Is File > Remove tag the only way to remove ID3v1 and Ape tags from MP3 files? Or can this be done from within an Action?
Yes, this is the only way.
Thanks, Florian. Would it make sense to create a 'Remove Tags' action? Ideally you could state within the action exactly which types of tag to remove instead of relying on the Options > Tags > [filetype] settings. I can see myself using this extensively while retagging MP3s, instead of doing Ctrl-R each time.
Wondering if there is any further movement here? I have a number of music files that still have ID3v1 tags, and they mess up the filing classification in the organizing too I use (Orange CD - the only one I've found that scales to my collection of 130,000+ MP3's). I just want to strip the old ID3v1 tags from the mp3, ideally with a single click, and still not mess with the ID3v2 metadata.
Fingers crossed that Florian will pick this back up. 
If you wait for a 1 click solution, you may never get it done with Mp3tag.
But it is easy with Mp3tag, although the 8 or 9 clicks may take a few seconds.
I can't tell if you know how to do it and think it's too much trouble, or if you think it can't be done. 
Set File>Options>Tags>Mpeg to only read and delete ID3V1 tags.
Read the files.
Select the files.
Use the function "Delete tag" ... and wait
After the tags have been delete all files should show no tag data.
Set File>Options>Tags>Mpeg back to the normal state again, where you read, write and delete ID3V2 and read and delete ID3V1
Reread the files - they should now show the normal tag data again.
Thank you for the feedback!
I was, however, asking whether it would be possible to have the ability to strip just ID3v1 data from a file via an ACTION, as opposed to this current (slightly more complex) method, that involves multiple steps. That request was made quite some time ago, and I was wondering if it was still a Feature Request that Florian was tracking, or had rejected (either because it isn't possible to achieve, or because he did not feel the request rose to the level of investing effort on it).
What can i do in case need to remove only ID3v1 and keep ID3v2 tags?
see this post in this thread:
Problem i run into i open folder with 100 audiobooks most of them are MP3 format, some are M4B, M4A and WMA and i select all and removed tags Ctrl+R thinking it will only strip APE and ID3v1 tags, however it also stripped all tags from M4B, M4B and WMA files.
Wish there was also separate checkbox under File>Options>Tags>Mpeg for MP4/M4B/M4A and WMA files or any other way to specify that i only want remove tags from MP3 files in the list.
Currently solution for this is to use Filter (F3) to only show files that have mp3 extension using filter %_extension% IS mp3 so program will only remove tags from mp3 files.
I use another method:
I want only ID3v2 tags, so I set the options like this:
I read all 3, so I know if they are in the file.
I write only ID3v2.
I remove all 3 so I don't have to change this setting, unless I'm dealing with some special circumstance.
Then I cut (Ctrl+X) and then immediately paste (Ctrl+V).
Now, only ID3v2 tags will remain.
The settings only apply to MP3 files, so M4B, M4A and WMA files will simply have their tags removed and then rewritten.
The downside is that any information in the v1 tags will be lost if it's not in the v2 tags.
That approach works however i am big nervous about copy and paste so much data, what if there's error and i am unable to paste back or my clipboard gets erased then i have to spend another several hours downloading tags.
Exactly.
That is why you set only those tag versions to be removed that you really want to get rid of and then you use Edit>Remove tags.
This leaves all other tag versions in the file. No need to paste anything back again.
- Enable the checkbox to remove ID3v1 (and leave the other "remove" checkboxes disabled).
- Filter by
%_tag% HAS id3v1(not necessary but it helps to see which files will be affected). - Select all the files.
- File > Remove Tag, and click OK.
A side note: a useful improvement may be to add a summary to the dialogue box of the tag types which will be removed, since depending what I'm doing, I have the checkboxes in a different state, and it's possible to forget to check their status before proceeding.