# Copy ARTIST to ALBUMARTIST only if empty

**URL:** <https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [November 9, 2018, 7:07am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511 "2018-11-09T07:07:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![1024mb](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/1024mb/32/5653_2.png) [@1024mb](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1024mb)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:07am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511/1 "2018-11-09T07:07:13Z")

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Hi, I want to copy the ARTIST value into ALBUMARTIST only if ALBUMARTIST is empty or doesn't exist. I don't want MP3Tag to replace the ALBUMARTIST tag if there is any info already in there. How can I do that?

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:** [November 9, 2018, 7:16am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511/3 "2018-11-09T07:16:58Z")

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see this thread:

> [@IF "Albumartist" IS "", "Albumartist" = "Artist"](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/if-albumartist-is-albumartist-artist/18018/4):
>
> Thank You!!!!! Is there a file or book or anything that has all this funtions explained, or at least listed so i can learn a bit from there? And leave you in peace

the shortest way would probably be:  
`Action "Format value" Field: ALBUMARTIST Formatstring: $if2(%ALBUMARTIST%,%ARTIST%)`

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**Author:** ![1024mb](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/1024mb/32/5653_2.png) [@1024mb](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1024mb)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:28am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511/4 "2018-11-09T07:28:29Z")

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Thank you both (?). That solved my problem, I just tested it with a bunch of files.

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**Author:** ![phossler](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@phossler](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/phossler)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511/5 "2018-11-09T16:48:51Z")

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I have this bookmarked

> **[Scripting Functions – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting/)**
>
> Documentation on Mp3tag's scripting functions. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.

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**Author:** ![1024mb](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/1024mb/32/5653_2.png) [@1024mb](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/1024mb)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511/6 "2018-11-13T15:17:04Z")

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Thank you, will look into that.

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**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, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511/7 "2026-02-09T12:27:45Z")

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