Metadata
bae populates your library with metadata from online databases during import.
What’s stored
Section titled “What’s stored”When you import an album, bae saves:
- Album info: Title, artist, year
- Track info: Names, durations, disc and track numbers
- Artwork: Cover images from MusicBrainz Cover Art Archive and Discogs
- Release info: Label, catalog number, barcode, country, format
- External IDs: Discogs release ID, MusicBrainz release and artist IDs
All metadata comes from MusicBrainz and Discogs and is stored in the bae database — bae does not read or write embedded tags. Your files are never modified. Whether managed (moved into bae storage) or unmanaged (left in place), the bytes are unchanged.
MusicBrainz
Section titled “MusicBrainz”MusicBrainz is an open music encyclopedia and bae’s primary metadata source. It provides comprehensive track listings, release group information, ISRC codes, and CD TOC matching for accurate identification.
No API key needed. MusicBrainz is free and open. It enforces an average of 1 request per second per IP address — bae spaces requests automatically.
Discogs
Section titled “Discogs”Discogs is a music database and marketplace, especially strong for vinyl releases, detailed credits, catalog numbers, and label information.
Discogs requires a personal API token. Get yours from Discogs Developer Settings and paste it during setup. Rate limit is 60 authenticated requests per minute — bae handles this automatically.