# Improve metadata fields exposed
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [August 19, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243 "2022-08-19T21:16:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@johnfoliot](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/johnfoliot)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/1 "2022-08-19T21:16:40Z")
I love Mp3tag, but it's access to metadata fields remains limited, and I really wish I could get access to more, primarily for "cleaning" the files.
The attached image shows an example of an album loaded in Mp3tag, with the Extended Tags dialog open, and contrasted to the same album opened in Kid3 - a yech interface but a robust exposure of the metadata, which I am currently also using to clean the files. Of particular importance is both Peak Value and Average Level values - I want to (need to) remove those as they impact playback. Kid 3 also exposes "Tag 3" level metadata as well - rare but occasional, and when present almost always with adjusted playback level settings.
Anyway, that's the request - thanks in advance!
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2022, 7:04am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/2 "2022-08-20T07:04:33Z")
What kind of tags are in such a file?
Also APE?
Unfortunately, the extended tags dialogue does not show this info as more than 1 file has been selected.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2022, 10:17am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/4 "2022-08-20T10:17:46Z")
> [@johnfoliot](#):
>
> Of particular importance is both Peak Value and Average Level values - I want to (need to) remove those as they impact playback
I think you can cut and paste the whole tag for those files to remove these unsupported fields. They're written to ID3v2 `PRIV` frames and I made the decision to not expose those for editing (they can also contain arbitrary binary information).
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### Author:  [@johnfoliot](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/johnfoliot)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2022, 11:12am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/5 "2022-08-20T11:12:24Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> They're written to ID3v2 `PRIV` frames and I made the decision to not expose those for editing (they can also contain arbitrary binary information).
And I guess that is what I am asking for - to re-think that decision. I find it interesting that I can _ **add** _ a new field (also - I believe - a Private Frame) via Mp3tag, but I cannot access or edit other fields written to the file via other tools, be they from encoders (like Zune), or other quasi-standard fields like the afore-mentioned Peak Value & Average Value (which really mess up playback across the board).
May I politely ask why you decided to not expose the Private Frame fields?
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2022, 12:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/6 "2022-08-20T12:20:37Z")
You can't add `PRIV` frames via Mp3tag and my decision is based on the nature of those fields being private (`PRIV` is short for private).
Exposing those also involves handling arbitrary binary data that cannot be rendered as string (other than being transformed to, e.g., base64 encoding). Handling those fields would require keeping track of those transformation, adding lots of internal complexity for what I find has very little benefit.
For files from questionable or unknown sources, my suggestion is to remove the tags and start anew. This way you know that only those tag fields you really want are in the files. If you want to keep what's visible in Mp3tag, you can cut the tag and re-paste it. This also solves the trouble you're having with Peak Value & Average Value (which are not standard but only relevant to a specific player and, thus, encoded in `PRIV` frames).
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### Author:  [@johnfoliot](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/johnfoliot)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/7 "2022-08-20T12:29:35Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> my suggestion is to remove the tags
This is what I want to do anyway (remove those tags) - I don't want to write or re-write them - but I do not see a way to remove [PRIV] tags/fields not exposed in the UI. If there is a method of removing ALL metadata tags via Mp3tag (aka start afresh), I've not found it ☹
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2022, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/8 "2022-08-20T13:50:33Z")
> [@johnfoliot](#):
>
> If there is a method of removing ALL metadata tags via Mp3tag
If you want to remove all tags from a file, see **[File → Remove tag](https://docs.mp3tag.de/menus/file/#remove-tag)**. For MP3 files, it removes all tag formats that are enabled at **[Options → Tags → Mpeg → Remove](https://docs.mp3tag.de/customization/options/tags/mpeg/#remove)**.
If you only want to remove the fields that are not supported by Mp3tag, i.e., not available via the extended tag dialog, you can select the files and cut their tags the internal clipboard via **[Edit → Cut](https://docs.mp3tag.de/menus/edit/)** and paste the tags back via **[Edit → Paste](https://docs.mp3tag.de/menus/edit/#paste)**.
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### Author:  [@johnfoliot](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/johnfoliot)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/9 "2022-08-20T14:21:13Z")
OK, thank you. Not ideal, but workable.
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### Author:  [@Oblio](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Oblio)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 8:00am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/10 "2023-01-23T08:00:38Z")
Agreed. I have used the cut/paste method in the past but it always makes me feel nervous if doing more than a handful of files. What if there is an interruption during the paste operation? e.g. power outage, you accidentally exit Mp3tag etc.
An action "Remove unknown fields" that can do this one file at a time would be a safer option.
Florian please consider this as a feature request.
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 12:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/11 "2023-01-23T12:02:53Z")
This method should apply only to a single file, one where you would be having difficulty in processing it otherwise. Specifically it was for handling a track with a questionable source, to be able to remove fields that are labelled under PRIV and not accessible using mp3tag as explained above. Using it for large batches of files at once isn’t recommended, and as such shouldn’t have the dire consequences you are concerned about. And as always, a backup will make sure your worst case scenario has you covered.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/12 "2023-01-23T14:54:29Z")
> [@MotleyG](#):
>
> Specifically it was for handling a track with a questionable source, to be able to remove fields that are labelled under PRIV and not accessible using mp3tag as explained above.
I think that other programs use PRIV frames where the program is perfectly OK:
> [@Decoding the TRAKTOR 4 binary data inside a PRIV tag](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/decoding-the-traktor-4-binary-data-inside-a-priv-tag/54352):
>
> I just add this free little online tool for all the people interested what the DJ-Software "[Traktor](https://www.native-instruments.com/en/catalog/traktor/)" saves inside his proprietary binary chunk inside a PRIV id3 tag. If you save the few available metadata tags for a mp3 file in Traktor, it looks like this: Especially the fields Comment 2 and Cat. No. can't be found as standard ID3 tag and are therefore not readable by Mp3tag. If you analyze such a track with the help of this online tool: [https://hellricer.github.io/2…](https://hellricer.github.io/2021/05/05/decoding-traktor4-field.html)
> [@How to manage Private Tags?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-manage-private-tags/3606):
>
> [\<\_\<] Mp3tag is unable to show [private tags](http://www.id3.org/id3v2.3.0.html#sec4.28) (PRIV). There's no corresponding mapping for PRIV fields in the [Mp3Tag map table](https://docs.mp3tag.de/mapping). Is there any way to work around this? The reason I'd like to display/edit PRIV fields is because Windows Media Player uses its own PRIV field to store the Mood instead of using the corresponding TMOO field. Of course I'd like to conveniently modify this field with Mp3tag, since I'm planning to build some automatic playlists (i.e. intelligent playlists in iTunes) based…
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/13 "2023-01-23T15:40:30Z")
Agreed, but in these cases it is likely are not looking to modify or completely remove the tags that can be dealt with in programs like TRAKTOR and even WMP, if those are in use. I would be more concerned about files where one has no other alternative to view or handle these PRIV fields.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/improve-metadata-fields-exposed/58243/14 "2023-01-23T16:34:14Z")
> [@MotleyG](#):
>
> view or handle these PRIV fields
In the meantime, a further property can be displayed - the presence of unknown frames.
Please see this thread:
> [@%\_id3v2\_unknown\_frames% - which are they?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/id3v2-unknown-frames-which-are-they/58677):
>
> I made a list of frames which are mentioned in the ID3V2 standard but which are not supported by MP3tag: ID3-Id Description AENC Audio encryption COMR Commercial frame CTOC Table of contents The purpose of "CTOC" frames is to allow a table of contents to be defined. ENCR Encryption method registration EQUA Equalization ETCO Event timing codes GEOB General encapsulated object GRID Group identification registration LINK Linked information MCDI Music CD identifier MLLT M…
And not all frames should be deleted or are "unwanted", e.g. some podcasts come with CHAP frames which are interpreted by dedicated podcast players.