cursedtag

A console audio tag editor.

• Works in terminal / console.
• Tiny (written in bash, using few external utilities).
• Supports mp3, ogg & flac files.
• Inspired by EasyTAG's features and cursetag's look (and name).
• Can operate on multiple files:
  • apply field to all selected files,
  • bulk rename files based on tags,
  • fill tags from file names

Table of Contents

• Dependencies
• Usage
• Invocation
• Customization
• Why?

Dependencies

• bash 4.4+
• coreutils
  • cd, mkdir, du, tr, cut, find, grep, sed.
• perl
  • Used for non-greedy regex capturing.
• sox
  • For retrieving bitrate, duration & length from audio files.
• mid3v2
• metaflac
• vorbiscomment
  • Optional. Programs for handling audio tags.

All of these should be readily available in most distributions.

Usage

There are thre modes in cursedtag - file selector, editor & scanner.

• Selector mode:

  • space - mark/unmark selected file
  • a, ctrl-a - mark/unmark all files
  • r - rename files in scanner mode
  • f - fill tags in scanner mode
  • →, enter, esc - go to tag editor
  • y - yank filename
  • q, ctrl-c - quit

• Editor mode:

  • enter, a - edit field (cursor at end)
  • i - edit field (cursor at start)
  • s, w - save changes to current file
  • S, W - apply field to all marked files
  • u - undo changed field
  • ←, esc - go file selector
  • y - yank field
  • p - paste
  • q, ctrl-c - quit

For moving around, you can use arrow keys, enter/escape, home/end, pgup/pgdown.

Few simple vi-like shortcuts are supported: h/j/k/l, g & G.

Invocation

$ cursedtag ~/Music

• Opens given directory in file selector mode.

$ cursedtag ~/Music/file.mp3

• Opens the file in editor mode. The file selector is pointed to ~/Music.

Customization

You can customize the program by setting following environment variables:

    # Space-separated list of tag field IDs.
    CURSEDTAG_FIELDS=…

    # Value of this variable will be inserted
    # into prompts of file rename & fill tags modes.
    CURSEDTAG_DEFAULT_TEMPLATE=…

    # Override colors by assigning escape sequences into these variables.
    CURSEDTAG_COLOR_ERROR=…
    CURSEDTAG_COLOR_OPTION=…
    CURSEDTAG_COLOR_STATUS=…
    CURSEDTAG_COLOR_MARKED=…
    CURSEDTAG_COLOR_SUCCESS=…
    CURSEDTAG_COLOR_SELECTED=…

    # Symbol of marked files ("*" by default)
    CURSEDTAG_SYMBOL_MARKED=…

    # Command that the yanked text will be piped into. Empty by default.
    CURSEDTAG_COMMAND_YANK=…

Program also sources ~/.config/cursedtag/rc file, if it exists. Here's an example of one that doesn't override already set environment variables:

    : ${CURSEDTAG_DEFAULT_TEMPLATE:="%a - %n"}
    : ${CURSEDTAG_FIELDS:="title album artist"}
    : ${CURSEDTAG_COLOR_STATUS:=$'\e[35m'}
    : ${CURSEDTAG_COMMAND_YANK:="xclip -f -in -sel primary | xclip -in -sel clipboard"}

Why?

musophobia (n.)
— a strong dislike of mice

hellricer (<) 2019