MusicBrainz Picard 2.12.2

February 18, 2025

Additional Information

A free cross-platform music tagger for PC written in Python

Version	MusicBrainz Picard 2.13.3
Requirements	Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 10/Windows 11
Updated	February 18, 2025
Author	Robert Kaye
Category	MP3 and Audio
License	Open Source
Language	English
Download	1000

Overview

MusicBrainz Picard is a powerful, free, and open-source music tagger for Windows (and other platforms), designed for users who want accurate, consistent, and automated music metadata. Written in Python and actively developed on GitHub, Picard is widely trusted by music collectors, archivists, and audiophiles.

What sets Picard apart from traditional tag editors is its use of AcoustID audio fingerprinting, which identifies tracks by analyzing the actual audio—not just existing tags or filenames.

What Is MusicBrainz Picard?

MusicBrainz Picard is a music library tagging and organization tool built around the MusicBrainz open music database. It supports all major audio formats and can tag files even when they have:

Missing metadata
Incorrect tags
No filenames or album information

Instead of relying only on text-based matching, Picard uses audio fingerprints to accurately identify songs.

Audio Fingerprinting with AcoustID

One of Picard’s most powerful features is AcoustID-based identification. By scanning the audio itself, Picard can recognize tracks even if:

Tags are completely missing
Filenames are incorrect
Files come from unknown sources

With a single click on Scan, Picard generates an AcoustID fingerprint and queries MusicBrainz to find the best possible match. This makes it extremely effective for cleaning up messy or untagged music collections.

Release-Based and File-Based Tagging

Picard offers multiple tagging workflows depending on how much control you want:

Release-based lookup: Match files to complete albums from MusicBrainz, ensuring consistent track order, album titles, and metadata.
Single-file fingerprint tagging: Identify tracks individually using audio fingerprints.
Manual lookup: Search MusicBrainz manually and assign the correct release when automatic results are inaccurate.

This flexibility allows both beginners and advanced users to work efficiently.

Drag-and-Drop Workflow for Maximum Control

A large part of Picard’s power comes from its drag-and-drop interface, which makes complex operations intuitive:

Drag files or folders onto albums to auto-match tracks
Drag unmatched files between albums
Merge or split album clusters
Reassign tracks from one album to another

This visual approach makes it easy to correct mistakes and fine-tune results without diving into complex menus.

Extensive Customization with Scripts and Plugins

MusicBrainz Picard is highly customizable. Advanced users can extend its functionality through:

Scripting to rename and reorganize files automatically
Custom rules for how MusicBrainz metadata is applied
Plugins for cover art downloads, additional tagging logic, and workflow enhancements

This makes Picard adaptable to virtually any music library structure.

Wide Audio Format Support

Picard supports an extensive list of audio formats, including:

MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF
M4A, AAC, WMA
OGG, Opus, Speex
Monkey’s Audio, WavPack, Musepack
OptimFROG, TAK, AC-3, and more

It also supports embedding:

Album artwork
Embedded lyrics
MusicBrainz identifiers

Open Source and Actively Maintained

MusicBrainz Picard is released under the GPL v2.0 or later license and is actively developed by the MusicBrainz community. Its open-source nature ensures:

Transparency
Long-term availability
Continuous improvement

Users can also contribute by reporting issues, writing plugins, or improving documentation.

Who Should Use MusicBrainz Picard?

Picard is ideal for:

Music collectors with large or messy libraries
Audiophiles who want accurate, standardized metadata
DJs and archivists who rely on clean tagging
Users who want automation without sacrificing control

If accuracy matters more than speed alone, Picard is one of the best tools available.

Alternatives to Consider

If you’re exploring other options, popular alternatives include:

Zortam MP3 Media Studio
Tag&Rename

However, few alternatives match Picard’s audio fingerprinting accuracy and deep MusicBrainz integration.