diff --git a/beets/metadata_plugins.py b/beets/metadata_plugins.py
index 1be2d5821..952985980 100644
--- a/beets/metadata_plugins.py
+++ b/beets/metadata_plugins.py
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ def candidates(items, *args, **kwargs) -> Iterable[AlbumInfo]:
     """Return matching album candidates from all metadata source plugins."""
     for plugin in find_metadata_source_plugins():
         for info in plugin.candidates(items, *args, **kwargs):
-            send("albuminfo_received", info=info, items=items)
+            send(
+                "albuminfo_received",
+                info=plugin.before_album_info_emitted(items, info),
+            )
             yield info
 
 
@@ -60,7 +63,10 @@ def album_for_id(
     """
     for plugin in find_metadata_source_plugins():
         if info := plugin.album_for_id(album_id=_id):
-            send("albuminfo_received", info=info, items=items)
+            send(
+                "albuminfo_received",
+                info=plugin.before_album_info_emitted(items, info),
+            )
             return info
 
     return None
@@ -132,6 +138,18 @@ class MetadataSourcePlugin(BeetsPlugin, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
         found."""
         raise NotImplementedError
 
+    def before_album_info_emitted(
+        self,
+        items: Iterable[Item],
+        album_info: AlbumInfo,
+    ) -> AlbumInfo:
+        """Called after an :py:class:`AlbumInfo` object has been found for a set
+        of :py:class:`Item` objects but before the ``albuminfo_received``
+        :py:type:`plugins.EventType` has been sent. The returned instance will
+        be the payload of the event.
+        """
+        return album_info
+
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def track_for_id(self, track_id: str) -> TrackInfo | None:
         """Return a :py:class:`TrackInfo` object or None if no matching release was
diff --git a/beetsplug/mbpseudo.py b/beetsplug/mbpseudo.py
index 557c762ab..0a4e304f2 100644
--- a/beetsplug/mbpseudo.py
+++ b/beetsplug/mbpseudo.py
@@ -100,9 +100,6 @@ class MusicBrainzPseudoReleasePlugin(MusicBrainzPlugin):
                 pass
 
         self.register_listener("pluginload", self._on_plugins_loaded)
-        self.register_listener(
-            "albuminfo_received", self._on_album_info_received
-        )
         self.register_listener("album_matched", self._adjust_final_album_match)
 
     # noinspection PyMethodMayBeStatic
@@ -116,12 +113,13 @@ class MusicBrainzPseudoReleasePlugin(MusicBrainzPlugin):
                     " the mbpseudo plugin"
                 )
 
-    def _on_album_info_received(
+    @override
+    def before_album_info_emitted(
         self,
-        info: AlbumInfo,
         items: Iterable[Item],
+        album_info: AlbumInfo,
     ):
-        if isinstance(info, PseudoAlbumInfo):
+        if isinstance(album_info, PseudoAlbumInfo):
             for item in items:
                 # particularly relevant for reimport but could also happen during import
                 if "mb_albumid" in item:
@@ -131,10 +129,12 @@ class MusicBrainzPseudoReleasePlugin(MusicBrainzPlugin):
 
             self._log.debug(
                 "Using {0} release for distance calculations for album {1}",
-                info.determine_best_ref(list(items)),
-                info.album_id,
+                album_info.determine_best_ref(list(items)),
+                album_info.album_id,
             )
 
+        return album_info
+
     @override
     def candidates(
         self,
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index aad3181d6..f3ca6a78d 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -57,8 +57,9 @@ Bug fixes:
 
 For plugin developers:
 
-- The plugin event ``albuminfo_received`` now has a second argument ``items``
-  with the files that were used in the corresponding search.
+- Metadata plugins can now implement a ``before_album_info_emitted`` method to
+  modify ``AlbumInfo`` objects before they are emitted as part of the
+  ``albuminfo_received`` event.
 - A new plugin event, ``album_matched``, is sent when an album that is being
   imported has been matched to its metadata and the corresponding distance has
   been calculated.
diff --git a/docs/dev/plugins/events.rst b/docs/dev/plugins/events.rst
index 67a3f8edc..aaab9ccd7 100644
--- a/docs/dev/plugins/events.rst
+++ b/docs/dev/plugins/events.rst
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ registration process in this case:
         or adjustments (e.g., ``mbsync``).
 
 ``albuminfo_received``
-    :Parameters: ``info`` (|AlbumInfo|), ``items`` (iterable of |Item|)
+    :Parameters: ``info`` (|AlbumInfo|)
     :Description: Like ``trackinfo_received`` but for album-level metadata.
 
 ``album_matched``
diff --git a/test/plugins/test_mbpseudo.py b/test/plugins/test_mbpseudo.py
index 717aa032c..316d2e3c7 100644
--- a/test/plugins/test_mbpseudo.py
+++ b/test/plugins/test_mbpseudo.py
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class TestMBPseudoPlugin(PluginMixin):
         item["title"] = "百花繚乱"
 
         # if items don't have mb_*, they are not modified
-        mbpseudo_plugin._on_album_info_received(pseudo_info, [item])
+        mbpseudo_plugin.before_album_info_emitted([item], pseudo_info)
         assert pseudo_info.album == item.title
 
         pseudo_info.use_pseudo_as_ref()
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ class TestMBPseudoPlugin(PluginMixin):
         assert item.get("mb_trackid") == "mb_tid"
 
         # if items have mb_*, they are deleted
-        mbpseudo_plugin._on_album_info_received(pseudo_info, [item])
+        mbpseudo_plugin.before_album_info_emitted([item], pseudo_info)
         assert pseudo_info.album == item.title
         assert item.get("mb_albumid") == ""
         assert item.get("mb_trackid") == ""