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ShadowTag Adds Non-Destructive Audio Editing, Segment Detection, and Library Management Tools in Major Update SeriesFree macOS metadata editor for sound designers and audio librarians expands from a tagging tool into a full non-destructive audio workstation
Spongefork today announced a series of updates to ShadowTag, its free audio metadata editor for macOS, culminating in version 1.7.4. Since version 1.2.1 shipped in May 2026, the application has added non-destructive audio editing, automated segment and stem splitting, and a set of library-management features aimed at sound designers, post-production teams, and anyone maintaining a large audio archive.
ShadowTag reads and writes every major audio metadata standard — ID3v2, Vorbis Comments, MP4 atoms, BEXT, iXML, XMP, and UCS (Universal Category System) — in a single application, and organizes files into playlists without moving or duplicating them on disk.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE AUDIO EDITING
The most significant addition, introduced in version 1.3, brings trim, fade, crop, and normalize operations to the waveform view. Edits are applied at playback time and only committed to disk when the user saves, allowing changes to be previewed, adjusted, or discarded without altering source files. Fade regions support independent, adjustable taper shapes for fade-in and fade-out; normalize operates against Peak or LUFS loudness targets; and an Auto-Detect Trim Points tool proposes in/out boundaries based on leading and trailing silence. A Render Audio Edits option applies pending edits during export or format conversion.
SEGMENT DETECTION AND STEM DIVIDER
Version 1.6 introduced tools for breaking multi-sound recordings into individual files. Detect Segments scans a file for non-silent regions and presents the results as adjustable, previewable markers before any change is committed. Render Detected Segments then splits the file at those boundaries. Both operate in a multi-file mode across an entire playlist selection and can be included as a step in ShadowTag's batch processor.
LIBRARY ORGANIZATION
Subsequent releases added Smart Playlists — dynamic, rule-based playlists that automatically surface edited, rated, or color-tagged files across a library — along with an Import Library Folder command that maps an entire folder hierarchy into playlists in a single operation. Playlist data now saves per-playlist rather than as a single file per group, improving save performance and reducing the risk of data loss from an interrupted write. Saved Workspace and Column presets let users recall table and layout configurations by name, and a new Export Soundpack tool packages a file selection into a self-contained folder with up to two levels of tag-based subfolder grouping.
METADATA WORKFLOW
A new Paste Attributes command lets users copy one file's metadata and selectively apply chosen fields to other files, including across different metadata types (Tags, BEXT, and iXML), with a confirmation step showing the field mapping before it is applied. Full 0–5 star rating support was added across all supported formats, and BEXT and iXML fields can now be displayed as columns in the file list. UCS category detection has undergone several accuracy revisions since May, expanding synonym coverage and reducing false positives.
ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
The update series also introduced fractional BPM detection with adjustable decimal precision, improved octave correction for fast tempo loops, and an enterprise deployment path supporting MDM-based batch installation and licensing for organizations. A substantial number of playback, drag-and-drop, and interface reliability fixes are included throughout.
AVAILABILITY AND PRICING
ShadowTag's playback, organization, and analysis features — including full-text search, on-device batch analysis for loudness, BPM, musical key, and UCS category detection — remain free, with no time limit or file-count restriction. ShadowTag Pro, a one-time $99 purchase, adds the ability to write metadata to files, convert audio formats in batch, export CSV playlist data, and rename files to the UCS filename convention.
ShadowTag requires macOS 14 or later and is available in 11 languages. A free download and the full version history are available at:
https://spongefork.com/shadowtag/ (https://spongefork.com/shadowtag/)
https://spongefork.com/shadowtag/releasenotes/ (https://spongefork.com/shadowtag/releasenotes/)
A companion seven-part video series covering the application from first launch through export is available at:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTBp30yWZmdI
ABOUT SPONGEFORK
Spongefork is the personal software projects of musician and developer Ryan Francesconi. Dedicated to creative sound manipulation, his first application, Spongefork, was released in 1999 for macOS 8. From 2026, Spongefork returns as his software container for more musical experimentation. ShadowTag is the first release in a planned family of applications built around open audio metadata standards.