diff --git a/src/loaders/loader-metadata-reader.ts b/src/loaders/loader-metadata-reader.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e4c530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/loaders/loader-metadata-reader.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { $i } from "@/utils/collections";
+import { PathLike } from "node:fs";
+import { FabricMetadataReader } from "./fabric/fabric-metadata-reader";
+import { ForgeMetadataReader } from "./forge/forge-metadata-reader";
+import { LoaderMetadata } from "./loader-metadata";
+import { LoaderType } from "./loader-type";
+import { QuiltMetadataReader } from "./quilt/quilt-metadata-reader";
+
+/**
+ * Defines a structure for reading metadata files.
+ *
+ * @template T - The type of the metadata this reader is able to process.
+ */
+export interface LoaderMetadataReader<T extends LoaderMetadata = LoaderMetadata> {
+    /**
+     * Reads the metadata file from a given path.
+     *
+     * @param path - The path to the metadata file.
+     *
+     * @returns The metadata object, or `undefined` if the file cannot be read.
+     */
+    readMetadataFile(path: PathLike): Promise<T | undefined>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Combines multiple metadata readers into a single reader
+ * that tries each reader in order until one successfully reads the metadata.
+ *
+ * @param readers - A collection of metadata readers to be combined.
+ *
+ * @returns A new metadata reader instance that represents the combined readers.
+ */
+export function combineLoaderMetadataReaders(readers: Iterable<LoaderMetadataReader>): LoaderMetadataReader {
+    const readerArray = [...readers];
+
+    const readMetadataFile = async (path: PathLike) => {
+        for (const reader of readerArray) {
+            const metadata = await reader.readMetadataFile(path).catch(() => undefined as LoaderMetadata);
+            if (metadata) {
+                return metadata;
+            }
+        }
+        return undefined;
+    };
+
+    return { readMetadataFile };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a metadata reader for the specified well-known loader.
+ *
+ * @param loader - The loader the metadata for which needs to be read.
+ *
+ * @returns A metadata reader for the given loader.
+ */
+export function createLoaderMetadataReader(loader: LoaderType): LoaderMetadataReader {
+    switch (loader) {
+        case LoaderType.FABRIC:
+            return new FabricMetadataReader();
+
+        case LoaderType.FORGE:
+            return new ForgeMetadataReader();
+
+        case LoaderType.QUILT:
+            return new QuiltMetadataReader();
+
+        default:
+            throw new Error(`Unknown mod loader '${LoaderType.format(loader)}'.`);
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a metadata reader that is a combination of readers for all known loaders.
+ *
+ * @returns A metadata reader that can read metadata from all known loaders.
+ */
+export function createDefaultLoaderMetadataReader(): LoaderMetadataReader {
+    return combineLoaderMetadataReaders($i(LoaderType.values()).map(createLoaderMetadataReader));
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/loaders/loader-metadata-reader.spec.ts b/tests/unit/loaders/loader-metadata-reader.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3508154
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/loaders/loader-metadata-reader.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import { zipFile } from "@/../tests/utils/zip-utils";
+import { LoaderType } from "@/loaders/loader-type";
+import mockFs from "mock-fs";
+import {
+    LoaderMetadataReader,
+    combineLoaderMetadataReaders,
+    createLoaderMetadataReader,
+    createDefaultLoaderMetadataReader,
+} from "@/loaders/loader-metadata-reader";
+
+beforeEach(async () => {
+    mockFs({
+        "fabric.jar": await zipFile([__dirname, "../../content/fabric/fabric.mod.json"]),
+        "quilt.jar": await zipFile([__dirname, "../../content/quilt/quilt.mod.json"]),
+        "forge.jar": await zipFile([__dirname, "../../content/forge/mods.toml"], "META-INF/mods.toml"),
+        "text.txt": "",
+    });
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+    mockFs.restore();
+});
+
+describe("combineLoaderMetadataReaders", () => {
+    test("combined reader returns metadata from the first underlying reader that successfully reads the metadata", async () => {
+        const reader1 = { readMetadataFile: jest.fn().mockImplementation(x => x === "1" ? Promise.resolve({ id: "1" }) : Promise.reject(new Error("Unknown id"))) } as LoaderMetadataReader;
+        const reader2 = { readMetadataFile: jest.fn().mockImplementation(x => Promise.resolve(x === "2" ? { id: "2" } : undefined)) } as LoaderMetadataReader;
+
+        const combined = combineLoaderMetadataReaders([reader1, reader2]);
+
+        const metadata1 = await combined.readMetadataFile("1");
+        expect(metadata1).toEqual({ id: "1" });
+        expect(reader1.readMetadataFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(reader1.readMetadataFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith("1");
+        expect(reader2.readMetadataFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+        const metadata2 = await combined.readMetadataFile("2");
+        expect(metadata2).toEqual({ id: "2" });
+        expect(reader1.readMetadataFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+        expect(reader1.readMetadataFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith("2");
+        expect(reader2.readMetadataFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(reader2.readMetadataFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith("2");
+    });
+
+    test("combined reader returns undefined when no reader can read the metadata", async () => {
+        const combined = combineLoaderMetadataReaders([]);
+        const metadata = await combined.readMetadataFile("test");
+
+        expect(metadata).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    test("combined reader returns undefined instead of throwing", async () => {
+        const reader1 = { readMetadataFile: jest.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error("Cannot read the metadata file")) } as LoaderMetadataReader;
+
+        const combined = combineLoaderMetadataReaders([reader1]);
+        const metadata = await combined.readMetadataFile("test");
+
+        expect(metadata).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+});
+
+describe("createLoaderMetadataReader", () => {
+    test("creates a reader for every known loader", () => {
+        for (const loader of LoaderType.values()) {
+            expect(createLoaderMetadataReader(loader)).toBeDefined();
+        }
+    });
+
+    test("created reader is able to read metadata of its supported loader", async () => {
+        for (const loader of LoaderType.values()) {
+            const reader = createLoaderMetadataReader(loader);
+            const metadata = await reader.readMetadataFile(`${loader}.jar`);
+
+            expect(metadata).toBeDefined();
+            expect(metadata.version).toBe("0.1.0");
+        }
+    });
+
+    test("created reader returns undefined for unsupported metadata files", async () => {
+        for (const loader of LoaderType.values()) {
+            const reader = createLoaderMetadataReader(loader);
+            const metadata = await reader.readMetadataFile("text.txt");
+
+            expect(metadata).toBeUndefined();
+        }
+    });
+
+    test("created reader returns undefined for non-existing files", async () => {
+        for (const loader of LoaderType.values()) {
+            const reader = createLoaderMetadataReader(loader);
+            const metadata = await reader.readMetadataFile("text.json");
+
+            expect(metadata).toBeUndefined();
+        }
+    });
+
+    test("throws an error when unknown loader is provided", () => {
+        expect(() => createLoaderMetadataReader("unknown" as LoaderType)).toThrow("Unknown mod loader 'unknown'.");
+    });
+});
+
+describe("createDefaultLoaderMetadataReader", () => {
+    test("creates a reader that can read metadata from all known loaders", async () => {
+        const reader = createDefaultLoaderMetadataReader();
+        for (const loader of LoaderType.values()) {
+            const metadata = await reader.readMetadataFile(`${loader}.jar`);
+
+            expect(metadata).toBeDefined();
+            expect(metadata.version).toBe("0.1.0");
+        }
+    });
+});