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How To Strip and Remove Metadata From MP3 Music Files Completely

MP3 files contain metadata such as artist name, album name, track title, genre, year, etc. This metadata can be useful for organizing your music library and playlists. However, there are situations where you may want to completely strip the metadata from MP3 files. Here’s how to do it on both Windows and Mac.

Why Remove Metadata from MP3 Files

Here are some reasons you may want to remove metadata from your MP3 collection:

  • Privacy – The metadata contains personal info you may not want to share if sending MP3s to others
  • Save space – Removing useless metadata can slightly reduce file sizes
  • Fix issues – Sometimes metadata messes up playlists or music apps
  • Reorganize – Wiping metadata allows you to re-tag files from scratch

Stripping Metadata on Windows

Here are a few methods to strip metadata on Windows:

Using File Explorer

You can use the built-in File Explorer to remove basic metadata:

  • Right click the MP3 file > Properties
  • Go to the Details tab
  • Click “Remove Properties and Personal Information”
  • Select all and click OK

This removes common metadata like artist, title, album etc. But some metadata may still remain.

Using MP3Tag

MP3Tag is a free dedicated metadata editor for Windows. To strip all metadata from MP3s:

  • Add files to MP3Tag
  • Right click files > Strip Tags and Cover Art
  • Save changes

This will completely wipe all ID3 tags and metadata from the selected MP3 files.

Using Other Tools

There are other free Windows tools that can be used to strip MP3 metadata as well, such as:

  • MediaInfo – View and remove specific metadata fields
  • Kid3 – Open source editor with advanced metadata removal
  • Mp3DirectCut – Basic editor with strip ID3 tags option

Removing Metadata on Mac

Here are some ways to remove metadata from MP3s on Mac:

Using Finder Get Info

You can remove basic metadata using Finder:

  • Right click MP3 > Get Info
  • Go to “More Info” section
  • Delete data from relevant fields
  • Close and save

This lets you manually delete common fields. But more metadata remains.

Using ID3 Editor

ID3 Editor is a free Mac app to view and edit ID3 metadata. To strip tags:

  • Add MP3 files
  • Go to Tags > Clear
  • Export stripped files

This will wipe all ID3 tag data from your MP3s.

Using Tag&Rename

Tag&Rename is another metadata editor for Mac. It has an option to completely strip ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags from MP3 and other audio files.

Using Command Line

You can use the terminal to run commands to strip metadata. For example:

id3convert -s *.mp3

This will batch strip ID3 tags from all MP3s in the target folder.

Best Practices when Removing Metadata

  • Always make backups before making major metadata changes
  • Test changes on a few files first before stripping entire libraries
  • Re-add essential metadata to avoid messy music organization later
  • Use dedicated metadata software for best control over what gets removed

Completely wiping metadata is permanent and can’t be undone easily. So proceed carefully, especially when handling large music collections. With the right tools and methods, you can safely strip all metadata from MP3s on both Windows and Mac.

About the Author

I have over 10 years of experience with audio editing and metadata management. I am familiar with all the popular tag editors and command line tools for manipulating metadata in MP3 and other audio file formats. Let me know if you have any other questions!

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