How can I extract the meta tags from an audio file?

[ron999]

Hi
If I convert an audio file to a different format (such as mp3) using a pipe I lose the tags.:(

ffmpeg -i <filename> -f wav - | lame - output.mp3
If I knew the tags of the input file I could put them back using a program such as id3v2 like this:-

id3v2 -t Something -a "The Beatles" -A "Abbey Road" output.mp3


Complete name : output.mp3
Format : MPEG Audio
File size : 2.78 MiB
Duration : 3mn 2s
Overall bit rate : 128 Kbps
Album : Abbey Road
Track name : Something
Performer : The Beatles
Writing library : LAME3.98r


But how can I capture the tags from the input file? :confused:
Is there a method that would give me the tags of an input file like this:- $title $artist $Album

[FakeOutdoorsman]

The easiest method would be to use a recent FFmpeg and not pipe it. FFmpeg now attempts to transfer all metadata:

$ ffmpeg -i 2007_6744_1_A.mp4 -aq 4 out.mp3
...
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '2007_6744_1_A.mp4':
Metadata:
major_brand : isom
minor_version : 512
compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
creation_time : 2011-03-16 02:50:00
title : transect 1, camera A
artist : ADF
date : 2007
encoder : Lavf52.103.0
comment : Alpha
Duration: 00:36:47.43, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 677 kb/s
Chapter #0.0: start 0.146000, end 2207.438567
Metadata:
title :
Stream #0.0(und): Video: h264 (High), yuv420p, 720x480 [PAR 8:9 DAR 4:3], 615 kb/s, 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 30k tbn, 59.94 tbc
Metadata:
creation_time : 2011-03-16 02:50:00
Stream #0.1(und): Audio: aac, 32000 Hz, stereo, s16, 57 kb/s
Metadata:
creation_time : 2011-03-16 02:50:00
Output #0, mp3, to 'out.mp3':
Metadata:
major_brand : isom
minor_version : 512
compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
TDEN : 2011-03-16 02:50:00
TIT2 : transect 1, camera A
TPE1 : ADF
TDRL : 2007
comment : Alpha
TSSE : Lavf52.103.0

[ron999]

The easiest method would be to use a recent FFmpeg and not pipe it.

Yes, but I want to pipe ffmpeg into an oddball encoder.
I only used lame as an example in my post above.

[andrew.46]

Yes, but I want to pipe ffmpeg into an oddball encoder.

Which encoder? Depending on how your encoder places the tags it would be fairly straightforward to script stripping and replacement of the tags.

[ron999]

...it would be fairly straightforward to script stripping ... of the tags.
Hi andrew
How would I script stripping of tags such as Track Name, Performer and Album from an audio file?

[andrew.46]

How would I script stripping of tags such as Track Name, Performer and Album from an audio file?

I used to trim some big ogg music files and copy across the meta tags in the following manner:



ffmpeg -i input.ogg \
-ss 00:07:19 -t 02:00:03 \
-acodec copy \
-metadata title="$(vorbiscomment --list \
finput.ogg | grep 'title' | cut -d '=' -f 2)" \
-metadata artist="$(vorbiscomment --list \
input.ogg | grep 'artist' | cut -d '=' -f 2)" \
-metadata album="$(vorbiscomment --list \
input.ogg | grep 'album' | cut -d '=' -f 2)" \
output.ogg


when the FFmpeg meta tag remapping option was a bit of a hit and miss affair. This example uses vorbiscomment to extract the meta tags, grep and cut to trim them a little and finally the result is wrapped in a variable. It is not very polished as it is for my own personal use but it shows the way perhaps :).

Andrew

[ron999]

Hi
When I use command:-

ffprobe -show_format Something.mp3

It gives result:-


ron@ubuntu:~$ ffprobe -show_format Something.mp3
FFprobe version git-N-28456-g1c31b26, Copyright (c) 2007-2011 the FFmpeg developers
built on Mar 15 2011 20:38:57 with gcc 4.4.1
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-nonfree --enable-postproc --enable-pthreads --enable-libfaac --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --enable-x11grab --disable-encoder=vorbis
libavutil 50. 39. 0 / 50. 39. 0
libavcodec 52.114. 0 / 52.114. 0
libavformat 52.103. 0 / 52.103. 0
libavdevice 52. 3. 0 / 52. 3. 0
libavfilter 1. 76. 0 / 1. 76. 0
libswscale 0. 12. 0 / 0. 12. 0
libpostproc 51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
[mp3 @ 0x8eecfc0] max_analyze_duration reached
Input #0, mp3, from 'Something.mp3':
Metadata:
title : Something
artist : The Beatles
album : Abbey Road
genre : Rock/Classic Rock/Pop
copyright : © EMI Records Ltd
track : 2
disc : 1/1
Duration: 00:03:02.30, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 122 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Audio: mp3, 44100 Hz, stereo, s16, 119 kb/s

filename=Something.mp3
nb_streams=1
format_name=mp3
format_long_name=MPEG audio layer 2/3
start_time=0.000000
duration=182.308571
size=2785000.000000
bit_rate=122210.000000
TAG:title=Something
TAG:artist=The Beatles
TAG:album=Abbey Road
TAG:genre=Rock/Classic Rock/Pop
TAG:copyright=© EMI Records Ltd
TAG:track=2
TAG:disc=1/1


Is there a way that I could extract this information to get such as this:- $title $artist $album

[ron999]

Ok, I can extract that information with ffprobe.:)
Maybe it will tidy up a bit.:rolleyes:

This is my test:-


file=Something.mp3 && \
title=`ffprobe 2> /dev/null -show_format $file | grep TAG:title= | cut -d '=' -f 2` && \
artist=`ffprobe 2> /dev/null -show_format $file | grep TAG:artist= | cut -d '=' -f 2` && \
album=`ffprobe 2> /dev/null -show_format $file | grep TAG:album= | cut -d '=' -f 2` && \
echo && \
echo $title && \
echo $artist && \
echo $album


This is the result:-


ron@ubuntu:~$ file=Something.mp3 && \
> title=`ffprobe 2> /dev/null -show_format $file | grep TAG:title= | cut -d '=' -f 2` && \
> artist=`ffprobe 2> /dev/null -show_format $file | grep TAG:artist= | cut -d '=' -f 2` && \
> album=`ffprobe 2> /dev/null -show_format $file | grep TAG:album= | cut -d '=' -f 2` && \
> echo && \
> echo $title && \
> echo $artist && \
> echo $album

Something
The Beatles
Abbey Road
ron@ubuntu:~$

:P