diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 38fd173c..58f8c09b 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -2053,9 +2053,10 @@ Description
 metadata.content-format
 -----------------------
 Type
-    ``string``
+    ``string`` or ``list`` of ``strings``
 Example
-    ``"tags:\n\n{tags:J\n}\n"``
+    * ``"tags:\n\n{tags:J\n}\n"``
+    * ``["tags:", "", "{tags:J\n}"]``
 Description
     Custom format string to build the content of metadata files with.
 
diff --git a/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py b/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
index a955ba32..f88dde7f 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ class MetadataPP(PostProcessor):
         if mode == "custom":
             self.write = self._write_custom
             cfmt = options.get("content-format") or options.get("format")
+            if isinstance(cfmt, list):
+                cfmt = "\n".join(cfmt) + "\n"
             self.contentfmt = util.Formatter(cfmt).format_map
             ext = "txt"
         elif mode == "tags":
diff --git a/test/test_postprocessor.py b/test/test_postprocessor.py
index ff98477f..524e501e 100644
--- a/test/test_postprocessor.py
+++ b/test/test_postprocessor.py
@@ -235,18 +235,20 @@ class MetadataTest(BasePostprocessorTest):
         self.assertEqual(self._output(m), "foo\nbar\nbaz\n")
 
     def test_metadata_custom(self):
-        pp = self._create(
-            {"mode": "custom", "format": "{foo}\n{missing}\n"},
-            {"foo": "bar"},
-        )
-        self.assertEqual(pp.write, pp._write_custom)
-        self.assertEqual(pp.extension, "txt")
-        self.assertTrue(pp.contentfmt)
+        def test(pp_info):
+            pp = self._create(pp_info, {"foo": "bar"})
+            self.assertEqual(pp.write, pp._write_custom)
+            self.assertEqual(pp.extension, "txt")
+            self.assertTrue(pp.contentfmt)
 
-        with patch("builtins.open", mock_open()) as m:
-            pp.prepare(self.pathfmt)
-            pp.run(self.pathfmt)
-        self.assertEqual(self._output(m), "bar\nNone\n")
+            with patch("builtins.open", mock_open()) as m:
+                pp.prepare(self.pathfmt)
+                pp.run(self.pathfmt)
+            self.assertEqual(self._output(m), "bar\nNone\n")
+
+        test({"mode": "custom", "content-format": "{foo}\n{missing}\n"})
+        test({"mode": "custom", "content-format": ["{foo}", "{missing}"]})
+        test({"mode": "custom", "format": "{foo}\n{missing}\n"})
 
     def test_metadata_extfmt(self):
         pp = self._create({