APE tag

APE tag is a metadata format embedded in some audio files, such as MP3 files. Its purpose is similar to that if ID3. It apparently has some relationship to Monkey's Audio format.

Identification
An APE tag segment has the ASCII signature "" beginning 32 bytes before the end of the segment. Typically, the segment will be at the very end of the audio file, or just before an ID3v1 segment (i.e., the signature could appear 32+128 bytes from the end of the file). However, in some cases the segment could be at the beginning of the file, or possibly somewhere else.

APEv2 segments also begin with the same "" signature (i.e., the signature will appear twice).

Links

 * APE tag
 * Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase: APEv1 specification
 * Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase: APEv2
 * Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase: APEv2 specification
 * Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase: APE key