METAFLAC(1)                                                        METAFLAC(1)



NAME
       metaflac - program to list, add, remove, or edit metadata in one or
       more FLAC files.

SYNOPSIS
       metaflac [ options ] [ operations ] FLACfile ...


DESCRIPTION
       Use metaflac to list, add, remove, or edit metadata in one or more FLAC
       files.  You may perform one major operation, or many shorthand
       operations at a time.

OPTIONS
       --preserve-modtime
              Preserve the original modification time in spite of edits.

       --with-filename
              Prefix each output line with the FLAC file name (the default if
              more than one FLAC file is specified).

       --no-filename
              Do not prefix each output line with the FLAC file name (the
              default if only one FLAC file is specified).

       --no-utf8-convert
              Do not convert tags from UTF-8 to local charset, or vice versa.
              This is useful for scripts, and setting tags in situations where
              the locale is wrong.

       --dont-use-padding
              By default metaflac tries to use padding where possible to avoid
              rewriting the entire file if the metadata size changes.  Use
              this option to tell metaflac to not take advantage of padding
              this way.

SHORTHAND OPERATIONS
       --show-md5sum
              Show the MD5 signature from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-min-blocksize
              Show the minimum block size from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-max-blocksize
              Show the maximum block size from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-min-framesize
              Show the minimum frame size from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-max-framesize
              Show the maximum frame size from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-sample-rate
              Show the sample rate from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-channels
              Show the number of channels from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-bps
              Show the # of bits per sample from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-total-samples
              Show the total # of samples from the STREAMINFO block.

       --show-vendor-tag
              Show the vendor string from the VORBIS_COMMENT block.

       --show-tag=name
              Show all tags where the the field name matches 'name'.

       --remove-tag=name
              Remove all tags whose field name is 'name'.

       --remove-first-tag=name
              Remove first tag whose field name is 'name'.

       --remove-all-tags
              Remove all tags, leaving only the vendor string.

       --set-tag=field
              Add a tag.  The field must comply with the Vorbis comment spec,
              of the form "NAME=VALUE".  If there is currently no tag block,
              one will be created.

       --set-tag-from-file=field
              Like --set-tag, except the VALUE is a filename whose contents
              will be read verbatim to set the tag value.  Unless --no-
              utf8-convert is specified, the contents will be converted to
              UTF-8 from the local charset.  This can be used to store a
              cuesheet in a tag (e.g.  --set-tag-from-
              file="CUESHEET=image.cue").  Do not try to store binary data in
              tag fields!  Use APPLICATION blocks for that.

       --import-tags-from=file
              Import tags from a file.  Use '-' for stdin.  Each line should
              be of the form NAME=VALUE.  Multi-line comments are currently
              not supported.  Specify --remove-all-tags and/or --no-
              utf8-convert before --import-tags-from if necessary.  If FILE is
              '-' (stdin), only one FLAC file may be specified.

       --export-tags-to=file
              Export tags to a file.  Use '-' for stdout.  Each line will be
              of the form NAME=VALUE.  Specify --no-utf8-convert if necessary.

       --import-cuesheet-from=file
              Import a cuesheet from a file.  Use '-' for stdin.  Only one
              FLAC file may be specified.  A seekpoint will be added for each
              index point in the cuesheet to the SEEKTABLE unless --no-cued-
              seekpoints is specified.

       --export-cuesheet-to=file
              Export CUESHEET block to a cuesheet file, suitable for use by CD
              authoring software.  Use '-' for stdout.  Only one FLAC file may
              be specified on the command line.

       --import-picture-from={FILENAME|SPECIFICATION}
              Import a picture and store it in a PICTURE metadata block.  More
              than one --import-picture-from command can be specified.  Either
              a filename for the picture file or a more complete specification
              form can be used.  The SPECIFICATION is a string whose parts are
              separated by | (pipe) characters.  Some parts may be left empty
              to invoke default values.  FILENAME is just shorthand for
              "||||FILENAME".  The format of SPECIFICATION is

              [TYPE]|[MIME-
              TYPE]|[DESCRIPTION]|[WIDTHxHEIGHTxDEPTH[/COLORS]]|FILE

              TYPE is optional; it is a number from one of:

              0: Other

              1: 32x32 pixels 'file icon' (PNG only)

              2: Other file icon

              3: Cover (front)

              4: Cover (back)

              5: Leaflet page

              6: Media (e.g. label side of CD)

              7: Lead artist/lead performer/soloist

              8: Artist/performer

              9: Conductor

              10: Band/Orchestra

              11: Composer

              12: Lyricist/text writer

              13: Recording Location

              14: During recording

              15: During performance

              16: Movie/video screen capture

              17: A bright coloured fish

              18: Illustration

              19: Band/artist logotype

              20: Publisher/Studio logotype

              The default is 3 (front cover).  There may only be one picture
              each of type 1 and 2 in a file.

              MIME-TYPE is optional; if left blank, it will be detected from
              the file.  For best compatibility with players, use pictures
              with MIME type image/jpeg or image/png.  The MIME type can also
              be --> to mean that FILE is actually a URL to an image, though
              this use is discouraged.

              DESCRIPTION is optional; the default is an empty string.

              The next part specfies the resolution and color information.  If
              the MIME-TYPE is image/jpeg, image/png, or image/gif, you can
              usually leave this empty and they can be detected from the file.
              Otherwise, you must specify the width in pixels, height in
              pixels, and color depth in bits-per-pixel.  If the image has
              indexed colors you should also specify the number of colors
              used.  When manually specified, it is not checked against the
              file for accuracy.

              FILE is the path to the picture file to be imported, or the URL
              if MIME type is -->

              For example, "|image/jpeg|||../cover.jpg" will embed the JPEG
              file at ../cover.jpg, defaulting to type 3 (front cover) and an
              empty description.  The resolution and color info will be
              retrieved from the file itself.

              The specification
              "4|-->|CD|320x300x24/173|http://blah.blah/backcover.tiff" will
              embed the given URL, with type 4 (back cover), description "CD",
              and a manually specified resolution of 320x300, 24 bits-per-
              pixel, and 173 colors.  The file at the URL will not be fetched;
              the URL itself is stored in the PICTURE metadata block.

       --export-picture-to=file
              Export PICTURE block to a file.  Use '-' for stdout.  Only one
              FLAC file may be specified on the command line.  The first
              PICTURE block will be exported unless --export-picture-to is
              preceded by a --block-number=# option to specify the exact
              metadata block to extract.  Note that the block number is the
              one shown by --list.

       --add-replay-gain
              Calculates the title and album gains/peaks of the given FLAC
              files as if all the files were part of one album, then stores
              them as FLAC tags.  The tags are the same as those used by
              vorbisgain.  Existing ReplayGain tags will be replaced.  If only
              one FLAC file is given, the album and title gains will be the
              same.  Since this operation requires two passes, it is always
              executed last, after all other operations have been completed
              and written to disk.  All FLAC files specified must have the
              same resolution, sample rate, and number of channels.  The
              sample rate must be one of 8, 11.025, 12, 16, 22.05, 24, 32,
              44.1, or 48 kHz.

       --remove-replay-gain
              Removes the ReplayGain tags.

       --add-seekpoint={#|X|#x|#s}
              Add seek points to a SEEKTABLE block.  Using #, a seek point at
              that sample number is added.  Using X, a placeholder point is
              added at the end of a the table.  Using #x, # evenly spaced seek
              points will be added, the first being at sample 0.  Using #s, a
              seekpoint will be added every # seconds (# does not have to be a
              whole number; it can be, for example, 9.5, meaning a seekpoint
              every 9.5 seconds).  If no SEEKTABLE block exists, one will be
              created.  If one already exists, points will be added to the
              existing table, and any duplicates will be turned into
              placeholder points.  You may use many --add-seekpoint options;
              the resulting SEEKTABLE will be the unique-ified union of all
              such values.  Example: --add-seekpoint=100x --add-seekpoint=3.5s
              will add 100 evenly spaced seekpoints and a seekpoint every 3.5
              seconds.

       --add-padding=length
              Add a padding block of the given length (in bytes).  The overall
              length of the new block will be 4 + length; the extra 4 bytes is
              for the metadata block header.

MAJOR OPERATIONS
       --list List the contents of one or more metadata blocks to stdout.  By
              default, all metadata blocks are listed in text format.  Use the
              following options to change this behavior:

              --block-number=#[,#[...]]
                     An optional comma-separated list of block numbers to
                     display.  The first block, the STREAMINFO block, is block
                     0.

              --block-type=type[,type[...]]

              --except-block-type=type[,type[...]]
                     An optional comma-separated list of block types to be
                     included or ignored with this option.  Use only one of
                     --block-type or --except-block-type.  The valid block
                     types are: STREAMINFO, PADDING, APPLICATION, SEEKTABLE,
                     VORBIS_COMMENT.  You may narrow down the types of
                     APPLICATION blocks displayed as follows:

                     APPLICATION:abcd        The APPLICATION block(s) whose
                     textual repre- sentation of the 4-byte ID is "abcd"
                     APPLICATION:0xXXXXXXXX  The APPLICATION block(s) whose
                     hexadecimal big- endian representation of the 4-byte ID
                     is "0xXXXXXXXX".  For the example "abcd" above the
                     hexadecimal equivalalent is 0x61626364

                     Note: if both --block-number and --[except-]block-type
                     are specified, the result is the logical AND of both
                     arguments.

              --application-data-format=hexdump|text
                     If the application block you are displaying contains
                     binary data but your --data-format=text, you can display
                     a hex dump of the application data contents instead using
                     --application-data-format=hexdump.

       --remove
              Remove one or more metadata blocks from the metadata.  Unless
              --dont-use-padding is specified, the blocks will be replaced
              with padding.  You may not remove the STREAMINFO block.

              --block-number=#[,#[...]]

              --block-type=type[,type[...]]

              --except-block-type=type[,type[...]]
                     See --list above for usage.

                     Note: if both --block-number and --[except-]block-type
                     are specified, the result is the logical AND of both
                     arguments.

       --remove-all
              Remove all metadata blocks (except the STREAMINFO block) from
              the metadata.  Unless --dont-use-padding is specified, the
              blocks will be replaced with padding.

       --merge-padding
              Merge adjacent PADDING blocks into single blocks.

       --sort-padding
              Move all PADDING blocks to the end of the metadata and merge
              them into a single block.

SEE ALSO
       flac(1).



                               14 September 2007                   METAFLAC(1)
