whole music library or a playlist. Enable Table view under View > Show View Options. You can then sort songs by different criteria and see columns of data in a spreadsheet layout. Customize shown columns via View > View Options.
Can I export the song data from iTunes?
Yes, iTunes can export a list of your songs and their info to a spreadsheet file. First enable Table view and adjust columns via View Options. Then right-click any column header and choose Export. Save the exported file as a CSV or TSV which can be opened in other apps like Excel.
What about getting artwork and other metadata?
Album artwork can be added right in the iTunes info window. Other metadata like composer, lyricist, and recording date can be added via the Extended Info pane. Level 2 and 3 ID3 tags can also store more detailed metadata if needed.
How can I edit metadata for multiple songs?
Instead of editing one song at a time, you can update metadata for multiple selected songs. Choose the songs, Right-click, and select “Get Info” to batch edit common info like genre and composer. You can also select songs and choose Edit > Edit Metadata from the menu.
Can iTunes read song info from filenames?
Yes, iTunes can use filename formats to automatically populate ID3 tags when you add songs. Enable this under Preferences > Advanced > Importing. Then rename files in formats like “Track Artist – Title.mp3”. When added to iTunes, the tags will be populated from the filename.
Where does iTunes get its song data from?
iTunes uses the Gracenote online music database to lookup track name, artist, album, and other info when songs are added to your library. An internet connection is required for lookups. Gracenote’s database contains metadata for millions of songs.
Can I view and edit ID3v2 tags directly?
Advanced users can view and edit the raw ID3v2 metadata tags using a program like Kid3 or Mp3tag. These let you see and change low-level details not visible in iTunes, like ID3 frames for tempo, lyrics, and custom art.
Does iTunes work with other audio file types?
While iTunes prefers MP3 files using ID3 tags, it also works with M4A/AAC, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless, and other formats. These files can also store metadata tags like title and artist. Information will be displayed in the same iTunes info windows.
Can iTunes update my song files with better quality metadata?
Yes, iTunes can be set to automatically update song files with better metadata when available. Enable Preferences > General > Update metadata from Gracenote when info is missing. This will enrich songs with more complete metadata when possible.
How can I find and fix files missing artwork or metadata?
Use iTunes Smart Playlists to automatically find files needing metadata improvements. Create rules to match conditions like “Artwork is missing” or “Album is empty”. Smart Playlists dynamically update as your library changes.
Conclusion
Getting song info and metadata from iTunes is easy – just open the info window for any track or enable Table view to see your entire library. Data like title, artist and album can be viewed and edited right in iTunes. For more advanced use, iTunes integrates tightly with tagging standards like ID3 so metadata can be directly edited at the file level. Leveraging services like Gracenote can automatically enrich your songs with comprehensive metadata. With its powerful features for viewing, editing and exporting song info, iTunes provides all the tools you need to better manage your music collection.
How to View Song Info in iTunes
iTunes stores a wealth of data about your music, including ID3 tags that contain metadata like song title, artist, album, and more. This song info can be easily viewed right in the iTunes app. Here are some ways to see song information in iTunes:
Info Window
The easiest way to view song info is to open the Info window:
- Select the song in your iTunes library
- Press Command+I on a Mac or Ctrl+I on Windows
- A window will open displaying ID3 tag data for that song
You can also right-click or control-click a song and select “Get Info” to access the same Info window.
Table View
For viewing information on many songs at once:
- Enable Table View under View > Show View Options
- Your iTunes library will change to a spreadsheet-style view
- You can sort and scroll through your collection in tabular format
- Customize columns shown via View > View Options
Playback Info
When a song is playing, info is displayed in the playback area at the top of iTunes. This shows essentials like track name, artist, and album.
Status Bar
With a song selected, basic info like title and duration is shown in the status bar at the bottom of the iTunes window.
What Song Info is Stored in iTunes?
iTunes stores a wide variety of metadata about each song in your library. This includes:
| Data | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The track name or title |
| Artist | The song’s primary creator or performer |
| Album | The associated album name |
| Genre | Category like rock, pop, jazz, etc. |
| Track Number | Sequence number on the album |
| Year | Year the song was recorded or released |
| Duration | Length of the song playback time |
| Bit Rate | Encoding quality in kbps |
| Sample Rate | Samples per second (e.g. 44.1 kHz) |
| File Size | Size of the song file in MB |
| Play Count | Number of times the song has been played |
| Date Added | When the song was added to library |
| Comments | Any additional notes about the song |
This covers the key metadata that iTunes extracts from the ID3 tags embedded in each song file (except for data like Play Count and Date Added which are calculated by iTunes)
Editing Song Information
The great thing about iTunes is that not only can you view metadata about songs, but you can also edit most tag data right within the app:
- Select the song and open the Info window
- Edit tag info like name, artist, genre, etc. in the fields provided
- Click OK to save changes
Updates will be written directly to the ID3 tags in the song file, so your changes are permanently saved. This is great for fixing any erroneous data or adding missing info.
Batch Editing
Making edits one song at a time can be tedious. To update metadata for multiple songs:
- Select all the songs you want to edit
- Right-click and choose “Get Info”
- An info window will open showing data for all selected music
- Check “Update information for all selected songs”
- Make edits and click OK to apply changes to all
You can also batch edit via Edit > Edit Metadata with multiple songs selected.
Using Filenames for Tagging
Here is a cool iTunes trick – you can name song files with info to automatically tag their metadata when added:
- In iTunes, go to Preferences > Advanced > Importing
- Check “Look up CD track names online”
- Also check “Use metadata from filenames”
Now rename files like this:
Track Artist - Song Title.mp3
When you import these files, iTunes will parse the filenames and populate the ID3 tags for you!
Lookup Missing Info with Gracenote
Gracenote maintains a huge online database of music metadata. iTunes can tap into this to lookup missing song details:
- Go to Preferences > General
- Check “Update metadata from Gracenote when info is missing”
Now when you add files that are missing data like track name or album, iTunes will connect to the Gracenote database to retrieve the correct metadata. This can automatically enrich your music library.
Advanced Editing with Kid3
For power users, a dedicated tag editor like Kid3 allows editing ID3 tags directly in the file. Advantages include:
- Edit all ID3v2.3 and ID3v2.4 frames
- Add images, comments, lyrics
- Convert between ID3v1, ID3v2.2, ID3v2.3, ID3v2.4
- Edit tags in MP3, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPC, MP4/AAC, and more
- Improved batch tag processing
- Analyze audio with plugins like FFT spectrum analyzer
After editing tags in Kid3, you can reload the files in iTunes to view the updated metadata.
Finding Songs Missing Artwork or Metadata in iTunes
Over time, your iTunes library can develop issues like missing album covers or incomplete metadata. Here are some tips for finding problem files:
Check Artwork Column
Enable Table view in iTunes and add the Artwork column:
- Under View, choose Show View Options
- Select Table View
- Right click any column header and choose View Options
- Check the Artwork column
Now you can quickly browse for blank Artwork cells indicating missing album covers.
Smart Playlist for Missing Artwork
Create a Smart Playlist with rules to automatically find missing artwork:
- Go to File > New Smart Playlist
- Set rules like Artwork is missing = true
This playlist will dynamically update as you fix artwork issues.
Smart Playlist for Missing Metadata
Similarly, make a Smart Playlist to match incomplete metadata:
- Choose File > New Smart Playlist
- Add rules like Album is empty = true
The playlist will automatically populate with tracks lacking key metadata like Album name.
Check Column Filters
In Table view, click column headers like Album or Artist to sort. Then look for empty cells indicating missing info.
Use the Filter button to further isolate items with empty fields.
Conclusion
Viewing and editing song metadata in iTunes is simple yet powerful. The intuitive Info window provides instant access to ID3 tags like title, artist and album. Table view takes it a step further for browsing your entire collection. iTunes also makes it easy to batch edit metadata across multiple songs. For missing info, Gracenote lookup and filename formats are handy tricks. At the end of the day, iTunes gives you all the tools needed to effectively manage song metadata and keep your music collection organized.
