How I rate music
The ID3 v2.3.0 specification defines the popularimeter frame. It allows a user (identified by their email address) to store their rating of a track. The rating itself is a byte, so it can easily represent values on any sensible scale.
A lot of music players and collection managers allow the user to define the number of values of that scale - often represented as stars. This is the case of Quod Libet, one of my personal favorites.
I use a 5-star scale. I want tracks to have no stars by default, so I know I haven’t rated them yet. When I rate a track, I give it from 1 to 5 stars based on how I like it and how likely it is I’ll listen to it again:
| Rating | How I like the track | How likely it is I’ll listen to it again |
|---|---|---|
| ★ | It’s terrible | I never want to hear it again |
| ★★ | It’s OK | I don’t mind hearing it |
| ★★★ | It’s good | I’ll listen to it again sometimes |
| ★★★★ | It’s fantastic | I’ll definitely listen to it again |
| ★★★★★ | It’s a masterpiece | I’ll certainly listen to it again when I want to be blown away |
Ratings can be uploaded to MusicBrainz.