Metadata Management
Metadata makes your audiobook discoverable and well-organized. AudioPie supports metadata fields that are embedded in the final M4B file.
Metadata Fields
Required
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The audiobook title. Required for saving and building. |
Recommended
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Author | The book's author (writer) |
| Genre | Book genre or category |
| Cover | Cover image for the audiobook |
Optional
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | Synopsis or description of the book |
Editing Metadata
- Switch to the Basic tab in the right panel
- Fill in the desired fields
- Metadata is auto-saved with the project
Title
The title is the most important field:
Good titles:
- "The Great Gatsby"
- "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
- "Project Hail Mary"
Avoid:
- "Audiobook"
- "Untitled"
- "Book 1"
Author
The author field identifies who wrote the book:
Author: Andy Weir
For multiple authors, separate with commas:
Authors: James S.A. Corey, Ty Franck
Genre
Use standard genre categories for better organization:
Good genres:
- Science Fiction
- Fantasy
- Mystery
- Biography
- Self-Help
Cover Art
Adding a Cover
There are two ways to add a cover:
- Click to select — Click the cover area or "Choose Cover" button
- Drag & Drop — Drag an image file directly onto the cover area
Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP
Cover Requirements
For best compatibility:
| Property | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Format | JPG or PNG |
| Size | 500×500 to 1400×1400 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | Square (1:1) |
| File Size | Under 500 KB |
You can find audiobook covers on:
Cover in Players
The cover appears in:
- Player library view
- Now playing screen
- Lock screen (mobile)
- Notification area
Description
The description field supports longer text. Use it for:
From the author of The Martian, a new science fiction
thriller about an astronaut who wakes up on a spaceship
with no memory of how he got there or what his mission is.
"An unforgettable story of survival and scientific ingenuity."
How Metadata is Stored
AudioPie embeds metadata using standard M4B/M4A tags:
| Field | Tag |
|---|---|
| Title | ©nam |
| Author | ©ART |
| Genre | ©gen |
| Description | desc |
| Cover | covr |
These tags are read by all major audiobook players.
Metadata from Source Files
If your MP3 files have ID3 tags, AudioPie uses them for:
- Track display names
- Initial chapter titles
However, book-level metadata (title, author, etc.) must be entered manually.
Best Practices
Be Consistent
If you create multiple audiobooks:
- Use consistent naming conventions
- Format author names the same way
- Use same genre categories
Keep It Clean
- Remove extra spaces
- Fix capitalization
- Use proper names (not nicknames)
Troubleshooting
Metadata Not Showing in Player
- Some players cache metadata — try rescanning
- Check if the player supports M4B metadata
- Try re-importing the audiobook
Cover Not Displaying
- Ensure the image isn't too large (>2MB)
- Try a different image format (JPG instead of PNG)
- Check image dimensions (should be square)
Special Characters in Title
Most special characters work fine. If issues occur:
- Avoid emojis in the title
- Use standard quotes and dashes
- Remove unusual Unicode characters