Finding mp3 metadata in OS X's Finder?

February 11, 2007 2:18 AM

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?

posted by p3t3 to computers & internet (5 comments total)

I use the free contextual menu plugin MP3-info to reveal all such info on richt-clicking the file.
posted by nowonmai at 7:03 AM on February 11, 2007

Shouldn't post before coffee: "Module" not "plugin" and that's right-click (or Ctrl-click).
posted by nowonmai at 7:05 AM on February 11, 2007

thanks! exactly what i had in mind.
posted by p3t3 at 7:16 AM on February 11, 2007

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?
posted by flabdablet at 2:53 PM on February 11, 2007

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.
posted by blasdelf at 10:13 PM on February 11, 2007