Comments on: Finding mp3 metadata in OS X's Finder?

Question: Finding mp3 metadata in OS X's Finder?

p3t3 — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 02:18:06 -0800

Is there a way to get my Mac Finder (10.3.9) to see mp3 data such as bitrate and tag metadata?

That is one thing I like about Windows XP, you can hover over an mp3 file in Windows explorer, and you get bitrate and tag data. But in OS X, even if you go to view file info, still not all the info I wanted. I just downloaded Audiofinder for working with audio files, and while it is pretty cool and plenty useful, I was sort of hoping it would also address this pet peeve of mine- but still no bitrate/tag data.

I don't use iTunes that frequently and I'd like to be able to access mp3 info without opening it - ideally simply within the Finder. Is there any sort of hack or utility that ads this functionality?

By: nowonmai

nowonmai — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:03:08 -0800

I use the free contextual menu plugin MP3-info to reveal all such info on richt-clicking the file.

By: nowonmai

nowonmai — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:05:48 -0800

Shouldn't post before coffee: "Module" not "plugin" and that's right-click (or Ctrl-click).

By: p3t3

p3t3 — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:16:08 -0800

thanks! exactly what i had in mind.

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:53:08 -0800

In Windows Explorer, you can also add bitrate and tag data to the Details view by turning on their columns. Can Finder be persuaded to do that?

By: blasdelf

blasdelf — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:13:44 -0800

On 10.4 and later, the Finder can sort of be persuaded to do that, but it's really Spotlight doing all the work. There are a number of alternative Spotlight front-ends that do it better.

This task is one of the few things that Vista's Explorer does marginally well — it'll let you customize it's interface to expose the metadata you want, but refuses to remember your custom preferences across different folders.