CD-Text

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CD-Text is a rudimentary metadata format used on audio CDs, and is similar to the tags found in computer audio files. Unlike other CD metadata sources, the information is not in an external database, but is actually encoded on the CD itself, in the subcode channels.

Very few commercial CDs have CD-Text data, and quite often, the data they do have is erroneous, incomplete, or poorly formatted.

Reading and writing CD-Text is not universally supported by players, drives, and software.

Format

CD-Text data is stored in language blocks, with a CD being able to hold up to 8 blocks. Each block contains a number of "pack types", which are what defines the types of CD-Text information stored on the disc.

Pack types are as follows:

Pack Description Type
0x80 Title String
0x81 Performer String
0x82 Songwriter String
0x83 Composer String
0x84 Arranger String
0x85 Message Area String
0x86 Disc Identification String
0x87 Genre Identification Binary
0x88 Table of Contents Binary
0x89 Second Table of Contents Binary
0x8d Closed Information String
0x8e UPC/EAN code of the album and ISRC code of each track String
0x8f Block Size Information Binary

Pack types 0x8a–0x8c are reserved, so are not included in the above table.

Software support

The following software can read CD-Text:

The following software can write CD-Text:

External links

References

  1. How to write or burn a CD (CD-R) that includes CD-Text with ImgBurn