How to Customize Windows 10 File Explorer to Show Metadata

In this video, I show you how you can customize File Explorer to reveal metadata information for every folder that contains mp3 files, which is especially useful when you have a large collection of mp3s with a mix of bitrates. I use three Windows 10 File Explorer tools to do this: one, I customize (optimize) a folder and its subfolders to a Music template; two, I add and resize columns with extra metadata like bitrate, then change the column arrangement; and three, I change the definition of the Music template so that it applies to all folders and subfolders that have been, or will be, customized to Music. #FileExplorer #Windows10 #320kbps

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[mackgarrison]

Thank you very much for a very simple but informative task. I've been looking for something like this for about 3 years because every time I would add columns for my metadata in Windows Music Player it would always revert back to the original format. I was to the point of thinking maybe if I changed each one individually they would stay. And I'm talking about close to 3000 CDs. Thank you, thank you, thank you!. Very simply explained, also. Great tutorial.

[andreiadam]

Excellent video, tutorial was easy to understand and relevant. Thank you!

[gcgjohnson]

Thank you. You saved me loads of time.

[zoomosis]

Presumably Explorer is reading only the first few frames of each MP3 and assuming the bitrate is constant throughout the file. Otherwise the calculation would need to scan the entire MP3 and be hampered by disk I/O speed. Consequently the bitrate shown probably won't be correct for variable bitrate MP3s.

Also I'm not sure Microsoft ever fixed it but I recall Windows Explorer had common bug years ago that often prevented the user from deleting an .AVI file because in the background Explorer was still fetching the metadata and generating thumbnails, locking the file. A bug more noticeable on slower PCs that used hard disks.

[legochicano]

Yes, finally! Thank you for the video.

[JoeGoschy]

Terrific explanation. Very helpful. Good job!

[tchall]

Very useful. Thanks so much for explaining this.

[AmericanSoldierLakotaSioux]

Any way to display "ALAC" in TYPE? I see "MPEG-4 Audio File Format" on TYPE but there's various MPEG-4 types and I'd like to see ALAC (or Apple Lossless) if possible. Thanks much.

[NaxelaNAXELA]

can you make file explorer count the number of times a video file is opened or plated? Like in youtube with view count? Or in itunes with play count?

[musicislife]

How about bit depth ? It shows a blank column only with no inf at all !

[paulle]

Hi, how do you customize it so that the bitrate is shown in the thumbnail of the mp3 (or other audio types, ie. flac, etc..)Mp3ext has that feature when winamp was my default player. However, when I use foobar as default player, the foobar icon takes over even after I reinstall mp3ext.

[pythone.g.account]

Thank you so much for this info. 👍👍
One small issue if you could clarify please:
Say you set the folder view for a collection of mp3 in d:\music.
Now suppose d:\music is added to the music library: Libraries\Music.
If I navigate to d:\music the folder structure persists as per your video. However, if I navigate to Libraries\Music, the folder view no longer persists. Is there a workaround for that?
thank you

[JAY_SRI_HARI]

Sir, does it applicable for pdf folder

[jsebean]

Microsoft could really improve the UX of this.

[kgkumaran]

Please update this for Windows 11.

Update:
There is no much change in Windows 11. Same way. Thank you very much.