diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.rst b/CONTRIBUTING.rst
index a49a0443f..9251cea34 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.rst
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.rst
@@ -252,7 +252,8 @@ There are a few coding conventions we use in beets:
   Transaction objects help control concurrent access to the database and assist
   in debugging conflicting accesses.
 
-- ``str.format()`` should be used instead of the ``%`` operator
+- f-strings should be used instead of the ``%`` operator and ``str.format()``
+  calls.
 - Never ``print`` informational messages; use the `logging
   <http://docs.python.org/library/logging.html>`__ module instead. In
   particular, we have our own logging shim, so you’ll see ``from beets import
diff --git a/beets/dbcore/query.py b/beets/dbcore/query.py
index 1f4fff1c0..5242ea026 100644
--- a/beets/dbcore/query.py
+++ b/beets/dbcore/query.py
@@ -848,8 +848,6 @@ class DateQuery(FieldQuery[str]):
         date = datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp)
         return self.interval.contains(date)
 
-    _clause_tmpl = "{0} {1} ?"
-
     def col_clause(self) -> tuple[str, Sequence[SQLiteType]]:
         clause_parts = []
         subvals = []
@@ -857,11 +855,11 @@ class DateQuery(FieldQuery[str]):
         # Convert the `datetime` objects to an integer number of seconds since
         # the (local) Unix epoch using `datetime.timestamp()`.
         if self.interval.start:
-            clause_parts.append(self._clause_tmpl.format(self.field, ">="))
+            clause_parts.append(f"{self.field} >= ?")
             subvals.append(int(self.interval.start.timestamp()))
 
         if self.interval.end:
-            clause_parts.append(self._clause_tmpl.format(self.field, "<"))
+            clause_parts.append(f"{self.field} < ?")
             subvals.append(int(self.interval.end.timestamp()))
 
         if clause_parts:
diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 509b0e70b..91420a5c4 100755
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -486,7 +486,6 @@ class ChangeRepresentation:
         """Format colored track indices."""
         cur_track = self.format_index(item)
         new_track = self.format_index(track_info)
-        templ = "(#{})"
         changed = False
         # Choose color based on change.
         if cur_track != new_track:
@@ -498,10 +497,8 @@ class ChangeRepresentation:
         else:
             highlight_color = "text_faint"
 
-        cur_track = templ.format(cur_track)
-        new_track = templ.format(new_track)
-        lhs_track = ui.colorize(highlight_color, cur_track)
-        rhs_track = ui.colorize(highlight_color, new_track)
+        lhs_track = ui.colorize(highlight_color, f"(#{cur_track})")
+        rhs_track = ui.colorize(highlight_color, f"(#{new_track})")
         return lhs_track, rhs_track, changed
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/beetsplug/duplicates.py b/beetsplug/duplicates.py
index ea7abaaff..73fdee6a4 100644
--- a/beetsplug/duplicates.py
+++ b/beetsplug/duplicates.py
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ class DuplicatesPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
             count = self.config["count"].get(bool)
             delete = self.config["delete"].get(bool)
             remove = self.config["remove"].get(bool)
-            fmt = self.config["format"].get(str)
+            fmt_tmpl = self.config["format"].get(str)
             full = self.config["full"].get(bool)
             keys = self.config["keys"].as_str_seq()
             merge = self.config["merge"].get(bool)
@@ -175,15 +175,14 @@ class DuplicatesPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
                 return
 
             if path:
-                fmt = "$path"
+                fmt_tmpl = "$path"
 
             # Default format string for count mode.
-            if count and not fmt:
+            if count and not fmt_tmpl:
                 if album:
-                    fmt = "$albumartist - $album"
+                    fmt_tmpl = "$albumartist - $album"
                 else:
-                    fmt = "$albumartist - $album - $title"
-                fmt += ": {0}"
+                    fmt_tmpl = "$albumartist - $album - $title"
 
             if checksum:
                 for i in items:
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ class DuplicatesPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
                             delete=delete,
                             remove=remove,
                             tag=tag,
-                            fmt=fmt.format(obj_count),
+                            fmt=f"{fmt_tmpl}: {obj_count}",
                         )
 
         self._command.func = _dup
diff --git a/beetsplug/info.py b/beetsplug/info.py
index c4d5aacbf..69e35184f 100644
--- a/beetsplug/info.py
+++ b/beetsplug/info.py
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ def print_data(data, item=None, fmt=None):
         return
 
     maxwidth = max(len(key) for key in formatted)
-    lineformat = f"{{0:>{maxwidth}}}: {{1}}"
 
     if path:
         ui.print_(displayable_path(path))
@@ -126,7 +125,7 @@ def print_data(data, item=None, fmt=None):
         value = formatted[field]
         if isinstance(value, list):
             value = "; ".join(value)
-        ui.print_(lineformat.format(field, value))
+        ui.print_(f"{field:>{maxwidth}}: {value}")
 
 
 def print_data_keys(data, item=None):
@@ -139,12 +138,11 @@ def print_data_keys(data, item=None):
     if len(formatted) == 0:
         return
 
-    line_format = "{0}{{0}}".format(" " * 4)
     if path:
         ui.print_(displayable_path(path))
 
     for field in sorted(formatted):
-        ui.print_(line_format.format(field))
+        ui.print_(f"    {field}")
 
 
 class InfoPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
diff --git a/beetsplug/inline.py b/beetsplug/inline.py
index 3c728bf8d..00907577a 100644
--- a/beetsplug/inline.py
+++ b/beetsplug/inline.py
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ def _compile_func(body):
     """Given Python code for a function body, return a compiled
     callable that invokes that code.
     """
-    body = "def {}():\n    {}".format(FUNC_NAME, body.replace("\n", "\n    "))
+    body = body.replace("\n", "\n    ")
+    body = f"def {FUNC_NAME}():\n    {body}"
     code = compile(body, "inline", "exec")
     env = {}
     eval(code, env)
diff --git a/test/test_ui.py b/test/test_ui.py
index 63d88f668..fb166e690 100644
--- a/test/test_ui.py
+++ b/test/test_ui.py
@@ -1261,7 +1261,6 @@ class ShowChangeTest(IOMixin, unittest.TestCase):
             msg = self._show_change(
                 cur_artist=long_name, cur_album="another album"
             )
-            # _common.log.info("Message:{}".format(msg))
             assert "artist: another artist" in msg
             assert "  -> the artist" in msg
             assert "another album -> the album" not in msg