CD-Text

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CD-Text is a rudimentary metadata format used on audio CDs, and is similar to the tags found in computer audio files. Unlike other CD metadata sources, the information is not in an external database, but is actually encoded on the CD itself, in the subcode channels.

Very few commercial CDs have CD-Text data, and quite often, the data they do have is erroneous, incomplete, or poorly formatted.

Reading and writing CD-Text is not universally supported by players, drives, and software.

Format

CD-Text data is stored in language blocks, with a CD being able to hold up to 8 blocks. Each block contains a number of "pack types", which are what defines the types of CD-Text information stored on the disc.

Pack types are as follows:

Pack	Description	Type
0x80	Title	String
0x81	Performer	String
0x82	Songwriter	String
0x83	Composer	String
0x84	Arranger	String
0x85	Message Area	String
0x86	Disc Identification	String
0x87	Genre Identification	Binary
0x88	Table of Contents	Binary
0x89	Second Table of Contents	Binary
0x8d	Closed Information	String
0x8e	UPC/EAN code of the album and ISRC code of each track	String
0x8f	Block Size Information	Binary

Pack types 0x8a–0x8c are reserved, so are not included in the above table.

Software support

The following software can read CD-Text:

• cdrdao
• dBpoweramp
• Exact Audio Copy
• foobar2000
• iTunes
• MusicBee
• PerfectRip

The following software can write CD-Text:

• cdrdao
• ImgBurn

External links

• CD-Text on Wikipedia