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Tag format specs

ID3 Tag

ID3 Tag standard = 128 bytes of text divided into 6 fields which can be added on end of MP3 file. This standard was created by NamkraD in 1996.

ID3 Tag begins on position -128 bytes from end of file. If there is an ID3 Tag identifier - "TAG" on position 0, then the ID3 Tag is already appended. Next fields carry data: 

Byte

3 - 32

33 - 62

63 - 92

93 - 96

97 - 126

127

Field name

Track name

Artist name

Album name

Year

Comment

Genre

 

You can see that genres are determined by one byte of data only. This byte has to be translated into text from following listing:

Lyrics3 Tag

Updates:
July 2, 1999 - linking images with relative path has been improved
October 27, 2000 - third indication field added
August 28, 2002 - GRE (genre) field added

The Lyrics3 Tag is an expansion of the ID3 Tags. It adds the data at the end of the file, before the ID tag.
To check for Lyrics tag, first look for the 9 bytes BEFORE the ID TAG (i.e. read at location -137 from the end of the file, 9 bytes. If the 9 bytes read 'LYRICSEND' then this means that an Lyrics3 Tag v1.00 has been used. If the 9 bytes read 'LYRICS200' then the new Lyrics3 Tag v2.00 has been used. If a new application is to be build, it should support besides of Lyrics3 Tag 2.00 as well the reading of Lyrics3 Tag version 1.00 because of backward compatibility.

Lyrics3 v1.00 Tag

This older tag uses a seek method. If you find 'LYRICSEND' just before the ID tag, read 5100 bytes before that string, and search for the string 'LYRICSBEGIN'. If you find it, then the lyrics starts from right after then last char of the 'LYRICSBEGIN' (no null terminator) and ends just before the 'LYRICSEND'. Line delimiters are CR+LF, and no null char used.

The file has the following sections:

  1. Bare MP3 file
  2. LYRICSBEGIN
  3. Lyrics text
  4. LYRICSEND
  5. ID TAG

There are no delimiters between each section!

The lyrics can include Timestamps. Timestamps are marked by [mm:ss] and must not use spaces. They can appear anywhere in the lyrics (beginning or anywhere in each line) and more then one timestamp can be used in the same line. Timestamps must not necessarily increase with the lines... a song can go back to the refrain several times which can be only once in the text, and have several different timestamps on them.

Lyrics3 Tag v2.00

The new v2.00 tag is more complicated, but faster for use, and can be enhanced with full backward compatibility.

The tag uses text only. Even the sizes are written as fixed 5 or 6 bytes of digits (with padded zeros - no spaces allowed). Fields data can include chars at the range of ASCII 01 to 254.

Lyrics3 v2.00 uses FIELDS. There can be an unlimited number of fields (currently there are only a few defined, but others will be added in the future). Each field has its own variable or fixed size. All fields uses a simple structure that includes the field ID, it's size and the field data. This makes it possible to read unknown fields and write them back when saving the tag.
There are no required fields in the tag, but at least one field must exist. Fields can appear in any order in the tag, except the indication field, that MUST be the first field, if it is used.

Here is the structure of the file using Lyrics3 v2.00 tags:

  1. Bare MP3 file
  2. 'LYRICSBEGIN' string (without any delimiter and the ' signs)
  3. Any number of field records (structure to follow)
  4. 6 chars (digit) which are the size of all the lyrics3 data (sections 2 and 3)
  5. 'LYRICS200' string (without a delimiter and the ' signs)
  6. ID3 Tag

A field record structure is:

  1. 3 CAPITAL chars field ID. This must match one of the defined field IDs. Even if the field ID is unknown, the application should read the field, since it needs to write it back when the tag is saved.
  2. 5 chars (digits), which are the size of the following data. Size can't be zero. A maximum size value is defined for each field ID.
  3. Field data. For instance: 'EAL00030This is an extended Album Name'

Here is a step by step description of how to read the lyrics3 v2.00 tag:

  1. Read the 9 bytes before the ID tag. They must be 'LYRICS200'.
  2. Read the previous 6 bytes, which are text digits that define the size of the all of tag fields and the 'LYRICSBEGIN' delimiter (from now on LSZ).
  3. Go back LSZ bytes previous to the location where the LSZ was read.
  4. Read 11 chars and make sure they are 'LYRICSBEGIN'.
  5. Start reading fields, until you read LSZ bytes (including the 'LYRICSBEGIN').

Reading a field (step 5):

  1. Read 3 chars, which are the field ID. Case that ID to the list of known fields.
  2. Read 5 chars (digits) which are the size of the following data (from now on FSZ).
  3. Read the following FSZ bytes, which are the field data. If you don't know what the field ID is (like new fields) then just keep the data as is and write it back (with the field ID & size, of course) - when saving the tag. Please make sure to implement this, since the user might use an old application on an mpeg files that has new fields which the application doesn't understand. If not implemented, these new fields will be removed when saving.
  4. If you already read LSZ bytes including the 'LYRICSBEGIN' then stop reading fields. If not, go back to 1.

Fields that include more then one line uses delimiters between lines.

Field IDs

Following is the list of currently defined field IDs. Other fields will be added, if needed on newer versions of the Lyrics3 v2.00 specifications, but the tag is designed in such a way that unknown fields can be ignored. 

ID   Max size  Description
---  --------  ----------------------------------------------------------
IND    00003   Indications field. This is a fixed record field that
               currently includes three indications. In the future other
               indications might be added after the existing ones, but
               existing indications will stay on the same byte positions
               inside the field record.
               If the indication field is used, it MUST be the first field!
               The indication field structure is to follow.
LYR    99999   Lyrics multi line text. Timestamps can be used anywhere in
               the text in any order. Timestamp format is [mm:ss] (no spaces 
               allowed in the timestamps).
INF    99999   Additional information multi line text.
AUT    00250   Lyrics/Music Author name.
EAL    00250   Extended Album name.
EAR    00250   Extended Artist name.
ETT    00250   Extended Track Title.
IMG    99999   Link to an image files (BMP, JPG, GIF format).
               Image lines include filename, description and timestamp
               separated by delimiter - two ASCII chars 124 ("||").
               Description and timestamp are optional, but if timestamp is 
               used, and there is no description, two delimiters ("||||") 
               should be used between the filename and the timestamp.
               Multiple images are allowed by using a [CR][LF] delimiter
               between each image line. No [CR][LF] is needed after the last
               image line. Number of images is not limited (except by the
               field size).
               Filename can be in one of these formats:
               - Filename only - when the image is located in the same path
                 as the MP3 file (preferred, since if you move the mp3 file
                 this will still be correct)
               - Relative Path + Filename - when the image is located in a
                 subdirectory below the MP3 file (i.e. images\cover.jpg) or
                 in any directory above the MP3 file (i.e. ..\artist.jpg or
                 ...\image.jpg - as per dot convency)
               - Full path + Filename - when the image is located in a
                 totally different path or drive. This will not work if the
                 image is moved or drive letters has changed, and so should
                 be avoided if possible (i.e. c:\images\artist.jpg)
               Description can be up to 250 chars long.
               Timestamp must be formatted like the lyrics timestamp
               which is "[mm:ss]". If an image has a timestamp, then
               the visible image will automatically switch to that image
               on the timestamp play time, just the same as the selected
               lyrics line is switched based on timestamps.
GRE    00250   Free text genre
               This is an addition to the Genre field of ID3v1 Tag where only
               147 predefined genres exist. Using GRE field it is possible to
               add own "free text" genres. The GRE field is not to be used 
               when genre can be found in the genre list of ID3v1 Tag. When 
               GRE field is to be used, genre field of ID3v1 tag MUST be set 
               to $FF ("none"). If the ID3V1 tag is changed to anything other 
               then $FF, the GRE tag is ignored.

The extended Album, Artist and Track are an extension to the fields in the ID3v1 tag - which are limited to 30 chars. If these extended fields exist, make sure their first 30 chars are exactly the same as the ones in the ID3v1 tag. If they are the same, display the extended field. If not, display the one from the ID tag. These 'mismatched' extended fields, should be removed when saving the Lyrics3 tag.

When saving the extended fields, make sure to copy the first 30 chars of each field to the ID3 tag matching fields. It is recommended NOT to save extended fields at all, if they are not larger then 30 chars.

Indications field Structure: 

Offset Bytes  Meaning
-----  -----  ------------------------------------------------------------
  0      1    Lyrics found. '1' if an LYR field found in the tag, and '0' if not.
  1      1    Timestamps used - '1' if Timestamps are used in the LYR tag
              and '0' if not.
  2      1    Inhibit tracks for random selection - '1' if inhibited, '0' if not.

There must be at least one field in the Lyrics3 v2.00. If no field exists the Lyrics3 v2.00 tag should not be saved at all.

Example:

The following includes all the information from AFTER the mp3 data until the ID tag. Please note that unless a [CR] [LF] is at the end of the line, no [CR] or [LF] should be added between lines. 

LYRICSBEGIN
IND00003
110
EAL00041
Album name that is larger then 30 chars !
EAR00050
Artist name or band that is larger then 30 chars !
ETT00042
Track name which is larger then 30 chars !
INF00090
This track was actually recorded in several places around the world[CR][LF]
and mixed at the US[CR][LF]
AUT00048
The lyrics were written by someone.. is it you ?
IMG00086
album_cover.jpg||Album cover||[00:10][CR][LF]
jumping.jpg||He jumps at the audience!||[01:00]
LYR00630
[00:02]Let's talk about time[CR][LF]
[00:02]tickin' away every day[CR][LF]
[00:05]so wake on up before it's gone away[CR][LF]
[00:10]catch the 411 and stay up like the sun[CR][LF]
[00:20]remind yourself what's done and done[CR][LF]
[00:32]so let yesterday stay with the bygones[CR][LF]
[00:40]keep your body and soul and your mind on[CR][LF]
[00:55]the right track infact you gotta stay on[CR][LF]
[01:20]the real black[CR][LF]
[CR][LF]
Chorus:[CR][LF]
[01:25][05:45]Time is tickin' away[CR][LF]
[01:42][05:55]you've gotta - live your life -[CR][LF]
[02:11][06:24]day by day[CR][LF]
[02:26][06:35]happy or sad, good or bad[CR][LF]
[02:31][06:42]life is too short[CR][LF]
[02:58][07:13]you've gotta - keep your head -[CR][LF]
[03:01][07:19](Repeat)[CR][LF]
GRE00009
Christmas
001082LYRICS200

The indications field size is three bytes. They are characters '110', which mean that LYR field is to be found in the tag, timestamps are used in it and the track is not inhibited for random selection.
The extended Album text size is 41 chars
The extended Artist name size is 50 chars
The extended Track name size is 42 chars
The Additional information size is 90 chars
The Lyrics Author size is 48 chars
The Image file link size is 86 chars
The Lyrics text size is 630 chars
The Genre text size is 9 chars
All the fields together (with the 'LYRICSBEGIN') is 001082 chars.

The ID3v1 tag that comes after this example should have :
Album field: 'Album name that is larger then'
Artist field: 'Artist name or band that is la'
Title field: 'Track name which is larger the'
Genre field: $FF

Contact information

The Lyrics3 Tag specifications were written by Petr Strnad and Alon Gingold.

ID3v2 & Lyrics3 tags

About Lyrics3 Tag version 2.00 and ID3v2

Since version 5.00 MP3 Manager supports ID3v2 in version 2.3.0 as a second tag after Lyrics3 Tag. This was done because of Winamp's support for this tag. However most of my objections against ID3v2 are still valid and I've added some new: