# Encoder detection **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [October 21, 2023, 8:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486 "2023-10-21T08:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 8:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/1 "2023-10-21T08:57:43Z")
Using `Codec/Encoder........: %_codec% / %_tool%` for the nfo generation returns `Codec/Encoder........: MPEG 1 Layer III /` It seems that `%_tool%` doesn't recognize LAME3.100, but returns LAME3.99r for mp3's that are encoded with LAME 3.99.5 Using v3.22b x64 Portable, also in the GUI: ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/8/8777e9d34c983cd7f435a2920f856d653f859f77.png) I've tried with 3.22e x64 Portable, same thing, and also when I installed this version the path to the previous installation wasn't detected (I know it's portable installation but with older versions I remember the path was detected - I always installed Portable version). ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/2 "2023-10-21T15:10:16Z")
> [@chrisbxc](#): > > but with older versions I remember the path was detected This is not true for (real) portable installations. About the %\_Tool% property: AFAIK Mp3tag shows that what the encoder has written to the file. So, if the encoder did not add that data, MP3tag cannot show it. If this should not be the case, then a check of the file with a hex editor would be an idea or a check whether other tools can find the encoder version somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/3 "2023-10-21T17:03:46Z")
I've checked with other tools like TrueLame Version or with Audio Identifier 0.7.1 all identify as lame 3.99 or lame 3.10, the same 2 files ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/2/2de279dc6f77eeea531dfb544cf8ee56bdeac2bb.png) TrueLame Version App ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/3/36e26925694d6037e78e087cc3ad0a17bea9785f.png) ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/4 "2023-10-21T17:05:22Z")
Could you provide a sample song which should show LAME 3.100 (or LAME 3.10) in Mp3tag? ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/5 "2023-10-21T17:06:42Z")
One can check with whatever mp3 that is encoded with Lame 3.100 and other mp3 file that is encoded with Lame 3.99.5/r mp3 file. ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/6 "2023-10-21T17:10:38Z")
I can see LAME3.100: ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ccc1abd867aafc7a385d6daf382f5a46a9de6ff4.png) and LAME3.99r ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0ed20545f21b943c93b2bc3f63434f1f81326158.png) and LAME3.99 ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/2/2c4a7ba1895a40c5415a7dddee3860097aaffb80.png) and LAME3.98r ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/6/6d05db0c63808a757e17bad8afe4b39c95f3e022.png) and so on. The oldest I could find in my test files is LAME3.90. ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/5/56af47444466d62ba110fd7e10904e0005176062.png) ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/7 "2023-10-21T17:15:15Z")
Check with Mp3tag v3.22e or 3.22a x64 Portable version I can't see the version you are using: I am using the version you see in the printscreen ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/c3ee05b430a36294c07dafefa829ade48a1c291c.png) ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1d607c028517b97101a21a8ce6fa1eac4f92c460.png) ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/8 "2023-10-21T17:17:06Z")
My screenshots are from v3.22e (32bit) ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7c1875d52c63fe81a6ab795590ae53aa105029d0.png) Just a moment, I just try it with a portable v3.22e in 64-bit... ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/9 "2023-10-21T17:18:06Z")
In your screenshot it's a 32 bit version so... not he same I am using... it's not even a Portable version.... ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/10 "2023-10-21T17:20:13Z")
Exactly, that is why I am reporting this issue... ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/11 "2023-10-21T17:22:09Z")
In 64bit-Portable v3.22e the official standard codec column with the Value set as `%_codec%[(%_tool%)]` looks like this (not the same sort order, I just made a screenshot from what I got): ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1d4b8ae9731690f829e7501098d0bdd1f7f62c78.png) Help -\> About: ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/d/df1452a57dbbf4e42cacf77be8083b04521474fe.png) There are some tracks WITHOUT LAME version. This is also true for previous versions and my 32bit-Version. But if the LAME version exists in the track, it will be showed, including your LAME3.100. This is what @ohrenkino wrote in the first answer. ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2023, 10:23am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/12 "2023-10-22T10:23:00Z")
Other tools like MediaInfo or TrueLameVersion or Audio Identifier display the encoder as lame 3.100 or 3.99 ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/13 "2023-10-22T19:26:52Z")
I checked 2 files that behae differently in MP3tag in respect to display of tool version: one says LAME3.100 the other one says nothing. I checked the 2 files with a hex editor an only the first contains the string LAME. I then checked both files in Foobar2000. The first displays in the properties as tool: LAME3.100 For the other one Foobar2000 does not show anything for "tool". So my conclusion would be: MP3tag shows accurately what has been written into the file as "tool". If other programs have other means to find out which tools has been used then it would be nice to get a hint how they do it. If it includes the analysis of the audio part then it is currently out of reach for MP3tag. I also downloaded MediaInfo and checked the file without "tool" in the other 2 programs - and unlike your claim that this program reveals the tool, I do not see anything like "LAME", whereas it shows "Writing library: LAME3.100" for the other one. So I doubt that the observed behaviour is a bug. ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 9:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/14 "2023-10-23T09:08:23Z")
I've also checked my 2 files with a hex editor, and both of them have the encoder: ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/a/a17ce0e86c9d90361caa50b9862abb698f1d64fc.png) ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/a/a0881463b8ffdd6453caeec02100ccfc8671a096.png) ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 9:15am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/15 "2023-10-23T09:15:34Z")
Could you supply one of these files? So at least it looks like there are different methods to detect the tool which are shared by different programs. MP3tag, Foobar2000 and exiftool seem to apply one methode, MediaInfo uses a different one. But if the encoder has not written any information about the tool, then none of these programs says anything. ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 9:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/16 "2023-10-23T09:24:01Z")
Not all mp3's are encoded with lame, it can be other encoder like Xing or FhG or others... and ofcourse if the encoder didn't have the parameter to write the "tool" information in the file header - then the information is not available, although I think that lame writes this information by default, and only if one disables this by parameters then the info is not available, and even like this I don't think that you can't detect the encoder, using other tools or other inspection ways (as long as we are inspecting "non-damaged" mp3 files). ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 9:35am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/17 "2023-10-23T09:35:19Z")
> [@chrisbxc](#): > > as long as we are inspecting "non-damaged" mp3 files Oh yes, I checked these files without information with MP3diags to see whether that program shows more details - and those files were OK, according to MP3diags. ---
**Author:** ![chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@chrisbxc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisbxc)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 9:35am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/18 "2023-10-23T09:35:47Z")
Yes I can provide the files, as long as we are not breaking the rules, we can also exchange the files like the one you say has no "tool" information. ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 9:48am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/19 "2023-10-23T09:48:43Z")
Here is the data from today that does not show any tool info in MediaInfo ![mediainfo2](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0e8e6aa3ee0269c43a99fd6685a151e92dcb0bac.jpeg) And here is one for which MP3tag and Mediainfo both show a tool (writing library): ![mediainfo](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/d/dd6e3a515e7dce3f6d695b1d11188c76c82ad63a.jpeg) so it is possible to get files without the writing library information ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486/20 "2023-10-23T11:03:54Z")
Thank you for the file links. I think I found it: The hex editor reveals that the files that show the tool have the version spelt LAME whereas the files that do not show the tool have the version spelt Lame I overwrote LAME with Lame in the file which showed LAME3.99r in MP3tag and now MP3tag did not show the tool any more. So if MP3tag could ignore the case, then the tool - if present - should be displayable. MediaInfo shows LAME3.99r as LAME3.99r while it shows Lame3.99r as LAME3.99.5. [Next page](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/encoder-detection/62486.md?page=2)