Transfer Audio Tags during Conversion

When you convert audio files from one format to another — whether for better compatibility, smaller file size or personal archiving — the actual sound is only half the story. Just as important are the audio tags which carry the metadata like artist name, track title, album, year, genre and even embedded album art.

These tags help you organize your music library, make it easier to search for songs and ensure your favourite tracks display correctly on media players, smartphones and streaming services. But not all audio formats use the same tagging system and this can lead to inconsistencies or data loss during conversion.

In this article, we’ll explore how audio tags work across different formats, why they sometimes fail to transfer properly, and how to ensure your metadata stays intact when converting files using tools like Audio Converter Plus.

1 Understanding Audio Tag Formats

Audio tags are stored differently depending on the file type. Some formats use ID3 tags, others rely on APEtag, Vorbis Comments, or WMA tags. Here’s a quick overview of the most common ones:

ID3: The most widely used tag format for MP3 files. It comes in two main versions, ID3v1 (limited field support) and ID3v2 (more flexible, supporting artwork, lyrics, and extended metadata).
APEtag: Commonly found in Monkey's Audio (APE) and some older MP3 files, APEtag offers a lot of flexibility and supports custom fields. However, the standard set of fields is quite limited, with no fields for rating, tempo, or key. This makes the format a bit of a no-no for organising a track library.
Vorbis Comments: Used in OGG containers along with the Vorbis, FLAC, and Opus codecs, this format is simple but effective for storing text metadata. However, the storage of covers in OGG and FLAC files is organized differently, which causes problems during conversion.
WMA Tags: Typical for Windows Media Audio files, these tags integrate well with Microsoft products, but are not always compatible outside the Windows ecosystem.
MP4 tags: Organized as separate atoms in the file structure and often duplicate each other, as is the case with the ID3v2 format. At the same time, Apple has added several dozen proprietary extensions, so the set of fields is more than enough for any software.

Each of these systems has its strengths and limitations, and not all are interchangeable without some form of translation during conversion.

2 Why Tag Compatibility Matters

The way metadata is handled during audio file conversion depends heavily on the source and target formats. When both formats support the same tagging standard — such as converting from one MP3 file to another — the process is straightforward and no data is lost.

However, complications arise when moving between formats that use different tagging systems. For example, converting a FLAC file with Vorbis Comments into an MP3 with ID3v2 tags requires the converter to interpret and map the metadata correctly. This is usually done internally by the software, but mismatches can occur, especially with special characters, non-Latin scripts, or embedded images.

One common issue occurs when dealing with ID3v2 versions. While newer versions offer enhanced functionality — including improved Unicode support and richer field types — not all media players handle them consistently. Even Windows 11's File Explorer is limited to supporting ID3v2.3. There are problems even with the standard genre field, which differs significantly between ID3v2.3 and ID3v2.4. In older versions, genres were often stored as numeric codes, while newer versions expect them in a specific textual format enclosed in brackets. If the conversion isn’t handled carefully, you might end up with numbers instead of readable genre names in apps like iTunes.

Another challenge involves text encoding differences. Older tag versions often use ANSI or ISO-8859-1, while modern ones rely on UTF-8 or UTF-16 for full Unicode support. Choosing the wrong encoding can result in unreadable characters — particularly for languages that use non-English alphabets or special symbols.

3 How Tag Transfer Works During Conversion

During the conversion process, the software first reads the original tags and maps them into a standardized internal format. From there, it rebuilds the metadata structure based on what the output format supports.

In ideal cases, where both formats fully support the same tagging system, the metadata is copied directly without any changes. This ensures that everything from the song title to the embedded album art remains intact.

Sometimes, the source and destination tags belong to the same family but differ slightly — such as ID3v1 to ID3v2. Since newer versions typically include all the fields of the older version plus enhancements, this kind of conversion usually works smoothly.

More complex situations arise when dealing with entirely different tag formats, such as converting from APEtag to ID3v2. In such cases, the program must interpret the original tags and reconstruct them in the new format. This can sometimes lead to formatting issues or image conversion if the new format doesn’t support the same embedded picture types.

Even more challenging is the case when multiple tag formats exist within a single file — for example, an MP3 containing both ID3v2 and APEtag with conflicting information. Some programs write additional metadata like ReplayGain values in separate tag formats, leading to potential data loss if the converter doesn’t recognize or prioritize them correctly.

Audio Converter Plus handles these cases intelligently by defaulting to the native tag format of the target file. For example, when converting to MP3, it uses ID3v2, and when converting to Monkey's Audio, it preserves metadata using APEtag.

4 Special Considerations for WAV Files

WAV is an uncompressed audio format known for its high quality but it has its own challenges when it comes to metadata. Unlike MP3 or FLAC, WAV files only store a limited set of metadata in the INFO chunk of a RIFF container. To get around this, some programs embed ID3v2 tags in custom chunks.

Audio Converter Plus can read and copy these tags during conversion but not all third-party software will recognize them. If you’re working with WAV files, please check compatibility with your intended playback or editing application after conversion.

5 Best Practices for Preserving Tags

To ensure your metadata survives the conversion process:

Always enable the option to copy tags to the output file in your converter settings.
Use converters like Audio Converter Plus that intelligently translate between different tag formats.
Avoid unnecessary re-encoding steps — each time you convert a file, especially between lossy formats, there's a small risk of metadata corruption.
Make sure you check the converted files in your media player of choice to make sure that all tags, especially album art and expanded margins, have been kept exactly the same.

Summary

Transferring audio tags during file conversion is more than just a technical detail — it’s about keeping your digital music collection intact. Whether you’re converting FLAC to MP3, APE to ALAC or preparing files for portable devices, getting your tags to transfer cleanly makes a big difference in how your music is displayed and sorted.

By understanding how different tagging systems work and using a reliable tool like Audio Converter Plus you can keep your music library intact through multiple conversions. Your favourite tracks will always show the right artist, title and album art — no matter where you play them.