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Upload an audio file to view its detailed metadata, technical specifications, file header hex dump, and export the information as JSON or PDF.

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Audio Metadata Viewer – Complete Guide to Inspecting Audio File Properties

Learn how to view, analyze, and export detailed metadata from any audio file. Understand technical properties like codec, sample rate, bitrate, channels, ID3 tags, and file header hex dump. A must-have tool for audio engineers, podcasters, music collectors, and content creators.

What Is an Audio Metadata Viewer?

An audio metadata viewer is a tool that reads and displays the technical information embedded within audio files. This includes format-specific properties (codec, sample rate, bit depth, bitrate), descriptive tags (title, artist, album, genre, year), and the raw binary file header. Our free online audio metadata viewer lets you inspect all these properties instantly in your browser — no uploads to any server, 100% private and secure.

Supported Audio Formats

Our audio metadata viewer supports the most widely used audio formats. Each format stores metadata differently — from ID3v2 tags in MP3 to Vorbis comments in FLAC and OGG. The tool automatically detects and parses format-specific metadata.

MP3

MPEG Audio Layer 3 — the most popular lossy audio format. Supports ID3v1 and ID3v2 metadata tags including title, artist, album, genre, track number, and cover art.

WAV

Waveform Audio File Format — uncompressed audio standard for Windows. Stores basic format metadata in the RIFF header chunk.

FLAC

Free Lossless Audio Codec — open-source lossless compression. Uses Vorbis comments for metadata with support for ReplayGain and cue sheets.

AAC

Advanced Audio Coding — lossy compression standard used in MP4 containers. Supports a wide range of metadata tags.

M4A

MPEG-4 Audio — Apple's AAC-based format in an MP4 container. Supports iTunes metadata tags including cover art, grouping, and ratings.

OGG

Ogg Vorbis — patent-free open-source lossy format. Uses Vorbis comments with flexible field-value metadata.

OPUS

Opus — modern lossy audio codec optimized for speech and music. Low-latency, high-quality with Vorbis comment metadata.

AIFF

Audio Interchange File Format — Apple's uncompressed audio format. Stores metadata in the chunk-based structure similar to WAV.

AC3

Dolby Digital AC-3 — multi-channel audio format for surround sound systems. Stores basic metadata in the frame header.

AU

Sun/NeXT Audio File — legacy audio format from UNIX workstations. Simple header with basic encoding information.

How to Use the Audio Metadata Viewer

  1. Upload your audio file by clicking the upload area or dragging and dropping a file from your computer.
  2. The tool automatically reads the file and displays basic info: format, file size, duration, and MD5 hash.
  3. Browse the detailed metadata table showing codec, sample rate, channels, bitrate, and embedded tags like title and artist.
  4. Inspect the file header hex dump to analyze the raw binary structure of your audio file.
  5. Export the complete metadata as formatted JSON, download a styled PDF report, or copy individual values with one click.

Who Needs an Audio Metadata Viewer?

  • Audio Engineers & Producers — Verify technical specs, check sample rate and bit depth consistency across tracks in a project.
  • Podcasters & Content Creators — Inspect and standardize metadata tags before publishing episodes to streaming platforms.
  • Music Collectors & Archivists — Extract and catalog metadata from large libraries, verify file integrity with MD5 hashes.
  • Web Developers & QA Testers — Debug audio file processing pipelines, validate format compliance and metadata structure.
  • Forensic Analysts & Security Researchers — Examine raw file headers in hex dump for anomaly detection and file carving.

Frequently Asked Questions About Audio Metadata Viewing

1. What is audio metadata and why is it important?
Audio metadata is the descriptive and technical information embedded within an audio file. It includes technical specs (codec, sample rate, bitrate, bit depth, channels) and descriptive tags (title, artist, album, genre, year, track number). Metadata is essential for organizing music libraries, ensuring format compatibility in production workflows, and verifying file authenticity.
2. Can this audio metadata viewer read ID3 tags from MP3 files?
Yes, the tool can read ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags from MP3 files, including title, artist, album, genre, year, track number, composer, and encoder information. For lossless formats like FLAC, it reads Vorbis comments; for M4A/AAC files, it reads iTunes-style metadata tags.
3. Is my audio file uploaded to any server during metadata inspection?
No. All processing happens entirely in your browser using FFmpeg.wasm and the Web Crypto API. Your audio file never leaves your device. This makes the tool 100% private and secure, even for sensitive or confidential audio files.
4. What does the hex dump section show and how do I read it?
The hex dump displays the first 256 bytes of your audio file in a standard hexadecimal format. Each line shows: the byte offset (in hex), 16 bytes in hexadecimal notation (split into two groups of 8), and the ASCII representation of those bytes. This is useful for identifying file signatures (magic bytes), detecting corruption, and low-level analysis of audio file structure.
5. What's the difference between codec, container, and format?
The container (or format) is the file wrapper that holds audio data and metadata — for example, an MP4 container can hold AAC audio. The codec is the specific algorithm used to encode/decode the audio signal (e.g., AAC, MP3, FLAC, Vorbis). The format is the combination of container and codec, plus the file extension. Our audio metadata viewer displays all three so you can fully understand your file's technical makeup.
6. Can I export the metadata for documentation or reporting?
Absolutely. You can copy the complete metadata as formatted JSON to your clipboard with one click, download a JSON file for archival, or generate a styled PDF report that includes all file information, media properties, and hex dump — perfect for documentation, client deliverables, or quality assurance records.

Your Complete Audio File Inspection Tool

The Audio Metadata Viewer is a powerful, privacy-first tool for anyone who works with audio files. From verifying technical specifications to extracting embedded tags, inspecting raw headers, and exporting professional reports, it provides everything you need in one place. No signup required, no watermarks, no server uploads — completely free and private. Support for MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, M4A, OGG, OPUS, AIFF, AC3, and AU.