# Accidently copying one file metadata to all songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [January 28, 2023, 5:30am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/accidently-copying-one-file-metadata-to-all-songs/59833 "2023-01-28T05:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bryn](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Bryn](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Bryn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 5:30am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/accidently-copying-one-file-metadata-to-all-songs/59833/1 "2023-01-28T05:30:02Z")
I am still not sure how I did it, but somehow I copied the metadata from one song to all the other songs in the directory. I did not get a prompt to confirm the copy/overwrite. I tend to use the keyboard short cuts, so control+c and control+v to copy the metadata from one song to another, F4 and F5. I cannot confirm when it happened the first time as it took me a while to look at that directory again. It happened one more time and I do not know what keystrokes I used to do it, but I do remember that I did not have all the files selected. The second time I was able just to do a control+z and it undid my mistake. I wish I could give you a better idea of how I did it. ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 10:34am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/accidently-copying-one-file-metadata-to-all-songs/59833/2 "2023-01-28T10:34:48Z")
If you want to copy the metadata from the selected file to one or more other files you would do exactly this: Press CTRL+C on the source file (with the metadata you want to copy) and then select one or more target files and press CTRL+V to paste this metadata from the clipboard. There is no warning message until you set it in File\*\* -\> Options -\> Messages (press CTRL+ O) For example "Show message at pasting tags" before you paste it or "Show message after change" to show a hint after pasting. \*\* Valid since Mp3tag v3.19. In previous versions it was File -\> Options -\> Messages. ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 11:19am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/accidently-copying-one-file-metadata-to-all-songs/59833/3 "2023-01-28T11:19:38Z")
> [@Bryn](#): > > F4 and F5. According the [help](https://docs.mp3tag.de/keyboard/) the keys work like this in the Mp3tag file list modus: F4 Play selected file(s) F5 Refresh So none of them should copy and/or paste anyhting between files. ---
**Author:** ![Bryn](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Bryn](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Bryn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/accidently-copying-one-file-metadata-to-all-songs/59833/4 "2023-01-28T16:43:55Z")
I was just giving the keyboard shortcuts that I usually use. The effect of what happened would be select one song control c select all the song control a update the metadata on all the songs control v It is just that I am pretty sure that I did not do the control a bit ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/accidently-copying-one-file-metadata-to-all-songs/59833/5 "2023-01-28T16:45:58Z")
I suggest: Check/Activate the two messages mentionend above and you will be warned next time you accidently press such a combination. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/accidently-copying-one-file-metadata-to-all-songs/59833/6 "2026-02-09T12:30:02Z")