When the CD is available¶
This is perhaps the best case scenario, because it provides the greatest chance of tagging your music files with the most accurate match from the MusicBrainz database. It is also one of the easier methods for looking up the release.
1. Rip the CD to music files
Extract the music filed from the CD using your favorite ripping program (e.g.: Exact Audio Copy for Windows or Whipper for Linux). The format for the output files depends on your personal preference and the formats supported by your player. A popular format is FLAC, which is a compressed lossless format.
2. Lookup the CD on MusicBrainz
With the CD in the drive, it can be looked up automatically using the Lookup CD section for detailed instructions.
command. See the
3. Select the correct release
If there is only one release that matches the disc id for your disc, it will be loaded automatically. Before proceeding, please check to ensure that it properly matches your CD (e.g.: release country, date and label, catalog number, barcode, media type, and cover art). This is especially important if you are going to submit any information such as disc id or AcoustID fingerprints.
4. Load the files
Drag the files or folder from the browser to the “Unclustered Files” section in the left-hand pane. You do not need to scan or cluster them.
5. Match the files to the tracks on the release
Drag the files from the left-hand pane and drop them on the release in the right-hand pane. Check that each track on the release is associated with only one file. The release icon should turn gold. See the Matching Files to Tracks section for details.
6. Verify the metadata and cover art
Check that the metadata and cover art image for the release and tracks are what you want. Adjust if required. See the Setting the Cover Art section for details.
7. Save the files
Save the files using the Saving Updated Files section for details.
command. See the
8. Calculate and submit AcoustID fingerprints
This step is optional, but appreciated because it will help identify the files for others to look up for tagging.
Select the album entry in the right-hand pane and calculate the AcoustID fingerprints using
. Once the fingerprints have been calculated, submit them using .Note
AcoustID fingerprints should only be submitted after the files have been tagged with MusicBrainz metadata, and you have verified that the files have been matched to the correct track on the proper release.