# Help with m4a "Description" Tag **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [August 10, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219 "2017-08-10T17:46:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ByMinotti)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/1 "2017-08-10T17:46:36Z")
Can someone help me figure out how to bring up the description tag from an m4a audio file in mp3tag? I attached a screenshot of it. I have tried to add it under "customize columns" and also went to view and extended tags but I can't get it to display. Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks! ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5ee61d9c822e253163a9538bd8206842f6280299.png) ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5ee61d9c822e253163a9538bd8206842f6280299.png) ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 4:11am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/2 "2017-08-11T04:11:51Z")
> [@Minotz](#): > > Can someone help me figure out how to bring up the description tag from an m4a audio file in mp3tag? I attached a screenshot of it. I have tried to add it under "customize columns" and also went to view and extended tags but I can't get it to display. Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks! ... Your screenshot seems to be not a screenshot from Mp3tag. Give us a screenshot from the dialog Mp3tag "View/Extended Tags...". For sure ... Open "Customize columns" Create a column: Name: TagRead (TagTypes) Value: **%\_tag\_read%[' ('%\_tag%')']** Which tagtype is read from the m4a file? Open Mp3tag "View/Extended Tags..." [Alt+T] and have a look at the Metadata list. Which tagfield name is associated with the m4a description? DD.20170811.0811.CEST ---
**Author:** ![ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ByMinotti)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 10:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/3 "2017-08-11T10:56:01Z")
> [@DetlevD](#): > > Your screenshot seems to be not a screenshot from Mp3tag. > Give us a screenshot from the dialog Mp3tag "View/Extended Tags...". > > For sure ... > Open "Customize columns" > Create a column: > Name: TagRead (TagTypes) > Value: %\_tag\_read%[' ('%\_tag%')'] > > Which tagtype is read from the m4a file? > > Open Mp3tag "View/Extended Tags..." [Alt+T] and have a look at the Metadata list. > Which tagfield name is associated with the m4a description? > > DD.20170811.0811.CEST Attached is a screenshot of Extended Tags. The TagType is MP4 (MP4). I have dBpoweramp installed and this is where I am seeing the description tag. Thanks for your help! ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/2/27310dd5fcede64f44ce306345a9a9688d39989d.png) ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7fce7045fe587e83cb283c70c4aae8680ab9ce04.png) ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/2/27310dd5fcede64f44ce306345a9a9688d39989d.png) ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7fce7045fe587e83cb283c70c4aae8680ab9ce04.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:** [August 11, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/4 "2017-08-11T15:20:46Z")
see perhaps here: [/t/11417/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/11417/1) The suggestion is to use SUBTITLE. ---
**Author:** ![ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ByMinotti)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/5 "2017-08-11T15:59:28Z")
Thanks for that suggestion but I had already found that post and didn't have any luck trying what it said. Nothing shows up under SUBTITLE on this file in Mp3tag. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/6 "2017-08-11T16:02:13Z")
> [@Minotz](#): > > Thanks for that suggestion but I had already found that post and didn't have any luck trying what it said. Nothing shows up under SUBTITLE on this file in Mp3tag. Could it then be that your player has a database on its own where it stores the data for "description"? What happens in your player if you fill SUBTITLE in Mp3tag? ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/7 "2017-08-11T17:10:04Z")
> [@Minotz](#): > > Attached is a screenshot of Extended Tags. The TagType is MP4 (MP4). ... Again you show us an example dialog window with an existing (?) tag-field named "Description", which is currently in "Edit Mode", having the text "TEST" within the edit line. Just to make it sure ... please ... show us a picture from the dialog window with this tagfield being not in edit mode. DD.20170811.2110.CEST ---
**Author:** ![ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ByMinotti)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/8 "2017-08-11T18:22:55Z")
> [@DetlevD](#): > > Again you show us an example dialog window with an existing (?) tag-field named "Description", which is currently in "Edit Mode", having the text "TEST" within the edit line. > Just to make it sure ... please ... show us a picture from the dialog window with this tagfield being not in edit mode. > > DD.20170811.2110.CEST I have attached two screenshots while playing the file in foobar2000. When I click on Metadata Properties it shows the Description field. If I open the file in Mp3tag and add something in the Subtitle field and then play the file in foobar2000 it adds the Subtitle field under Description. I am still unable to see what is typed in the Description field when I open it in Mp3tag. Thanks for your help. ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7f5354f167a159019eadeb30dca49737d2577bee.png) ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b067c6ba394c144f98c747a83683fe90c72334ec.png) ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7f5354f167a159019eadeb30dca49737d2577bee.png) ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b067c6ba394c144f98c747a83683fe90c72334ec.png) ---
**Author:** ![ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@ByMinotti](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ByMinotti)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/9 "2017-08-11T18:29:14Z")
> [@Minotz](#): > > I have attached two screenshots while playing the file in foobar2000. When I click on Metadata Properties it shows the Description field. If I open the file in Mp3tag and add something in the Subtitle field and then play the file in foobar2000 it adds the > Subtitle field under Description. I am still unable to see what is typed in the Description field when I open it in Mp3tag. Thanks for your help. > > ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7f5354f167a159019eadeb30dca49737d2577bee.png) > > ![](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b067c6ba394c144f98c747a83683fe90c72334ec.png) I just opened up "Customize Columns" in Mp3tag and tried creating a description column one more time. I put the value and field both %description% and that worked. It is now showing what is typed in the Description field in Mp3tag. I am not sure why this didn't work originally but thanks everyone for all of your help!! ---
**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:** [August 12, 2017, 5:58am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/10 "2017-08-12T05:58:55Z")
> [@Minotz](#): > > I just opened up "Customize Columns" in Mp3tag and tried creating a description column one more time. I put the value and field both %description% and that worked. It is now showing what is typed in the Description field in Mp3tag. I am not sure why this didn't work originally but thanks everyone for all of your help!! You have created a user-defined field called DESCRIPTION and all the programs that can deal with user-defined fields will display it. What you have not solved is this: where did the data go to that you entered in dbpoweramp? (Or you have found it out but did not tell us). And quite honestly: if it is so difficult to extract the data from description - why don't you use SUBTITLE straightaway as this seems to be a standard field (and not user-defined) that is recognized by more applications. Edit: I just learned that e.g. WE writes a special atom "Xtra" where it hides WM/SubTitle. So I would not use other programs than MP3tag. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/help-with-m4a-description-tag/19219/11 "2026-02-09T12:26:56Z")