# Couple of Questions
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/couple-of-questions/11440
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 14, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/couple-of-questions/11440 "2011-01-14T17:46:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@parabola](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/parabola)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/couple-of-questions/11440/1 "2011-01-14T17:46:27Z")
Hello all,
I'm really digging mp3tag, but theres a couple of things I've thus far been successful in doing. I was hoping you might be able to shed some light 🙂
**1.) Delete old \*.m3u playlists** - I'm generating new ones, and dont want to manually delete the old.
**2.) Replace artist name with Wildcard** - Oddly enough i've been unable to wipe the artist field out, and replace with a new entry, it doesnt accept blank, or a \*
**3.) if theres multiple Aritists listed (bad tags/filenames)** how can i pull say the the Artist out (with Guess, i'd assume) and replace for the rest of the selected files.
**[b]4.) Remove "(foo)" some of my CDs have () with junk between.** I want all of it gone 🙂 I tried using regex and was unable to get it to work in MP3tag, worked in other tests.
If you have an answer to any of these, that would be awesome 🙂 Thanks!!
---
### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/couple-of-questions/11440/2 "2011-01-14T23:06:51Z")
> [@parabola](#):
>
> **1.) Delete old \*.m3u playlists** - I'm generating new ones, and dont want to manually delete the old.
>
> **2.) Replace artist name with Wildcard** - Oddly enough i've been unable to wipe the artist field out, and replace with a new entry, it doesnt accept blank, or a \*
>
> **3.) if theres multiple Aritists listed (bad tags/filenames)** how can i pull say the the Artist out (with Guess, i'd assume) and replace for the rest of the selected files.
>
> **[b]4.) Remove "(foo)" some of my CDs have () with junk between.** I want all of it gone 🙂 I tried using regex and was unable to get it to work in MP3tag, worked in other tests.
1.)
a) by overwriting it with the new m3u. but that will be complicated if your old m3u don't have the same namesceme.
B) go to: File \> Options \> Tags. In the field "Restrict incoming files to:" add **\*.m3u**. When you now load a directory into Mp3tag, m3u files are also listed. You can't edit them, but you can delete them by pressing CTRL + DEL
2.)
In Mp3tag's regular expressions:
. is the wildcard
- and + are repeats
so .\* is nothing or anything repeated any number of times
here is more help: [https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/replace-regexp](https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/replace-regexp)
If you want to replace e.g.:
Rolling Stones
Rolling Stones, The
the rolling stones
THE ROLLING STONES
with
The Rolling Stones
do the following:
Action: Format Value
Field: ARTIST
Formatstring: $regexp($lower(%artist%),._rolling stones._,The Rolling Stones)
if you have something like
R.E.M.
R E M
REM
R. E. M.
and you want all to
REM
do the following:
Action: Format Value
Field: ARTIST
Formatstring: $regexp(%artist%,(R.E.M.|R E M|REM|R. E. M.),REM)
you can also combine this with wildcards as above.
3.)
Select them all, select the right artist name from the drop-down menu in the tag panel (on the left side under Artist:) or type the name manually and save (press CTRL + S)
4.)
Action: Replace with regular expression:
Field: \_ALL
_(or \_FILENAME or \_TAG or TITEL or whatever you need)_
Regular expression: '('.\*')'
_(put a space in the front to avoid a double space afterwards)_
Replace matches with:
_(nothing)_
---
### Author:  [@parabola](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/parabola)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/couple-of-questions/11440/3 "2011-01-19T02:53:59Z")
> [@pone](#):
>
> 1.)
> a) by overwriting it with the new m3u. but that will be complicated if your old m3u don't have the same namesceme.
> 🕶 go to: File \> Options \> Tags. In the field "Restrict incoming files to:" add **\*.m3u**. When you now load a directory into Mp3tag, m3u files are also listed. You can't edit them, but you can delete them by pressing CTRL + DEL
>
> 2.)
> In Mp3tag's regular expressions:
> . is the wildcard
>
> - and + are repeats
> so .\* is nothing or anything repeated any number of times
> here is more help: [https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/replace-regexp](https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/replace-regexp)
> If you want to replace e.g.:
> Rolling Stones
> Rolling Stones, The
> the rolling stones
> THE ROLLING STONES
> with
> The Rolling Stones
>
> do the following:
> Action: Format Value
> Field: ARTIST
> Formatstring: $regexp($lower(%artist%),._rolling stones._,The Rolling Stones)
>
> if you have something like
> R.E.M.
> R E M
> REM
> R. E. M.
> and you want all to
> REM
>
> do the following:
> Action: Format Value
> Field: ARTIST
> Formatstring: $regexp(%artist%,(R.E.M.|R E M|REM|R. E. M.),REM)
>
> you can also combine this with wildcards as above.
>
> 3.)
> Select them all, select the right artist name from the drop-down menu in the tag panel (on the left side under Artist:) or type the name manually and save (press CTRL + S)
>
> 4.)
> Action: Replace with regular expression:
> Field: \_ALL
> _(or \_FILENAME or \_TAG or TITEL or whatever you need)_
> Regular expression: '('.\*')'
> _(put a space in the front to avoid a double space afterwards)_
> Replace matches with:
> _(nothing)_
Thank you mate 🙂
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/couple-of-questions/11440/4 "2026-02-09T12:22:49Z")