discid

Discid is the name given to a set of open-source software components that compute a Disc ID for audio CDs. It comprises a C library (libdiscid) and a command-line utility (discid) designed to identify a disc by its physical track layout and timing. The resulting Disc ID is used to look up metadata in music databases, most notably MusicBrainz, enabling automatic retrieval of album information, artist names, and track data when a CD is present or when a disc image is used.

How it works is based on the disc’s structure rather than its content text. The library reads the number of tracks, the start times of each track, and the overall disc length from a CD drive or a disc image. It then applies a defined Disc ID algorithm that combines these timing details to produce a unique identifier for that particular disc. Applications can then query databases with this Disc ID to obtain the corresponding metadata, simplifying tagging and organization of large music collections.

Uses and ecosystem: Discid is widely adopted by media players, tag managers, and library organizers to automate metadata lookup. It is particularly associated with the MusicBrainz ecosystem, where Disc IDs are used to match physical CDs with database records. The project emphasizes portability and interoperability, with the library available for various environments and languages through bindings or integrations in different software.

Implementation and licensing: Discid is open-source software, developed and maintained by a community of contributors. Licensing terms may vary by distribution, but the codebase is distributed under terms that permit use, modification, and redistribution in compatible projects. See also MusicBrainz Disc ID and libdiscid for related components.