diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b4938b8..2349094 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7,11 +7,19 @@ The tag library can read and write the following tag formats:
 * iTunes-style MP4/M4A tags (MP4-DASH is supported)
 * ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags
     * conversion between ID3v1 and different versions of ID3v2 is possible
+    * mainly for use in MP3 files but can be added to any kind of file
 * Vorbis, Opus and FLAC comments in Ogg streams
     * cover art via "METADATA_BLOCK_PICTURE" is supported
 * Vorbis comments and "METADATA_BLOCK_PICTURE" in raw FLAC streams
 * Matroska/WebM tags and attachments
 
+Further remarks:
+
+* Unsupported file contents (such as unsupported tag formats) are *generally* preserved as-is.
+* Note that APE tags are *not* supported. APE tags in the beginning of a file are strongly
+  unrecommended and thus discarded when applying changes. APE tags at the end of the file
+  are preserved as-is when applying changes.
+
 ## File layout options
 ### Tag position
 The library allows you to choose whether tags should be placed at the beginning or at
diff --git a/mediafileinfo.cpp b/mediafileinfo.cpp
index 8f08233..407f81d 100644
--- a/mediafileinfo.cpp
+++ b/mediafileinfo.cpp
@@ -254,6 +254,23 @@ startParsingSignature:
             static_cast<OggContainer *>(m_container.get())->setChecksumValidationEnabled(isForcingFullParse());
             break;
         case ContainerFormat::Unknown:
+        case ContainerFormat::ApeTag:
+            // skip APE tag if the specified size makes sense at all
+            if (m_containerFormat == ContainerFormat::ApeTag) {
+                if (const auto apeEnd = m_containerOffset + 32 + LE::toUInt32(buff + 12); apeEnd <= static_cast<std::streamoff>(size())) {
+                    // take record of APE tag
+                    diag.emplace_back(DiagLevel::Critical,
+                        argsToString("Found an APE tag at the beginning of the file at offset ", m_containerOffset,
+                            ". This tag format is not supported and the tag will therefore be ignored. It will NOT be preserved when saving as "
+                            "placing an APE tag at the beginning of a file is strongly unrecommended."),
+                        context);
+                    // continue reading signature
+                    m_containerOffset = apeEnd;
+                    goto startParsingSignature;
+                }
+                m_containerFormat = ContainerFormat::Unknown;
+            }
+
             // check for magic numbers at odd offsets
             // -> check for tar (magic number at offset 0x101)
             if (size() > 0x107) {
@@ -378,12 +395,14 @@ void MediaFileInfo::parseTags(Diagnostics &diag, AbortableProgressFeedback &prog
     static const string context("parsing tag");
 
     // check for ID3v1 tag
-    if (size() >= 128) {
+    auto effectiveSize = static_cast<std::streamoff>(size());
+    if (effectiveSize >= 128) {
         m_id3v1Tag = make_unique<Id3v1Tag>();
         try {
-            stream().seekg(-128, ios_base::end);
+            stream().seekg(effectiveSize - 128, std::ios_base::beg);
             m_id3v1Tag->parse(stream(), diag);
             m_fileStructureFlags += MediaFileStructureFlags::ActualExistingId3v1Tag;
+            effectiveSize -= 128;
         } catch (const NoDataFoundException &) {
             m_id3v1Tag.reset();
         } catch (const OperationAbortedException &) {
@@ -395,6 +414,22 @@ void MediaFileInfo::parseTags(Diagnostics &diag, AbortableProgressFeedback &prog
         }
     }
 
+    // check for APE tag at the end of the file (APE tags a the beginning are already covered when parsing the container format)
+    if (constexpr auto apeHeaderSize = 32; effectiveSize >= apeHeaderSize) {
+        const auto footerOffset = effectiveSize - apeHeaderSize;
+        char buffer[apeHeaderSize];
+        stream().seekg(footerOffset, std::ios_base::beg);
+        stream().read(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
+        if (BE::toUInt64(buffer) == 0x4150455441474558ul /* APETAGEX */) {
+            // take record of APE tag
+            const auto tagSize = static_cast<std::streamoff>(LE::toUInt32(buffer + 12));
+            diag.emplace_back(DiagLevel::Warning,
+                argsToString("Found an APE tag at the end of the file at offset ", (footerOffset - tagSize),
+                    ". This tag format is not supported and the tag will therefore be ignored. It will be preserved when saving as-is."),
+                context);
+        }
+    }
+
     // check for ID3v2 tags: the offsets of the ID3v2 tags have already been parsed when parsing the container format
     m_id3v2Tags.clear();
     for (const auto offset : m_actualId3v2TagOffsets) {
diff --git a/signature.cpp b/signature.cpp
index fb3d3eb..d786de8 100644
--- a/signature.cpp
+++ b/signature.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ namespace TagParser {
  * \brief Holds 64-bit signatures.
  */
 enum Sig64 : std::uint64_t {
+    ApeTag = 0x4150455441474558ul, // APETAGEX
     Ar = 0x213C617263683E0A,
     Asf1 = 0x3026B2758E66CF11ul,
     Asf2 = 0xA6D900AA0062CE6Cul,
@@ -126,6 +127,8 @@ ContainerFormat parseSignature(std::string_view buffer)
     }
     // return corresponding container format
     switch (sig) { // check 64-bit signatures
+    case ApeTag:
+        return ContainerFormat::ApeTag;
     case Ar:
         return ContainerFormat::Ar;
     case Asf1:
@@ -490,6 +493,8 @@ std::string_view containerFormatName(ContainerFormat containerFormat)
         return "Zstandard compressed file";
     case ContainerFormat::Id2v2Tag:
         return "ID3v2 tag";
+    case ContainerFormat::ApeTag:
+        return "APE tag";
     default:
         return "unknown";
     }
diff --git a/signature.h b/signature.h
index aacd9de..b7cfd50 100644
--- a/signature.h
+++ b/signature.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ enum class ContainerFormat : unsigned int {
     Zip, /**< ZIP archive */
     Aiff, /**< Audio Interchange File Format */
     Zstd, /**< Zstandard-compressed data */
+    ApeTag, /**< APE tag */
 };
 
 TAG_PARSER_EXPORT ContainerFormat parseSignature(const char *buffer, std::size_t bufferSize);