# Convert Filename to tags
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [October 18, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970 "2010-10-18T19:56:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jgt1942](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jgt1942)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970/1 "2010-10-18T19:56:09Z")
OK I'm totally lost by the help description to convert the filename to tags and I've read the post at [/t/8016/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/8016/1) and I'm still lost.
My file name is Al Martino-Spanish Eyes.mp3 and I want the first part (the artist name) to replace the tag "Artist" and the second part (the name of the song) to become the tag "Title".
As I understand I need %artist% - %title%
When I click on the icon for "Filename to Tag" I get a window titled "Filename - Tag" in the drop-down it contains %artist% - %album% - %track% - %title% (this I know I do not want) and if I click on the drop-down arrow there are no other options. I've changed the default text to %artist% - %title% by using the arrow-pointing-to-the-right button but the OK button remains grayed out. I expected the OK button to become active once I created my string.
I need the dummies version of the steps to perform the action to convert the filename to tags. 
I'm using v2.46b on Win7 x64.
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970/2 "2010-10-18T20:00:52Z")
Al Martino-Spanish Eyes.mp3 needs
%artist%-%title%
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### Author:  [@jgt1942](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jgt1942)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970/3 "2010-10-18T21:47:35Z")
I understand that I need %artist%-%title% but where do I use this string? Or how do I use this string?
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### Author:  [@jgt1942](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jgt1942)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970/4 "2010-10-18T21:58:09Z")
AH I finally discovered what I was doing wrong. In the "Filename Tag" convert window I kept putting
%artist% - %title% (with the dash sign) and what I needed to put was
%artist% %title% (without the dash sign).
To me this was not obvious. Damn, I must have spent 3 hours on this one issue......
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### Author:  [@jgt1942](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jgt1942)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970/5 "2010-10-18T22:02:57Z")
OK I'm not quite there yet......
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### Author:  [@jgt1942](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jgt1942)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970/6 "2010-10-18T22:07:19Z")
I just noticed that if I use "%artist% %title%" for a file name "Cat Stevens-Lady D'Arbanville.mp3" this will result in the following
Artist = Cat
Title = Stevens-Lady D'Arbanville
If I use "%artist% - %title%" e.g. with the dash then the OK button is grayed out in the "Filename Tag" window.
I'm still missing something.
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### Author:  [@jgt1942](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/jgt1942)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/convert-filename-to-tags/10970/7 "2010-10-18T22:10:56Z")
Damn..... OK I need no blanks before or after the dash
%artist%-%title%
I see this is exactly what dano stated but it was not sinking in, I needed the dummies instructions.... 