# Action Groups - Multiple Steps **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [March 29, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364 "2020-03-29T16:02:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/1/f0a364/32.png) [@1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1HotJob)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/1 "2020-03-29T16:02:34Z")
I want to create one action group for a few hundred albums I have. Filename is: 01 - John Doe - My Song 2020. I want to separate all of this information into the different columns. The year is working, and removing the year from the filename. I get the artist, title, genre and track from the filename. I don't get albumartist from the artist field, and the filename isn't renamed with artist - title. The mixed case is working. Any suggestions on where I am getting hung up? I really want to keep this as one click and done. Format Value "year": $right(%\_filename%,4) Format value "\_filename": cutRight(%\_filename%,5) Guess Values "\_filename":%track% - %artist% - %title% Guess Values "%artist%": %artist%~%albumartist% Regular expression "\_all": "&" -\> "&" Format Value "%\_filename%": %artist% - %title% Format Value "track": $num(%track%,1) Format Value "track": $if(%track%,$num(%track%,1),) Regular Expression "genre": "Other" -\> "Oldies" Format Value "Album": "My MixTape" Looking at this, could this: **Format Value "%\_filename%": %artist% - %title%** be the problem? ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 4:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/2 "2020-03-29T16:54:43Z")
I think that MP3tag executes filename operations always last irrespective of their position in an action group. So I would shorten TITLE Format Value "year": $right(%\_filename%,4) Guess Values "\_filename":%track% - %artist% - %title% Format value "TITLE": cutRight(%title%,5) ---
**Author:** ![1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/1/f0a364/32.png) [@1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1HotJob)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/3 "2020-03-29T17:22:18Z")
For TITLE, I am now getting **01 - John Doe - My Song** Still no Albumartist, and the Filename stays the same. ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/4 "2020-03-29T17:25:19Z")
I do not see where you set TITLE except the guess value action - but that either works completely or it does not at all. So could you show what the action group looks like now? ---
**Author:** ![1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/1/f0a364/32.png) [@1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1HotJob)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/5 "2020-03-29T17:57:41Z")
![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1bbee993593bfaf8944258613bf8e123f76b9a1a.png) ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/6 "2020-03-29T18:05:43Z")
I think that steps 2, guess value from filename and step 3 get the FILENAME minus the last 5 characters is where problems may arise. Stipulated, that the guess value from the filename has worked would lead to a TITLE with > [@1HotJob](#): > > My Song 2020 but then you use the \_FILENAME as source to remove the last 5 characters. This would lead to > [@1HotJob](#): > > 01 - John Doe - My Song I suggest that you use `$cutright(%title%,5)` in step 3 where you treat the TITLE. ---
**Author:** ![1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/1/f0a364/32.png) [@1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1HotJob)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/7 "2020-03-29T18:09:12Z")
Yes, I didn't catch that when I changed it to TITLE. Everything is working now except the album artist. ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/8 "2020-03-29T18:13:39Z")
Looking at "John Doe" I do not see the ~ as separator - to get 2 pieces of data from a single field, it would require something like "John~Doe" to get an ARTIST called John and an ALBUMARTIST called Doe. If you want to copy the contents of ARTIST to ALBUMARTIST, use Format value for ALBUMARTIST Format string: %artist% ---
**Author:** ![1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/1/f0a364/32.png) [@1HotJob](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1HotJob)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/9 "2020-03-29T18:16:12Z")
Perfect. Thank you very much for your help. Hope you are staying safe during these times. Now my eyes won't burn so much at the end of the day. 😀 ---
**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, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/action-groups-multiple-steps/48364/10 "2026-02-09T12:28:29Z")