# Best to keep (The) or put at rear (The)?

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/best-to-keep-the-or-put-at-rear-the/18842
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [March 28, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/best-to-keep-the-or-put-at-rear-the/18842 "2017-03-28T16:13:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![grievousangel](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/a9a28c/32.png) [@grievousangel](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/grievousangel)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/best-to-keep-the-or-put-at-rear-the/18842/1 "2017-03-28T16:13:40Z")

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Best to keep (The) or put at rear (The)?

If so, is there a link to common code to move 'The ' to rear as ', The)?  
Thanks,

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### 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 28, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/best-to-keep-the-or-put-at-rear-the/18842/2 "2017-03-28T16:21:22Z")

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Here is a thread on the technicalities: [/t/12769/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/12769/1)

Here is my opinion:  
I would leave the name as it is. If you have problems with sorting, fill the field ARTISTSORT, ALBUMSORT, ALBUMARTISTSORT and/or TITLESORT.

I would standardize artist names so that they are either with the "the" or always without, like "Beatles" vs. "The Beatles".  
As this may be hard to remember, I chose to remove the "the" wherever it is not needed - like "Rolling Stones" and keep it where it is more or less mandatory like  
The Band  
The XX  
The The  
The Avener

In the end it is up to you to structure your collection that fits you best.

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### Author: ![grievousangel](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/a9a28c/32.png) [@grievousangel](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/grievousangel)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/best-to-keep-the-or-put-at-rear-the/18842/3 "2017-03-30T15:58:52Z")

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Thanks for reply.

I need to remove track numbers from songs that iTunes have touched. Is there a link to different code examples so one can copy, etc.

Thanks

> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Here is a thread on the technicalities: [/t/12769/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/12769/1)
> 
> Here is my opinion:  
> I would leave the name as it is. If you have problems with sorting, fill the field ARTISTSORT, ALBUMSORT, ALBUMARTISTSORT and/or TITLESORT.
> 
> I would standardize artist names so that they are either with the "the" or always without, like "Beatles" vs. "The Beatles".  
> As this may be hard to remember, I chose to remove the "the" wherever it is not needed - like "Rolling Stones" and keep it where it is more or less mandatory like  
> The Band  
> The XX  
> The The  
> The Avener
> 
> In the end it is up to you to structure your collection that fits you best.

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### 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 30, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/best-to-keep-the-or-put-at-rear-the/18842/4 "2017-03-30T16:43:52Z")

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You don't say much about the structure of the data.  
So perhaps this thread is a hit:  
[/t/5102/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/5102/1)

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### Author: ![Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zerow/32/11379_2.png) [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/best-to-keep-the-or-put-at-rear-the/18842/5 "2017-04-09T16:50:54Z")

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Keep "The" always at the beginning

And keep for example Ludwig van Beethoven as "Ludwig van Beethoven" a not not as "Beethoven, Ludwig van" or "van Beethoven, Ludwig" or some other monstrosity