---
name: "pytags"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pytagsfs"
version: "0.9.2-6"
release: "Debian 10 (Buster)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pytags"
---

# pytags(1)

set and remove tags on media files from filename and options

## NAME

pytags - set and remove tags on media files from filename and options

## SYNOPSIS

**pytags** \[OPTIONS\] *file* \[*file*...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**pytags** is a simple, general-purpose tool for setting and removing media file tags. With no options, **pytags** prints a tag summary for all files specified on the command line. Options can be used to set and remove tags on files.

Using **--format**, it is easy to change or create tags on by parsing metadata from filenames according to an arbitrary format string. This makes it simple to tag files that are consistently named.

Additionally, tags can be manipulated directly with the **--add**, **--set**, and **--remove** options. These options are processed in order, so options specified later on the command-line may cause values set by earlier options to be overwritten. These options must appear after the **--format**, if it is used.

## OPTIONS

- **--add**=EXPR

  Append a tag value all files according to EXPR. EXPR should be an expression like “artist=Foo”. May be specified multiple times to add multiple values.

- **--format**=FORMAT

  Tag files with metadata extrapolated from filenames using format string FORMAT; see the section called “FORMAT STRINGS”. This option must be specified before **--add**, **--set**, or **--remove**.

- **--set**=EXPR

  Set a single tag on all files according to EXPR. EXPR should be an expression like “artist=Foo”. May be specified multiple times to set multiple tags. **--set** cannot be used to specify multiple values for a single tag. To do that, use **--remove** followed by multiple **--add** options.

- **--remove**=TAG

  Remove tags named TAG. May be specified more than once to remove multiple tags.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Show summary of options and exit.

- **-v**, **--version**

  Show version of program and exit.

## FORMAT STRINGS

The format string expected by **--format** is the same as that for **pytagsfs**. See the **pytagsfs** manual page for more information.

## EXAMPLES

Remove the genre tag from all .ogg files in the current directory.

```
$ pytags --remove genre *.ogg
```

Set the artist and album tag on all .mp3 files, and remove the genre tag.

```
$ pytags --set artist=Foo --set album=Bar --remove genre *.mp3
```

Tag all of the .flac files in the current directory. All such files are assumed to be in the format "tracknum artist - trackname \[album\].flac".

```
$ pytags --format '%n %a - %t [%l].flac' *.flac
```

## BUGS

Please report bugs on launchpad at http://launchpad.net/products/pytagsfs/+bugs.

pytags relies on mutagen (the underlying Python tags library) to choose an appropriate tag format for the files being tagged. This cannot currently be overridden.

## SEE ALSO

[**pytagsfs**(1)](/pytagsfs/1.md)

## AUTHOR

**Forest Bond**

Author.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2007, 2008, 2009\