diff --git a/beetsplug/web/__init__.py b/beetsplug/web/__init__.py
index 49149772d..a982809c4 100644
--- a/beetsplug/web/__init__.py
+++ b/beetsplug/web/__init__.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from beets import ui
 from beets import util
 import beets.library
 import flask
-from flask import g
+from flask import g, jsonify
 from werkzeug.routing import BaseConverter, PathConverter
 import os
 from unidecode import unidecode
@@ -91,7 +91,20 @@ def is_expand():
     return flask.request.args.get('expand') is not None
 
 
-def resource(name):
+def is_delete():
+    """Returns whether the current delete request should remove the selected
+    files.
+    """
+
+    return flask.request.args.get('delete') is not None
+
+
+def get_method():
+    """Returns the HTTP method of the current request."""
+    return flask.request.method
+
+
+def resource(name, patchable=False):
     """Decorates a function to handle RESTful HTTP requests for a resource.
     """
     def make_responder(retriever):
@@ -99,34 +112,84 @@ def resource(name):
             entities = [retriever(id) for id in ids]
             entities = [entity for entity in entities if entity]
 
-            if len(entities) == 1:
-                return flask.jsonify(_rep(entities[0], expand=is_expand()))
-            elif entities:
-                return app.response_class(
-                    json_generator(entities, root=name),
-                    mimetype='application/json'
-                )
+            if get_method() == "DELETE":
+                for entity in entities:
+                    entity.remove(delete=is_delete())
+
+                return flask.make_response(jsonify({'deleted': True}), 200)
+
+            elif get_method() == "PATCH" and patchable:
+                for entity in entities:
+                    entity.update(flask.request.get_json())
+                    entity.try_sync(True, False)  # write, don't move
+
+                if len(entities) == 1:
+                    return flask.jsonify(_rep(entities[0], expand=is_expand()))
+                elif entities:
+                    return app.response_class(
+                        json_generator(entities, root=name),
+                        mimetype='application/json'
+                    )
+
+            elif get_method() == "GET":
+                if len(entities) == 1:
+                    return flask.jsonify(_rep(entities[0], expand=is_expand()))
+                elif entities:
+                    return app.response_class(
+                        json_generator(entities, root=name),
+                        mimetype='application/json'
+                    )
+                else:
+                    return flask.abort(404)
+
             else:
-                return flask.abort(404)
+                return flask.abort(405)
+
         responder.__name__ = 'get_{0}'.format(name)
+
         return responder
     return make_responder
 
 
-def resource_query(name):
+def resource_query(name, patchable=False):
     """Decorates a function to handle RESTful HTTP queries for resources.
     """
     def make_responder(query_func):
         def responder(queries):
-            return app.response_class(
-                json_generator(
-                    query_func(queries),
-                    root='results', expand=is_expand()
-                ),
-                mimetype='application/json'
-            )
+            entities = query_func(queries)
+
+            if get_method() == "DELETE":
+                for entity in entities:
+                    entity.remove(delete=is_delete())
+
+                return flask.make_response(jsonify({'deleted': True}), 200)
+
+            elif get_method() == "PATCH" and patchable:
+                for entity in entities:
+                    entity.update(flask.request.get_json())
+                    entity.try_sync(True, False)  # write, don't move
+
+                return app.response_class(
+                    json_generator(entities, root=name),
+                    mimetype='application/json'
+                )
+
+            elif get_method() == "GET":
+                return app.response_class(
+                    json_generator(
+                        entities,
+                        root='results', expand=is_expand()
+                    ),
+                    mimetype='application/json'
+                )
+
+            else:
+                return flask.abort(405)
+
         responder.__name__ = 'query_{0}'.format(name)
+
         return responder
+
     return make_responder
 
 
@@ -203,8 +266,8 @@ def before_request():
 
 # Items.
 
-@app.route('/item/<idlist:ids>')
-@resource('items')
+@app.route('/item/<idlist:ids>', methods=["GET", "DELETE", "PATCH"])
+@resource('items', patchable=True)
 def get_item(id):
     return g.lib.get_item(id)
 
@@ -250,8 +313,8 @@ def item_file(item_id):
     return response
 
 
-@app.route('/item/query/<query:queries>')
-@resource_query('items')
+@app.route('/item/query/<query:queries>', methods=["GET", "DELETE", "PATCH"])
+@resource_query('items', patchable=True)
 def item_query(queries):
     return g.lib.items(queries)
 
@@ -279,7 +342,7 @@ def item_unique_field_values(key):
 
 # Albums.
 
-@app.route('/album/<idlist:ids>')
+@app.route('/album/<idlist:ids>', methods=["GET", "DELETE"])
 @resource('albums')
 def get_album(id):
     return g.lib.get_album(id)
@@ -292,7 +355,7 @@ def all_albums():
     return g.lib.albums()
 
 
-@app.route('/album/query/<query:queries>')
+@app.route('/album/query/<query:queries>', methods=["GET", "DELETE"])
 @resource_query('albums')
 def album_query(queries):
     return g.lib.albums(queries)
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 3a72132ab..47b0398c0 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ New features:
   all front images instead of blindly selecting the first one.
 * ``beet remove`` now also allows interactive selection of items from the query
   similar to ``beet modify``
+* :doc:`/plugins/web`: add DELETE and PATCH methods for modifying items
 
 Fixes:
 
diff --git a/docs/plugins/web.rst b/docs/plugins/web.rst
index 85de48dd4..4b069a944 100644
--- a/docs/plugins/web.rst
+++ b/docs/plugins/web.rst
@@ -183,6 +183,25 @@ representation. ::
 If there is no item with that id responds with a *404* status
 code.
 
+``DELETE /item/6``
+++++++++++++++++++
+
+Removes the item with id *6* from the beets library. If the *?delete* query string is included,
+the matching file will be deleted from disk.
+
+``PATCH /item/6``
+++++++++++++++++++
+
+Updates the item with id *6* and write the changes to the music file. The body should be a JSON object
+containing the changes to the object.
+
+Returns the updated JSON representation. ::
+
+    {
+      "id": 6,
+      "title": "A Song",
+      ...
+    }
 
 ``GET /item/6,12,13``
 +++++++++++++++++++++
@@ -192,6 +211,8 @@ the response is the same as for `GET /item/`_. It is *not guaranteed* that the
 response includes all the items requested. If a track is not found it is silently
 dropped from the response.
 
+This endpoint also supports *DELETE* and *PATCH* methods as above, to operate on all
+items of the list.
 
 ``GET /item/path/...``
 ++++++++++++++++++++++
@@ -221,6 +242,8 @@ Path elements are joined as parts of a query. For example,
 To specify literal path separators in a query, use a backslash instead of a
 slash.
 
+This endpoint also supports *DELETE* and *PATCH* methods as above, to operate on all
+items returned by the query.
 
 ``GET /item/6/file``
 ++++++++++++++++++++
@@ -238,10 +261,16 @@ For albums, the following endpoints are provided:
 
 * ``GET /album/5``
 
+* ``DELETE /album/5``
+
 * ``GET /album/5,7``
 
+* ``DELETE /album/5,7``
+
 * ``GET /album/query/querystring``
 
+* ``DELETE /album/query/querystring``
+
 The interface and response format is similar to the item API, except replacing
 the encapsulation key ``"items"`` with ``"albums"`` when requesting ``/album/``
 or ``/album/5,7``. In addition we can request the cover art of an album with