Browser ID3 Writer

Pure JS library for writing ID3 (v2.3) tag to MP3 files in browsers and Node.js. It can't read the tag so use another lib to do it.

Note: the library removes existing ID3 tag (v2.2, v2.3 and v2.4).

Works in Node.js 4+, IE10+ and all modern browsers.

Here is an online demonstration: egoroof.ru/browser-id3-writer/

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Usage
  • Browser
    1. Get ArrayBuffer of song
    2. Add a tag
    3. Save file
    4. Memory control
  • Node.js
• Supported frames
• APIC picture types

Installation

Take latest version here or with npm:

npm install browser-id3-writer --save

Usage

Browser

Get ArrayBuffer of song

In browsers you should first get ArrayBuffer of the song you would like to add ID3 tag.

FileReader

For example you can create file input and use FileReader:

<input type="file" id="file" accept="audio/mpeg">
<script>
    document.getElementById('file').addEventListener('change', function () {
        if (this.files.length === 0) {
            return;
        }
        const reader = new FileReader();
        reader.onload = function () {
            const arrayBuffer = reader.result;
            // go next
        };
        reader.onerror = function () {
            // handle error
            console.error('Reader error', reader.error);
        };
        reader.readAsArrayBuffer(this.files[0]);
    });
</script>

XMLHttpRequest

To get arrayBuffer from remote server you can use XMLHttpRequest:

const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open('GET', urlToSongFile, true);
xhr.responseType = 'arraybuffer';
xhr.onload = function () {
    if (xhr.status === 200) {
        const arrayBuffer = xhr.response;
        // go next
    } else {
        // handle error
        console.error(xhr.statusText + ' (' + xhr.status + ')');
    }
};
xhr.onerror = function() {
    // handle error
    console.error('Network error');
};
xhr.send();

Add a tag

Create new ID3Writer instance with arrayBuffer of your song, set frames and add a tag:

// arrayBuffer of song or empty arrayBuffer if you just want only id3 tag without song
const writer = new ID3Writer(arrayBuffer);
writer.setFrame('TIT2', 'Home')
      .setFrame('TPE1', ['Eminem', '50 Cent'])
      .setFrame('TALB', 'Friday Night Lights')
      .setFrame('TYER', 2004)
      .setFrame('TRCK', '6/8')
      .setFrame('TCON', ['Soundtrack'])
      .setFrame('TBPM', 128)
      .setFrame('WPAY', 'https://google.com')
      .setFrame('TKEY', 'Fbm')
      .setFrame('APIC', {
          type: 3,
          data: coverArrayBuffer,
          description: 'Super picture'
      });
writer.addTag();

Save file

Now you can save it to file as you want:

const taggedSongBuffer = writer.arrayBuffer;
const blob = writer.getBlob();
const url = writer.getURL();

For example you can save file using FileSaver.js:

saveAs(blob, 'song with tags.mp3');

If you are writing chromium extension you can save file using Downloads API:

chrome.downloads.download({
    url: url,
    filename: 'song with tags.mp3'
});

Memory control

When you generate URLs via writer.getURL() you should know that whole file is kept in memory until you close the page or move to another one. So if you generate lots of URLs in a single page you should manually free memory after you finish downloading file:

URL.revokeObjectURL(url); // if you know url or
writer.revokeURL(); // if you have access to writer

Node.js

Simple example with blocking IO:

const ID3Writer = require('browser-id3-writer');
const fs = require('fs');

const songBuffer = fs.readFileSync('path_to_song.mp3');
const coverBuffer = fs.readFileSync('path_to_cover.jpg');

const writer = new ID3Writer(songBuffer);
writer.setFrame('TIT2', 'Home')
      .setFrame('TPE1', ['Eminem', '50 Cent'])
      .setFrame('TALB', 'Friday Night Lights')
      .setFrame('TYER', 2004)
      .setFrame('APIC', {
          type: 3,
          data: coverBuffer,
          description: 'Super picture'
      });
writer.addTag();

const taggedSongBuffer = Buffer.from(writer.arrayBuffer);
fs.writeFileSync('song_with_tags.mp3', taggedSongBuffer);

You can also create only ID3 tag without song and use it as you want:

const writer = new ID3Writer(Buffer.alloc(0));
writer.padding = 0; // default 4096
writer.setFrame('TIT2', 'Home');
writer.addTag();
const id3Buffer = Buffer.from(writer.arrayBuffer);

Supported frames

array of strings:

• TPE1 (song artists)
• TCOM (song composers)
• TCON (song genres)

string

• TLAN (language)
• TIT1 (content group description)
• TIT2 (song title)
• TIT3 (song subtitle)
• TALB (album title)
• TPE2 (album artist)
• TPE3 (conductor/performer refinement)
• TPE4 (interpreted, remixed, or otherwise modified by)
• TRCK (song number in album): '5' or '5/10'
• TPOS (album disc number): '1' or '1/3'
• TPUB (label name)
• TKEY (initial key)
• TMED (media type)
• TSRC (isrc - international standard recording code)
• TCOP (copyright message)
• TEXT (lyricist / text writer)
• WCOM (commercial information)
• WCOP (copyright/Legal information)
• WOAF (official audio file webpage)
• WOAR (official artist/performer webpage)
• WOAS (official audio source webpage)
• WORS (official internet radio station homepage)
• WPAY (payment)
• WPUB (publishers official webpage)

integer

• TLEN (song duration in milliseconds)
• TDAT (album release date expressed as DDMM)
• TYER (album release year)
• TBPM (beats per minute)

object

• COMM (comments):

writer.setFrame('COMM', {
    description: 'description here',
    text: 'text here',
    language: 'eng'
});

• USLT (unsychronised lyrics):

writer.setFrame('USLT', {
    description: 'description here',
    lyrics: 'lyrics here',
    language: 'eng'
});

• TXXX (user defined text):

writer.setFrame('TXXX', {
    description: 'description here',
    value: 'value here'
});

• PRIV (private frame):

writer.setFrame('PRIV', {
    id: 'identifier',
    data: dataArrayBuffer
});

• APIC (attached picture):

writer.setFrame('APIC', {
    type: 3,
    data: coverArrayBuffer,
    description: 'description here',
    useUnicodeEncoding: false
});

useUnicodeEncoding should only be true when description contains non-Western characters. When it's set to true some program might not be able to read the picture correctly. See #42.

APIC picture types