# Install id3lib with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper ID3 tag manipulation. Version 3.8.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:id3lib ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install id3lib ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install id3lib ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: audio/id3lib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add id3lib ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: id3lib from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install id3lib ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: id3lib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#id3lib ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/id/id3lib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S id3lib ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: id3lib from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install id3lib-devel ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: id3lib-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:id3lib - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.8.3 - **Source summary:** ID3 tag manipulation - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-19T12:31:21-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - id3convert (cli) - id3cp (cli) - id3info (cli) - id3tag (cli) - id3convert (alias) - id3cp (alias) - id3info (alias) - id3tag (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - libtool ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.8.3 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-19 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage id3lib is a C and C++ library for reading, writing, and manipulating ID3v1 and ID3v2 metadata in MP3 files. Its package significance comes from being an old, widely packaged ID3v2 implementation with small command-line utilities and a long tail of audio-tagging dependents. ### Project history The project homepage describes id3lib as an open-source, cross-platform library focused on ID3v2 compliance, portability, and a stable API. It also credits Dirk Mahoney as the original ID3Lib author and notes that releases up through 3.05a were public-domain and no longer maintained. The SourceForge project was registered on 1999-12-28 and hosted the development center: downloads, mailing lists, bugs, patches, and CVS. A SourceForge mailing-list post from 2000 describes the Unix-oriented branch, LGPL relicensing, and the shift away from a MusicMatch-controlled line into the SourceForge project. ### Adoption history id3lib was adopted by desktop and command-line audio tools that needed ID3v1 and ID3v2 handling before newer libraries became common. The project homepage listed users such as EasyTAG, GNOMAD, the id3v2 command-line editor, and other MP3 organizers and taggers. Package managers kept id3lib available because old media tools continued to build against it. Homebrew, Debian-family packages, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, and other ecosystems expose either the library, its tools, or both. ### How it is used Developers used id3lib through C++ APIs such as ID3_Tag to parse an audio file, inspect frames, edit fields, and write changes back. The packaged tools id3info, id3tag, id3convert, and id3cp provide quick shell access to common metadata operations. The library's age is part of its maintenance profile. Project pages and downstream comments point to ID3v2.3-era behavior and limited ID3v2.4 support, so package users often keep it for compatibility rather than for newer tagging features. ### Why package nerds care id3lib is the kind of dependency that survives because old audio programs and scripts still expect it. It is small, C/C++-based, autotools-era, and often patched downstream to keep compiling on newer toolchains. It also marks a transition point in open-source audio metadata tooling: ID3v2 support moved from scattered application code toward reusable libraries, then later toward alternatives such as TagLib. ### Timeline - Pre-3.05a: Dirk Mahoney's ID3Lib releases were public-domain according to the project homepage. - 1999-12-28: The SourceForge id3lib project was registered. - 2000-04-06: A project mailing-list post described LGPL relicensing and a Unix-friendly SourceForge branch. - 2001-09-08: The published Doxygen API documentation was generated for id3lib 3.8.0pre2. - 3.8.3: The project homepage listed 3.8.3 as the release version. ### Related projects - id3v2 is a command-line editor built on id3lib. EasyTAG and other audio taggers used id3lib for MP3 metadata. TagLib became a common successor recommendation for projects needing broader or more maintained audio tag support. - The package sits near other MP3-era metadata tools such as libid3tag, eyeD3, kid3, and mutagen, but id3lib's C++ API and bundled utilities gave it a distinct packaging footprint. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** id3lib - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - id3lib: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/id/id3lib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - id3lib - 3.8.3-r3: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: id3lib from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | library for reading, writing, and manipulating ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags | https://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - apk - id3lib-dev - 3.8.3-r3: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: id3lib-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | library for reading, writing, and manipulating ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags (development files) | https://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - apk - id3lib-libs - 3.8.3-r3: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: id3lib-libs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | library for reading, writing, and manipulating ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags (libraries) | https://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - apk - id3lib-static - 3.8.3-r3: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: id3lib-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Static libraries for id3lib | https://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - dnf - id3lib - 3.8.3-62.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: id3lib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Library for manipulating ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags | http://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - dnf - id3lib-devel - 3.8.3-62.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: id3lib-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development tools for the id3lib library | http://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - pacman - id3lib - 3.8.3-20: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: id3lib from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Library for reading, writing, and manipulating ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags | http://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - id3lib-devel - 3.8.3-271.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: id3lib-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Documentation and Headers for id3lib | http://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - id3lib-examples - 3.8.3-271.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: id3lib-examples from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Example Applications for the id3lib Library | http://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - libid3-3_8-3 - 3.8.3-271.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libid3-3_8-3 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A Library for Manipulating ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags | http://id3lib.sourceforge.net/ - MacPorts - id3lib: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: audio/id3lib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libtool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libtool/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [easy-tag](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/easy-tag/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [id3v2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/id3v2/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [mp3info](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mp3info/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, id3, media, metadata. - [taglib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/taglib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, id3, library, media. - [mp3unicode](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mp3unicode/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, id3, media, metadata. - [rsgain](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rsgain/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, metadata. - [freealut](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/freealut/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, c, cli, library, media. - [libmikmod](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libmikmod/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, c, cli, library, media. - [flactag](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flactag/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, media, metadata, tag. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/id3lib.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/id3lib.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph