Tag Sources → freedb¶
Open File → Options… → Tag Sources → freedb to configure a CDDB server for album metadata. The historical freedb service ended; the saved defaults point to gnudb, and a compatible alternative server can be entered.
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A server address, application acceptance, and an album match are three separate conditions. If the server refuses OpenTag, changing the disc ID will not fix that refusal. A local snapshot avoids dependence on a remote CDDB server.
Server list¶
Select the server to use from FREEDB SERVER. New adds a configuration; Delete removes the selected one while leaving at least one entry. Changing the selected entry changes which server is used after Options OK.
OpenTag ships HTTPS and HTTP gnudb entries, with HTTPS selected initially. Current list of freedb servers restores that shipped list and selects its first entry, replacing edits in the dialog. Unlike the remote-list retrieval described for Mp3tag, this button does not fetch a fresh list from a server. Restore page defaults also restores the page's saved-default choices for later OK.
Server fields¶
| Field | Meaning and default |
|---|---|
| NAME | Label used in the server selector; the initial HTTPS entry is gnudb (HTTPS). It is not the network address. |
| PROTOCOL | HTTPS or HTTP. Default HTTPS encrypts the request in transit when the server supports it. |
| ADDRESS | Hostname only, initially gnudb.gnudb.org. Do not paste a whole URL here. |
| PATH | Server endpoint, initially /~cddb/cddb.cgi. Keep it separate from the hostname. |
| PORT | Optional number from 1 to 65535. Empty uses the protocol's default port. |
| Your email address (sent to the freedb server) | Optional configured identity sent in the CDDB handshake, not a login password. Defaults to empty. |
The default endpoint is https://gnudb.gnudb.org/~cddb/cddb.cgi. HTTPS encrypts the connection; HTTP does not. Choose a protocol the selected server supports.
Email and application identity¶
An address entered here must look like name@example.org. Every request sends its user/domain components with OpenTagAudioTagEditor and the application version. Empty email sends the developer contact john@neerdael.nl. Use an address intended to be shared with the selected server. This identifies the client; it is not a password or account sign-in.
gnudb may accept only applications registered by its operator and may reply 500 Unknown application otherwise. Changing the email address does not register OpenTag, and saving valid settings does not establish live registration. A refusal message is a service/application registration issue, not evidence that the endpoint settings were saved incorrectly. Choose a compatible server or local database when appropriate. Ordinary timeout/proxy behavior is configured under Networking.
Disc ID fields¶
Both switches default to off:
- Copy disc ID to COMMENT field includes the source disc ID in the imported comment data. Review the comment in the import before applying it if it already holds notes worth keeping.
- Copy disc ID to DISCID field imports the disc ID into its dedicated
DISCIDfield, keeping that identity separate from human-readable comments.
The entry's own freedb DISCID is used when present, falling back to the listed ID. It can differ from the gnudb Entry ID shown in results.
These govern metadata imported from freedb; they do not change the audio or make a server accept the client. The disc ID is not a MusicBrainz release identifier, a barcode, or a filesystem path.
Search methods¶
Use remote freedb lookup by track layout or artist and album. Typed disc-ID lookup is available only for a local snapshot. OpenTag asks the server for matches before reading the chosen entry.
Artist/album and artwork search are restricted to recognized gnudb hosts (gnudb.org or its subdomains). Other configured CDDB servers use track-layout lookup, even if they implement similar text commands. If the server answers 429 Too Many Requests, wait before searching again; OpenTag does not automatically repeat that rejected request.