How To Add iTunes Artwork To MP3 ID3 Tags Using iTunes


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With iTunes 7, Apple added better support for album artwork. Previously iTunes wouldn’t automatically add artwork if you imported your own tracks. Now with iTunes 7, the program will automatically search the iTunes Music Store (ITMS) for artwork, and if any is available it will add it to your files. The problem is though, iTunes doesn’t add the artwork to the actual ID3 tag within the file that is read when other applications play your mp3s, so the artwork is only visible to iTunes.

iTunes_album_art_2.jpgI’ve discovered a very quick way of fixing this, which will add the iTunes artwork to your track’s ID3 tag. I prefer using iTunes to add the artwork rather than an external application, as (i) it’s quicker, and (ii) the iTunes artwork is much better quality.

To add album artwork using iTunes do the following:

  1. Find the album you want to add artwork to
  2. Select all the tracks in the album you want to add the iTunes artwork to the ID3 tag
  3. In the bottom left-hand corner click on ’show/hide artwork’
  4. Right-click on the artwork image that is displayed and select ‘copy’
  5. Now right-click on the tracks you’ve highlighted and select ‘Get info’
  6. In the pop-up box that right-click in the artwork field and select ‘paste’

Once you’ve done this iTunes will now add it’s high quality images to the albums ID3 mp3 tags, which will mean that other mp3 players and apps will now be able to display the artwork.


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  • Great tip and it works! ITMS artwork is so much better - I'm going to update my favourite albums now!
  • John Smith
    Even easier, open up "get info" and drag images from your browser window directly into the image box on the artwork tab. Works in OSX, possibly windows too.
  • Doens't work in windows - just tried.
  • With one of the venerable scripts in Doug's Apple script for iTunes collection, you can automate this task. Embed Artwork Script
  • Program to embed your iTunes 7 for Windows artwork here:
    http://teridon.googlepages.com/itunesscripts#it...
  • serge
    i tried to do it for my Creative vision:M and it don't seem to work... No artwork on my screen. Do you know an other way to do it ?
    Thanks,
    From Paris,
    Serge
  • It definitely adds artwork to the tags. I'm not familiar with the Creative player but the problem probably lies with your device
  • Brad
    This doesn't work for me either. Not on XP or Vista.

    @John Smith - Yes, the drag and drop from the browser works, but the whole point of this tip is that iTunes will find the artwork for you and it's of a much higher quality =]
  • John M
    Hello:

    I have tried this tip in iTunes 7.1 and it doesn't seem to work. I am using the Advanced Tag Editor in Windows Media Player to check if the artwork has been added to the ID3 tag after I do the paste as instructed.

    I have a lot of obscure music, much of which is not to be found in ITMS or Amazon and have spent many hours with Google Images finding artwork and don't want to lose it. So, I am unclear whther a MediaMonkey will blow that away.

    For the tip to work, does it matter whether the tag is V2.2 or V2.3?

    Does any other factor make a difference?
  • I just tried this and it definitely works. This tip is the simpliest tip ever - can't understand what you guys are doing wrong
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