The ID3 standard is very flexible with regards to the type and number of images that can be embedded in a MP3 single file. Practically speaking JPEG images have been adopted as the de facto standard in this respect. While the ID3v2 tag standard allows any type of image to be embedded in an MP3 file, it does advise that either PNG or JPEG formats should be used when interoperability with playback devices is required. If you’re not familiar with ID3 tags, you may find my previous article on What are ID3 tags in MP3 files? helpful. ID3 tags allow you to store additional information within your MP3 files such as the track title, artist name and even album art. To include such extra information in an MP3 track, tag data is usually added to the beginning or end of the audio file in ID3 format.

So, before you start cutting and pasting huge graphics and adding them into your collection of MP3 tracks, what do you need to consider to avert potential disaster?Ī standard MP3 file only contains audio data, with no additional information about the artist or type of audio contained within it. However, it wasn’t until version 2 of the protocol became available that MP3 files could actually contain embedded album art. While MP3 files were not originally intended to store additional metadata within them, the release of the ID3 tag protocol in 1996 suddenly made this a possibility. However, before you start filling up all of your MP3 files with works of art, there are a few things that you should stop to consider first. Album art can be embedded into MP3 files fairly easily using ID3 tags.

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