Tag Sources → Local freedb¶
Open File → Options… → Tag Sources → Local freedb to use an extracted historical freedb database on disk. This is a source of album metadata, separate from OpenTag's own Library cache.
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Select the database root containing category subfolders, not an individual album file. A local snapshot reflects the date it was created; it does not receive current server updates.
Local freedb folder¶
The folder defaults to empty. Type its full path or use Choose folder…. The reader supports category folders such as blues, classical, and rock, with either one xmcd file per disc or the Windows xxtoyy range-file layout.
Extract the snapshot before selecting it; a downloaded compressed archive is not the database folder. A nonexistent path or unreadable category data cannot provide matches. Store it somewhere the app can continue to access.
Local lookup by disc ID reads that snapshot. The historical Mp3tag documentation says audio-file-based lookup is unavailable locally. Do not transfer that restriction to OpenTag unchanged: its local reader supports disc-ID lookup, and its tag-source workflow can derive a disc ID from a suitable ordered track layout. That is metadata matching, not an acoustic fingerprint of the music.
Text index¶
To search by artist/album words, choose Build index. The page reports whether an index exists, its disc count, and whether it belongs to the currently entered folder. Building has progress reporting; Cancel requests cancellation. An unfinished build does not replace the previous completed index.
An index for another folder is not a valid index for this folder. Rebuild after replacing the snapshot or changing the configured root; changes to database files are not indexed automatically. An empty root must be set before building can start. In environments without the index backend, the button is unavailable and the page states that text indexing is not available there.
Building an index performs work immediately using the entered folder. Saving Options chooses which folder later searches use; canceling the outer dialog does not undo a completed index build. No local index is needed for a direct disc-ID lookup.
Lookup methods¶
| SEARCH BY | Input | Text index needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Disc ID of the selected files | ID derived from file-list order and durations | No |
| freedb disc ID | Existing freedb disc ID entered in DISC ID | No |
| Artist and album words | Words in indexed artist/album titles | Yes |
For selected-file lookup, use one complete disc in track order with known durations and at most 99 files. A local disc ID is distinct from gnudb's listed Entry ID, a barcode or a MusicBrainz identifier. The database is not updated from gnudb and does not receive corrections when tags are saved.
No matching album¶
Confirm the selected files belong to one complete disc, their list order and durations are appropriate, and the snapshot actually contains the release. A title search needs an index; a missing disc cannot be recovered by rebuilding the same snapshot's index. A newer edition may require another source. See Search a local freedb snapshot for the three lookup methods and import review.