Metadata FAQs

What is Metadata in Synchtank?

Metadata refers to the digital tags that identify and describe your music — such as genre, mood, keywords, and instruments. In Synchtank, you can manage and create metadata tags for your catalog from the Metadata section in the Admin. Keeping your metadata up to date improves search functionality, catalog management, and how tracks are displayed on your front-end.

What metadata types can I manage?

The core metadata categories are Genres, Moods, Keywords, and Instruments. Some systems may have additional metadata sections depending on how your Synchtank system is configured.

How do I add a new metadata tag?

1. Go to Admin → Metadata and select the category you want to add to (e.g., Genres)
2. Click the green + Create button in the top right corner
3. Enter the name and optionally a description
4. Click Save

How do I add synonyms to a metadata tag?

Synonyms allow users to find tracks even when they search using alternative terms or common misspellings. To add a synonym:

1. Create a new metadata tag or open an existing one to edit
2. Click + Add Synonym and type the synonym
3. Click Save

To delete a synonym, click the delete icon next to it.

Can I merge duplicate metadata tags?

Yes. You can merge two metadata tags — for example, combining two similar genre entries. When merging, you choose which tag to keep and which to remove. The removed tag is automatically added as a synonym of the kept tag, and all tracks in the system are updated accordingly.

What are Parent/Child tags?

Parent/Child tags allow you to create sub-entities within a metadata category, enabling more detailed search filtering. For example, "Country Rock" can be set as a sub-genre (child) of "Country" (parent), allowing users to filter by both on the front-end.

How do I add metadata tags to a single track?

Open the track page in Masters, click Edit, and go to the Audio Metadata section. Start typing to search existing tags or use the + button to add a new tag on the spot.

How do I add metadata to multiple tracks at once?

You can add metadata to multiple tracks using the All Tracks spreadsheet import. Refer to the Masters section in the Catalog guide and the Import Tools guide for more details on bulk editing.

How do I remove metadata from a track?

To remove a metadata tag from a single track, go to the track page and click the x next to the tag in the Audio Metadata section. You can also remove metadata in bulk using an All Tracks report.

What is Automated Metadata Tagging?

Synchtank can automatically tag tracks with metadata fields including Key, Mode, BPM, Tempo, Timbre, Complexity, and Moods. The automated tagging uses a confidence factor — a percentage indicating how confident the algorithm is in each value.

How do I control automated tagging settings?

System-wide settings can be found in Admin → Metadata → Automated Tagging. For each field, you can:

• On — use all tags for the field
• Off — use no tags for the field
• Low — use tags with 25% confidence or higher
• Medium — use tags with 60% confidence or higher (default)
• High — use tags with 90% confidence or higher

These settings can also be configured per track, overriding the system-wide defaults.