Comparison of ID3 Standards
by Tilo Sloboda <tools@unixgods.org>


This document contains a side-by-side comparison over the frames used in the 3 different versions of the informal ID3v2 standard: v2.2.0, v2.3.0 and v2.4.0 and the ID3 versions 1.0 and 1.1

This document is a compilation of information which is available in the documents listed below. The original documents Copyright notices apply.


    ID3 v1.0 :     http://www.id3.org/id3v1.html
    ID3 v1.1 :     http://www.egr.uri.edu/~kovacsp/mp3/ID3-Tag.html


    ID3 v2 2.0:     http://www.id3.org/id3v2-00.txt
    ID3 v2 3.0:     http://www.id3.org/id3v2.3.0.txt
    ID3 v2 4.0:     http://www.id3.org/id3v2.4.0-changes.txt
                        http://www.id3.org/id3v2.4.0-structure.txt
                        http://www.id3.org/id3v2.4.0-frames.txt

Please refer to the original documents listed above, for any information
regarding the ID3v2 standards.

References:
    id3lib-3.8.0   id3lib-3.8.0/include/id3/globals.h
   
    NOTE:          the symbolic names used in the leftmost column are derived
                   from the names used in id3lib-3.8.0
                   The symbolic name CRYPTEDMETA is not part of id3lib-3.8.0,
                   and LEADARTIST was shortened to ARTIST.

Topic
2.2.0 2.3.0 2.4.0
Tag Header



Frame Header



Text Frames



URL Link Frames



unsynchronisation scheme






























                  
SYMBOL
Byte Range
Frame Name
EQ
Comments
1.0
1.1
2.2.0
2.3.0
2.4.0
GENREID

127




genre ID
CONTENTGROUP


TT1
TIT1
TIT1

content group description
TITLE
3..32
3..32
TT2
TIT2
TIT2

title/songname/content description
SUBTITLE


TT3
TIT3
TIT3

subtitle/description refinement
ARTIST
33..62
33..62
TP1
TPE1
TPE1

lead performer(s)/soloist(s)
BAND


TP2
TPE2
TPE2

band/orchestra/accompaniment
CONDUCTOR


TP3
TPE3
TPE3

conductor/performer refinement
MIXARTIST


TP4
TPE4
TPE4

interpreted, remixed, modified by
COMPOSER


TCM
TCOM
TCOM

composer
LYRICIST


TXT
TEXT
TEXT

lyricist/text writer
LANGUAGE


TLA
TLAN
TLAN

language(s)
CONTENTTYPE


TCO
TCON
TCON

content type
ALBUM
63..92
63..92
TAL
TALB
TALB

album/movie/show title
TRACKNUM

126
TRK
TRCK
TRCK

track number/position in set
PARTINSET


TPA
TPOS
TPOS

part of set
ISRC


TRC
TSRC
TSRC

international standard recording code
DATE


TDA
TDAT


date
YEAR
93..96
93..96
TYE
TYER


year
TIME


TIM
TIME


time
RECORDINGDATES


TRD
TRDA


recording dates
RECORDINGTIME




TDRC

recording time
ORIGYEAR


TOR
TORY


original release year
ORIGRELEASETIME




TDOR

original release time
BPM


TBP
TBPM
TBPM

beats per minute
MEDIATYPE


TMT
TMED
TMED

media type
FILETYPE


TFT
TFLT
TFLT

file type
COPYRIGHT


TCR
TCOP
TCOP

copyright message
PUBLISHER


TPB
TPUB
TPUB

publisher
ENCODEDBY


TEN
TENC
TENC

encoded by
ENCODERSETTINGS


TSS
TSSE
TSSE

software/hardware + settings for encoding
SONGLEN


TLE
TLEN
TLEN

length (ms)
SIZE


TSI
TSIZ


size (bytes)
PLAYLISTDELAY


TDY
TDLY
TDLY

playlist delay
INITIALKEY


TKE
TKEY
TKEY

initial key
ORIGALBUM


TOT
TOAL
TOAL

original album/movie/show title
ORIGFILENAME


TOF
TOFN
TOFN

original filename
ORIGARTIST


TOA
TOPE
TOPE

original artist(s)/performer(s)
ORIGLYRICIST


TOL
TOLY
TOLY

original lyricist(s)/text writer(s)
FILEOWNER



TOWN
TOWN

file owner/licensee
NETRADIOSTATION



TRSN
TRSN

internet radio station name
NETRADIOOWNER



TRSO
TRSO

internet radio station owner
SETSUBTITLE




TSST

set subtitle
MOOD




TMOO

mood
PRODUCEDNOTICE




TPRO

produced notice
ENCODINGTIME




TDEN

encoding time
RELEASETIME




TDRL

release time
TAGGINGTIME




TDTG

tagging time
ALBUMSORTORDER




TSOA

album sort order
PERFORMERSORTORDER




TSOP

performer sort order
TITLESORTORDER




TSOT

title sort order
USERTEXT


TXX
TXXX
TXXX

user defined text information frame
WWWAUDIOFILE


WAF
WOAF
WOAF

official audio file webpage
WWWARTIST


WAR
WOAR
WOAR

official artist/performer webpage
WWWAUDIOSOURCE


WAS
WOAS
WOAS

official audion source webpage
WWWCOMMERCIALINFO


WCM
WCOM
WCOM

commercial information
WWWCOPYRIGHT


WCP
WCOP
WCOP

copyright/legal information
WWWPUBLISHER


WPB
WPUB
WPUB

publishers official webpage
WWWRADIOPAGE



WORS
WORS

official internet radio station homepage
WWWPAYMENT



WPAY
WPAY

payment
WWWUSER


WXX
WXXX
WXXX

user defined URL link frame
INVOLVEDPEOPLE


IPL
IPLS


involved people list
MUSICIANCREDITLIST




TMCL

musician credits list
INVOLVEDPEOPLE2




TIPL

involved people list
UNSYNCEDLYRICS


ULT
USLT
USLT

unsynchronised lyrics/text transcription
COMMENT
97..126
97..124
COM
COMM
COMM

comments
TERMSOFUSE



USER
USER

terms of use

UNIQUEFILEID


UFI
UFID
UFID

unique file identifier
CDID


MCI
MCDI
MCDI

music CD identifier
EVENTTIMING


ETC
ETCO
ETCO

event timing codes
MPEGLOOKUP


MLL
MLLT
MLLT

MPEG location lookup table
SYNCEDTEMPO


STC
SYTC
SYTC

synchronised tempo codes
SYNCEDLYRICS


SLT
SYLT
SYLT

synchronised lyrics/text
VOLUMEADJ


RVA
RVAD


relative volume adjustment
VOLUMEADJ2




RVA2

relative volume adjustment (2)
EQUALIZATION


EQU
EQUA


equalization
EQUALIZATION2




EQU2

equalization (2)
REVERB


REV
RVRB
RVRB

reverb
PICTURE


PIC
APIC
APIC

attached picture
GENERALOBJECT


GEO
GEOB
GEOB

general encapsulated object
PLAYCOUNTER


CNT
PCNT
PCNT

play counter
POPULARIMETER


POP
POPM
POPM

popularimeter
BUFFERSIZE


BUF
RBUF
RBUF

recommended buffer size
CRYPTEDMETA


CRM



encrypted meta frame
AUDIOCRYPTO


CRA
AENC
AENC

audio encryption
LINKEDINFO


LNK
LINK
LINK

linked information
POSITIONSYNC



POSS
POSS

position synchronisation frame
COMMERCIAL



COMR
COMR

commercial frame
CRYPTOREG



ENCR
ENCR

encryption method registration
GROUPINGREG



GRID
GRID

group indentification registration
PRIVATE



PRIV
PRIV

private frame
OWNERSHIP



OWNE
OWNE

ownership frame
SIGNATURE




SIGN

signature frame
SEEKFRAME




SEEK

seek frame
AUDIOSEEKPOINT




ASPI

audio seek point index