# Merge ID3 and APE tags **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [March 4, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/merge-id3-and-ape-tags/17715 "2016-03-04T16:41:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rijkstra](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/rijkstra/32/22_2.png) [@Rijkstra](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Rijkstra)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/merge-id3-and-ape-tags/17715/1 "2016-03-04T16:41:07Z")
I'm looking for a utility that will merge data in different tag types. I now use foobar2000 to write gain info to ID3v2. But I have gain info **only** in APE tags on a small minority of files that Mp3Gain can handle, but foobar2000 cannot. I don't know why that is, but it happens in about 1 of 300 files. I tried to upgrade Mp3tag to a version later than 1.4.6 that will write ID3v2, but haven't found it yet. I would only use it for exceptions since foobar2000 is much faster. Mp3Tag can merge the two types, but it takes some work. Load the ID3v2, export the tag data you need. Load the APE. Import the tag data. Save. Remove APE tag. All while toggling the Read-APE box in Options. I would like to see a tag merge option in Mp3Tag, but it appears that requests for it have been ignored for many years. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/merge-id3-and-ape-tags/17715/2 "2016-03-04T17:19:08Z")
> [@Rijkstra](#): > > I'm looking for a utility that will merge data in different tag types. ... I have gain info **only** in APE tags on a small minority of files that Mp3Gain can handle ... Mp3Tag can merge the two types, but it takes some work. Load the ID3v2, export the tag data ... Import the tag data. Save. Remove APE tag. All while toggling the Read-APE box in Options. ... Here is a proposal to copy data from the APE tag into the ID3v2 tag. **1.** Create a group of actions ... Actionsgroup "Test\_2007#20070316.Move mp3gain from APE to ID3" [#0] T=5 F=NEW\_REPLAYGAIN\_ALBUM\_GAIN 1=%REPLAYGAIN\_ALBUM\_GAIN% [#1] T=5 F=NEW\_REPLAYGAIN\_ALBUM\_PEAK 1=%REPLAYGAIN\_ALBUM\_PEAK% [#2] T=5 F=NEW\_REPLAYGAIN\_TRACK\_GAIN 1=%REPLAYGAIN\_TRACK\_GAIN% [#3] T=5 F=NEW\_REPLAYGAIN\_TRACK\_PEAK 1=%REPLAYGAIN\_TRACK\_PEAK% **2.** Change Options ... Set Mp3tag to ... read APE ... write ID3v2. **3.** Press [F5] to update the listview. Read ReplayGain values from tag APE and write these values to tag ID3v2 ... by applying the actionsgroup from step 1. **4.** Change Options ... set Mp3tag to ... read ID3v2 ... write ID3v2. **5.** Press [F5] to update the listview. Read values from tag ID3v2. Check the result. If that works, then try it again with the correct fieldnames ... (Change "F=..." from "NEW\_REPLAYGAIN\_..." to "REPLAYGAIN\_...") If that works, then apply it to the other APE tagged files too. See also ... [Converting APE to ID3 ?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4808/2) DD.20160304.1924.CET, DD.20160304.2054.CET ---
**Author:** ![Rijkstra](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/rijkstra/32/22_2.png) [@Rijkstra](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Rijkstra)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/merge-id3-and-ape-tags/17715/3 "2016-03-04T17:58:24Z")
> [@DetlevD](#): > > **1.** Create a group of actions ... > Actionsgroup "Test\_2007#20070316.Move mp3gain from APE to ID3" > [#0] > T=5 > F=NEW\_REPLAYGAIN\_ALBUM\_GAIN > 1=%REPLAYGAIN\_ALBUM\_GAIN% > [#1] > ... Your action group seems a bit kludgy too. Here's a thread from 2007 that bolsters my contention that the problem has been ignored for years. It's interesting that **ohrenkino** suggested the same kludge I have been using. [/t/4808/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/4808/1) ---
**Author:** ![Rijkstra](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/rijkstra/32/22_2.png) [@Rijkstra](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Rijkstra)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/merge-id3-and-ape-tags/17715/4 "2016-03-04T18:54:23Z")
I found a partial solution for the files Mp3Gain can handle, but foobar2000 cannot. It's Mp3GainPRO. It's only value to me is that it completely rewrites the file into something FB2K can handle, but it is audibly louder than the original! When I reapplied the gain in FB2K it went from +56.0 db to -6.40 db. I may eventually get nags to pay for Mp3GainPRO, but I can't see doing that for an exception handler that isn't even consistent with its predecessor! Mp3gain 1.4.6 was used previously. ---
**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/merge-id3-and-ape-tags/17715/5 "2026-02-09T12:26:07Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:26pm UTC