tinytag

A library for reading metadata from MP3, OGG, FLAC and Wave files.

EstablishedOpen SourceLow lock-in

Pricing

Free tier

Flat rate

Adoption

Stable

License

Open Source

Data freshness

Aging · Jun 8, 2026

Overview

What is tinytag?

TinyTag is a lightweight Python library that allows developers to read metadata from various audio file formats including MP3, OGG, FLAC, and Wave. It's useful for applications needing to extract information like title, artist, album, or duration without the need for heavy dependencies.

Key differentiator

TinyTag stands out by offering a lightweight and dependency-free solution specifically tailored for extracting metadata from multiple audio formats in Python applications.

Capability profile

Capability Radar

Ease of StartEcosystemValueMaturityFlexibilityScale Ready

Honest assessment

Strengths & Weaknesses

↑ Strengths

Lightweight and easy to integrate into Python projects.medium

Supports multiple audio file formats including MP3, OGG, FLAC, and Wave.medium

Does not require heavy dependencies or external libraries.medium

↓ Weaknesses

Limited support for advanced metadata fieldshigh

TinyTag primarily supports basic metadata fields such as title, artist, album, and duration. Advanced or custom metadata fields are not well-supported.

No built-in caching mechanismmedium

Repeated reads of the same file do not benefit from a caching layer, which can lead to performance issues when dealing with large datasets.

Does not support writing metadatahigh

TinyTag is read-only and does not provide functionality for modifying or writing metadata back into audio files.

Minimal documentation and examplesmedium

The official documentation lacks comprehensive examples and detailed explanations, which can make it difficult for new users to understand how to use the library effectively.

Fit analysis

Who is it for?

✓ Best for

Python developers who need a lightweight solution to read metadata from various audio formats without heavy dependencies.

Projects that require quick and efficient extraction of audio file information in Python applications.

✕ Not a fit for

Applications requiring real-time streaming or processing of audio data, as TinyTag is focused on reading static metadata.

Developers looking for a comprehensive media library with extensive features beyond basic metadata extraction.

Cost structure

Pricing

Free Tier

Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

None

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Ecosystem

Relationships

Alternatives

Works well with

Next step

Get Started with tinytag

Step-by-step setup guide with code examples and common gotchas.

View Setup Guide →